'Kick-Ass' A Review

The only reason I enjoyed 'Kick-Ass' is Nicolas Cage. The idea is that a normal kid takes it into his head to be a superhero with no special powers just a desire to help the common man. But he's also dealing with normal high school type issues and girl problems etc. etc. Little does Kick-Ass know that there are two other actual superhero's out there really making a difference- Big Daddy(Cage) and Hit Girl, they don't have powers either just superior training. BD and HG are taking revenge on a crime boss who broke down their family unit. They meet up and the story goes from there. My main problem with this, similar to 'The Last Song,' is that the main character isn't likable.

(Spoilers Ahead)

Kick-Ass is the problem with 'Kick-Ass.' There's lengthy digressions into his high school social life that seem pointless, he never really succeeds in a fight, and there is this horrible subplot where he pretends to be gay to get a girl, bleck. The character is pathetic, he gets into 'crime fighting' because he's single and doesn't have a hobby. I'd much rather see the film 'Big Daddy and Hit Girl'. Cage steals the show, he's mesmerizing to watch, and easily worth the price of admission. Through his few scenes he builds a comprehensive narrative, you can identify with him, and you want to see what he's going to do. Favorite Scenes.

"How to take a Bullet."- At the top there's a scene in a vacant lot where Big Daddy is teaching Hit Girl how to take a bullet with a vest on. Cage plays it so straight, so soft, so loving. After she gets up after the first shot you can see the pride in his eyes and they go out for ice cream.

"Warehouse Showdown."- Cage's only action sequence is about half way through the film. It takes place in a warehouse right before the gangsters trap Kick-Ass. The scene is gripping. The action only takes 30 seconds. The scene in total takes 58 seconds. The choreography is poetic. There's a mix of guns, knife play and Kung Fu. Cage moves through the scene with such an economy of movement, such purpose and clarity it evokes a visceral response. It's done in only one shot which follows Cage through the entire warehouse as he kills every man in it. The inspired yet totalitarian costume and the way Cage handles himself make you really believe that he's a real man doing extraordinary things. And that's the best part of the movie, when the movie really works is when you get a sense of real heroism.

"The Betrayal."- Kick-Ass inadvertently set Big Daddy and Hit Girl up. Hit Girl is sitting in the window when the betrayal takes place and gets shot out of the window while Big Daddy and Kick-Ass are captured. We know she's alive, its a call back to the earlier training scene. The bad guys thing she's dead. We know she's coming. Its a good feeling. That small scene at the beginning brings us in on it.

"The Death of Big Daddy."- This is my favorite scene of the movie. I thought it was moving. I know thats weird cause it's an action sequence but yeah. I'm going to describe it. The scene opens Kick-Ass and Big Daddy are strapped to chairs in a gloomy garage being beat up. It's being broadcast on the Internet so every character in the movie so far is watching. "Kerosene. Yes. The silent killer." henchmen pours kerosene on our hero's. "And this for all you Cavemen out there is Fire!" flicks Zippo "Fire is good. Fire is our friend. Gentlemen. Time to Die." Gunshot, lights go out. Hit Girl attacks and starts to kill the gangsters. In the ensuing blackness someone lights Cage on fire. Hit Girl gets flustered and as he burns alive Cage begins to shout instructions.
"SWITCH TO KRYPTONITE!" Cage is grinning, and burning, and you can tell he's proud of this little girl, unleashing his revenge upon the world. He conveys this manic happiness as she uses different gun fighting techniques and gadgets to kill a room full of men. "TAKE COVER CHILE!" all through the movie he calls his daughter 'child' but in this last frenetic moment he develops this New Orleans lilt. Inspired Cage. "NOW ROBIN'S REVENGE!" and in this moment he invokes the quinsential sidekick to finish the job. Hit Girl extinguishes the flames with her cape, looks in the camera and says "Shows over Motherfuckers." and shoots it. And again you get the sense that a twelve year old Olympic gymnast who had lots and lots of weapons training could have pulled it off.

For my money the movie should have ended there. The rest is Corney, campy, reference heavy and of course Kick-Ass comes into save the day with a Jet pack. Boo. The movie was good, it could have been great. The interesting parts were left unexamined while the obvious parts we explored to tedium.

I'm not interested in a teenage angst subplot.

Especially if most teenagers can't get into the movie without their parents.