Review - Kick Ass

Ever since Blade and X-men, comic book movies have been all the rage, reinvigorating Spiderman, Batman, Superman and even Iron Man. But, as we get more and more saturated with super hero movies, there become more and more people who look to push the envelope on what is a super hero, and what are the rules of the genre are. Last year's Watchmen was one of those movies, and this years Kick Ass is another, but Kick Ass pushes the envelope even further, and it makes for a much more enjoyable experience overall; oh, and there is no giant blue dong.

Kick Ass is about a kid (Aaron Johnson) in the real world, who wonders why no one tries to be a superhero in real life. After his first attempt results in him getting...well, his ass kicked, he tries again, and inspires the world. After three more superheroes start really fighting crime, Kick Ass realizes he is way over his head, as Mob bosses try to take him out.

While Kick Ass was good, there is no mistaking the real star of the movie, Hit Girl, played amazingly by 11 year old Chloe Moretz. The hard hitting, ass kicking, potty mouth action star steals the show with her shocking brutality in both language and graphic kills. She is reason enough to watch this movie, and every second she's on the screen, is cinema gold. Not that there isn't others jewels to be had, such as Nicholas Cage, playing Hit Girls father, Big Daddy. Cage does the best Adam West impression I've seen in awhile, which was great.

While I thought the movie was great both in concept and in execution, the pushing of the envelope will very clearly turn some people off, and rightfully so. Some of the moments I laughed at, I felt kind of wrong for laughing at, and some of the action scenes, involved an 11 year old girl either killing people or fighting people, which, for some will be a bit off-putting. The graphic kills and sexual undertones of some scenes added entertainment and realism value, but again, aren't for everyone.

After nearly a year of hype online about this movie, I feel like a finely tenderized piece of meat, ready for the cooking, with crazy amounts of advertising and talk about the movie, but despite the huge buildup, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and while the envelope has been pushed, I feel the more entertained for it.

I'm giving it a 8 out of 10

FUN FACT: After Kick-Ass first meets Hit-Girl, we see Big Daddy standing in front of a billboard featuring Claudia Schiffer, wife of director Matthew Vaughn.