Not having watched the original Kick-Ass, I went into the screening of its sequel, Kick-Ass 2, with an open mind and only one expectation - that the performances from the mostly younger cast members would be serviceable. That expectation was met and, frankly, the performances are one of the few reasons to watch the film. The story centers around Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) and Mindy Macready (Chloë Grace Moretz), two high school teenagers who also happen to be super heroes/vigilantes known as Kick-Ass and Hit Girl, respectively. After a brief retirement, Dave is back in the game and joins a team of "everyday" heroes called Justice Forever, led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey). However, their combined strength may not be enough to defeat Chris D'Amico, who becomes a super villain (whose name is rather vulgar and sounds like Mother Focker) after accidentally killing his mother. Chris forms his own team, which includes a seemingly unstoppable Mother Russia (Olga Kurkulina).
Meanwhile, Mindy's father, Marcus (Morris Chestnut), realizes that she is still acting as a super hero and makes her promise to quit, which she does. She tries to lead a normal life by making new friends at school and thinks about dating. However, after being embarrassed by her new "friends," Mindy seeks revenge, which gets her suspended. Shortly thereafter, someone close to Dave is targeted and killed by Chris's team, who then attack Dave, Mindy and their friends at the funeral. This prompts Mindy to once again become Hit Girl and join forces with the other so-called heroes to take down the villains in an extremely violent clash.
As a life long fan of the superhero genre, I appreciated the comedic take on the subject matter, from the obvious comments about the form fitting outfits, especially the ones worn by the males, to the appropriately over the top performance by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, as the evil villain. In addition, Aaron Johnson's low key, but confident, performance is impressive, as is Chloë Grace Moretz, who is formidable for her age and size. The youngsters elevate the material, but not nearly enough for me to recommend the film. While some viewers may find the violence troubling, I found it hard to take seriously in a film such as this one, when tongues are planted firmly in cheeks. However, I hope parents/guardians would not allow younger children to see Kick-Ass 2, which more than earns its "R" rating. Finally, the gross out gags are completely unnecessary and do not look remotely realistic. They serve only to diminish what little the film has going for it. With that being said, it appears that a third installment may be on the way, pending box office approval.
Director/Screenwriter - Jeff Wadlow
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