Kick-Ass 2

Reviews from the Dark Side presents
Kick-Ass 2
Released 8/16/13, now in theaters

The ultra-violent, wickedly funny comic book series from Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. is the latest 2013 film to get the sequel treatment this week in Kick-Ass 2.  The sequel is a mash-up of Millar's and Romita's Kick-Ass 2 and Hit-Girl mini-series, and of course it's the follow up to the 2010 cult favorite movie, Kick-Ass.  Aaron  Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (what's with all the 3-word names) reprise their roles from the first film.  Jim Carrey is the major new addition to the cast this time around as the irreverent and brutal, Colonel Stars and Stripes.

As with the first movie, several liberties are taken with the story of Kick-Ass 2.  So, purists beware.  It's not exactly like the comic.  And while I count myself among the purists at times, the changes in Kick-Ass 2 aren't necessarily a bad thing.

We find our somewhat hapless high school hero, Dave Lizewski (Taylor-Johnson), coaxed into resuming his costumed career by his sometime ally, Mindy Macready (Moretz), aka, the brutal teen vigilante, Hit-Girl.  But, Dave usually takes more of a beating than he gives, so Mindy agrees to train him with some hilarious results.  However, Mindy becomes torn between continuing her promise to her deceased father to defend the city and her desire to please her guardian, Marcus (Morris Chestnut), by retiring her vigilante persona. Eventually, Marcus wins out after catching Mindy in costume, and the teen hero reluctantly retires to live a normal life leaving Kick-Ass without a partner.

Dave isn't left alone for very long as he soon falls in with a group of do-gooders codenamed, Justice Forever, led by ex-mafia enforcer-turned born again Christian, Sal Bertolinni.  Sal now goes by the moniker Colonel Stars and Stripes. These would be heroes have been inspired to fight the good fight by Kick-Ass' example.

Meanwhile, Chris D'Amico (Mintz-Plasse), has become obsessed with making Kick-Ass pay for the murder of his father by way of bazooka from the first film.  He has abandoned the faux superhero persona of Red Mist that he created.  Through a series of events that further unhinges him and through the assistance of his right hand man, Javier (John Leguizamo), D'Amico assembles his own team of not so super, but deadly villains, and adopts the new name of...The Mother$#%*@.  Together with his hired thugs, D'Amico is determined to lay waste to everything and everyone Kick-Ass cares for.

Kick-Ass 2 has been getting a rough ride critically and I'm not exactly sure why.  It has all of the ingredients that made the first one so fun to watch.  It's as much a testament to bad taste as the first film.  And I can say that having read the both the Kick-Ass 2 and Hit-Girl mini-series myself, director, Jeff Wadlow, has done a more than credible job of mashing both of those stories together.  Much of the criticisms I've read seem to stem from an unfamiliarity with the source material.  Admittedly, a movie of this nature with its blinding and sometimes sickening violence and toilet humor may not be for everyone no matter how knowledgeable you are with the story's origin. 

And is it any surprise that once again Chloe Moretz steals this show again as Hit-Girl?  Moretz is still the same swearing little ninja dynamo she was in the first movie, but she also show's an unexpected vulnerability as she's trying to lead a normal life.  She isn't all about swords and spinning kicks.  She can be emotionally hurt by the cruelty of other teenagers just like anybody else.

In contrast to the film's offbeat comedic tone, it takes a decidedly dark turn when D'Amico forms his group.  People begin dying in gruesome ways that some may find objectionable.  As I stated before, I think that might be the problem that viewers  have with it if they're not familiar with the Millar/Romita story.  For anyone who does have a problem with the extreme violence depicted here, I will tell you that Wadlow did show some restraint.  There are scenes that aren't nearly as graphic as they were in the mini-series.  I wonder if Jim Carrey was aware of that when he recently pulled his version of a Katherine Heigl and came out against Kick-Ass 2.  It's a shame as it kind of colors my opinion of his nice performance for the brief time he's involved.  Carrey is in need of a hit badly and this could possibly be one.   You have to wonder what he'll say if Kick-Ass 2 does take off.

Kick-Ass 2 should delight fans of its predecessor.  Strip down its over-the-top violence and cursing and you have a story of people who just want to make a difference in the world.  Of course there are better ways to make a difference than trying to be a superhero, but that's the point of both movies.  These people aren't special in any way other than having a willingness to do something about the injustice they see.  Most have no special training or high tech weapons.  They definitely don't have super powers.  The danger of them getting seriously hurt or dying a bloody death in the street is very real.  This is one of the objections I had with last year's The Dark Knight Rises as its implied that there is a Batman in all of us.  That's wrong.  Not everyone is Bruce Wayne.  Not everyone can do what he does or has the means to do what he does.  Anyone can't be Batman.  I do, however, think anyone could be Kick-Ass. 

The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

***3/4 stars

Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.