Movie: Kick-Ass

• Director: Matthew Vaughn
• Release Date:
• Writers: Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
• Run Time: 117
• Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Tagline: I can read your mind. But I can kick your ass.

Review: In a movie industry cluttered with own-grown hype, gimmicks and lack of idea, “Kick Ass” bursts onto the screen and shatters all expectations in its wake. You
e on this page because you think its gonna be good? Wrong. Or you
e here because you think it looks a decent or a good superhero movie to join the ranks of the ones you already love? DEAD wrong. Reason being, is “Kick Ass”doesn want to be good or above average, “Kick Ass” wants to be great and it has the balls to want to be original too. Seemingly impossible in a done to death genre where weve already glimpsed Mark Millars signature style in “Wanted”, but “Kick Ass” is all about the unexpected.

Make no mistake, nothing you believe of this movie compares to what Vaughn and co. serve up for you. Mainly because everyone involved seems determined to honour the comic and redefine a genre. Most movies entertain, but this one? It wants to BLOW YOU AWAY! Less smarter movies have done that but “Kick Ass” ain giving that up either. Its script is razor-sharp, dumping the pretension of “the burden of heroism” crippling even the better superhero films, showing this in actions rather than long drawn out emoting. Matthew Vaughn has finally solved the hurdle that all superhero movies suffer, namely how to get to know and love your characters without long drawn out scenes. He does it by keeping them moving. The more they do, the more they try, the more you know and love them. And make the narrative interesting and most of all relatable so we
e with Dave 100% of the way, it doesn just have to functional.

The real visual joy of “Kick Ass” is its desire to keep it simple but not at the expense of wowing us. Make characters do cool things, instead of Michael Bay-esquire things happening to them. Thats why they exude coolness, despite Daves almost humdrum existence. This is the everyman doing the things we could do if wanted to; not a guy from another reality or possessed with great drive and ambition. Dave wants to get laid. He wants to be hip. Even your bad guy in this is believable. Watching the whirlwind that is Hit Girl perform a routine almost straight out of Jackie Chans Hong Kong days stuns us in a way no big screen chase ever could. Visually the film takes all the thing we DID love from the movies that ultimately didn zing and churns them into a finely balanced flawless brew.

Did I mention its feel good? From its inspired use of music (again utterly relatable) right down to its outstanding score, like “Get Carter” for superheroes; I could say more but theres surprises in store.

In a movie this stunning, acting is usually secondary (as any James Cameron film shows). Not a bit of it. In a cast as eclectic as the styles the film embraces you have performances that set a benchmark for all concerned. Can Mark Strong already better his stellar work? See his menacing and humorous turn as DAmico, a career best. Christopher Mintz Plasse follows “Role Models” by breaking out of McLovin mode. His guy has layers and he can show them. Nicolas Cage as expected returns to his past glories playing larger than life eccentric characters but not without a little sadness too. Joining him is Chloe Moretz forever destined to be remembered for her first major role. She idolised Angelina Jolie apparently. Guess what, you trounced any action movie she has ever made! Moretz dominates any scenes shes in, no easy task considering her fellow cast! Aaron Johnson has the most difficult job of all. Being an original uber-geek after Michael Cera set the standard (anyone whos seen “Zombieland” knows its hard to write an original geek even in a great movie). He shakes it, redefines it and OWNS it. He leads the movie like he wrote it, joined by a cast where even the smallest roles are fully fleshed out. Its quite an ensemble. A renegade band of acting styles forming a perfect one and complementing the films fun style.

Watching “Kick Ass” is ultimately like being on a thrill-ride, it doesn just want to dazzle you, its wants to draw you in, ride the wave and leave the cinema on a high. And it doesn do that with gimmicks or tried and tested formulas, it breaks the mold, shakes conventions and wants you to be surprised while complementing all the movies you already love. Its not just a movie, its a standard, one that promises to prove movies like this can be written with great heart and brain.

And ultimately youll be leaving the screen thinking “Wow, lets do that again” no matter how many agains come before it.