Have you ever gone into a film knowing nothing about it and came out speechless and full of excitement? Well, that is exactly what happened when I went to see Kick Ass. After seeing the action-packed preview and reading Roger Ebert’s pan of this film, I figured it was probably worth a look – It most certainly was.
Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is the typical comic book geek in his high school who admits that in his small group of friends, “I’m not even the funny one.” The film begins with what appears to have been the perfect standard virgin role for Michael Cera, but eventually transforms into something much more unique. One day, Dave begins to wonder why no one has ever tried to become a superhero. Of course, we don’t have super powers, but the idea of a vigilante in the streets intrigued him.
After buying a wetsuit, mask and some work boots he put together a costume for his new persona, “Kick Ass.” He creates a MySpace account to advertise his services and heads out to the streets to fight crime. Other superhero characters include Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) who are a father/daughter team who are very representative of Batman and Robin (among others).
What is interesting about this film is that it certainly shows what would happen to most people if they one day decided to become a superhero. Needless to say they would get seriously hurt. The film also gives us some over the top action from a few youngsters that will, without question, prove to be controversial in many circles.
Kick Ass is far from your typical vigilante film. My friend and editor for Newsrealblog.com David Swindle put it best; the film feels like Superbad meets Watchmen. It did not necessarily work for him, but a film like this is guaranteed to have a mixed audience. The transition from violence to humor in this film is often jarring.
The characters in the film refuse to be intimidated by the thugs that live in their city. There is something to be said for their courageous attitude. Many comedies are able to make a larger point (intentional or otherwise) through their humor and content. On some level, this film is able to do that. We get a coming of age story that comments on personal identify as well as the refusal to become victimized. If anything, this combination is worthy of discussion.
Another important aspect of this film is that it is a tale about good versus evil. At its core it is about the importance of personal choices and doing what is right even if you have no clue how. These kids desire a safer city environment but have minimal skills to enforce their ideas. Some people are making deep political readings of Kick Ass seeing that most films about good and evil are libertarian or conservative by default. However, this film still remains more of a genre exercise than a political statement.
Naturally, many people will be put off by images of an eleven year old girl killing people. It is important to remember that the film is a play on genre and the age of the characters is meant to be ironic and in favor of youth violence. There is a scene where Hit Girl takes out an army of henchmen in a purposely over the top Tarantino-esque scene that was beautifully put together. Pop culture references are abundant and noticing the intertextuality of the film will help put it into context.
The tone is inconsistent throughout the film, which is why reading into it too far would be troublesome. Instead, Kick Ass is better seen as a fun experience for those who have seen the films or are familiar with the genres that are both directly and indirectly referenced here. See the comparison of Hit Girl and Dirty Harry to the left.
The film is certainly more than it appears on its surface and is definitely worth a watch. Vigilantism has often been the basis for great films (Dirty Harry, Taken) and combining it with college-style humor allows for a unique and memorable experience. If you enjoyed Watchmen and were able to get past the vulgarity in Superbad, give Kick Ass a try. You may think you have seen this film before, but trust me, you haven’t.
Film Grade: B+
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