JIM reviews film "KICK-ASS"

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Kick-Ass

MY Rating: 8 of 10 stars (based on an advance screening of the 117-minute film, scheduled for release 4-16-10.

“With no Power comes no RESPONSIBILITY!”

The title above is a line from the movie. Why, Gee, Gosh, Golly, Folks— that’s a sign that that we have another film based on a COMIC-BOOK series {by Mark Millar}!…

… In this film, the comic book fan is named Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), &, sort of typical of such kids, he tends to be “overlooked” in his high school. Having nothing “better” to do, he decides to become a “Super-Hero”— &, with characteristic teenage lack of foresight, his choice is made despite the fact that he has NO powers (super or otherwise), and no special preparation for it all…

… His high school buddies Marty (bespectacled Clark Duke) & curly-haired Evan Peters, are equally nerdy & girlfriend-less, & they commiserate with each other’s problems when they regularly visit Atomic Comics (which also serves some food)… Aaron talks about how he lusts after pretty classmate Katie Deauxma (Lyndsy Fonseca)…

… All the guys tend to dislike super-rich Chris D’Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). His father Frank (Mark Strong) purports to run a lumber company— but he really is a big-time drug-dealing CROOK in town, with police Detective Vic Gigante (Xander Berkeley) on his payroll. He has loads of goons in his employ, such as his right-hand man Big Joe (Michael Rispoli), bodyguard Stu (Stu ‘Large’ Riley), Jason Flemyng, Mike (Tamer Hassan), & others…

… Wanting to be “noticed”, horny Aaron orders a costume of green tights, calls himself “Kick-Ass”, & goes thru the streets looking for some “crime-fighting” he could do: he tries to fight some local small-time hoods who try to break into cars & rob students (like him & his friends) of their valuables, & realizes that they often respond with physical FURY to such interference!…

… After getting quite hurt for his do-gooder activities, “Kick-Ass” gets some NOTORIETY from people who filmed his efforts & put it on the internet & TV… The metal inserted to help his body recover also “strengthens” it somewhat…

… Still, the easiest way he finds to get close to Lyndsy is to follow the urging of his buddies to let her think he’s GAY… At one point, as he’s on a good-deed “mission” suggested to him by Lyndsy, his efforts are met with extreme VIOLENCE by the people he tracks down…

… Luckily for Aaron, his behind is saved by a NEW Super Hero: 11-year-old martial-arts expert “HIT GIRL”, who’s really Mindy Macready (Chloe Moretz). She’d been taught her combat abilities by her ex-cop father Damon (Nicolas Cage), who himself takes the gun-toting Batman-like persona of “BIG DADDY”…

… When Kick-Ass & the others start to interfere with the criminal activities of Christopher’s father (Mark), Chris decides to try to help his dad by assuming the persona of another Super Hero who he calls “RED MIST”… That sets up various machinations between the groups, with a great deal of savage FIGHTING ensuing as they try to trick & battle each other…

… Will “Kick-Ass” SUCCEED in combating “crime” in New York?… Will he “get” his hoped-for GIRLFRIEND?… What will “happen” to his FRIENDS & to the OTHER “Super Hero” characters”?…

… The main leads do a GOOD job in their acting, & Nic Cage especially “FITS” effortlessly right in to his “off-kilter” guise…

… The movie is a surprisingly SUCCESSFUL combination of HUMOR (most of it situational & consisting of purposely-“gross” rather than clever lines), lots of ACTION, “COMIC-BOOK” liveliness, & a bunch of convincing SPECIAL EFFECTS (done by like 5 different companies)…

… While it’s not “great”, it provides an enjoyably “FUN” time as the actors play it “straight” as they romp thru their roles…

[ … As an “ASIDE”: the screening was “hosted” by “CAPONE” of “Ain’t It Cool News”. He spoke of how he’d just been mentioned in a “Time Out Chicago” article as someone with a lot of “CLOUT” in the local movie-review industry…

[… He said, while they may have “overstated” his influence, he was pleased he was able to convince director Vaughn (at the recent SXSW Festival in Texas) to let him SHOW the film here in advance of its scheduling national opening…

[… “Capone” remarked on how the movie had received a strong reception at “Comicon”: altho it was a “rough”-cut (with an unapproved soundtrack), it was so well-received, it started a “bidding war” for distribution five or so months ago… I wouldn’t be surprised if this film spawns a SERIES of films, in that it’s well-done overall, & the way it ends clearly “SETS-UP” the possibility of a “sequel”… ]