I should preface this review of the film Kick-Ass by saying I have not read the comic series before watching the film. I figured in doing this review, since Dustin had read the comic, and gave you his well-informed opinion based on reading the series, I would do something a little different. I decided I would not read the comic and attempt to judge the film based on its merits as a film alone, which is a first for me when seeing a film based on a comic or comic book franchise.

I should also probably mention my favorite super-hero film to date is M. Night Shamalyan’s Unbreakable. While not based on a comic for those purists out there, it was probably the best super-hero origin story ever told in my humble opinion. What I loved the most about the film was there was a lot of character development, and time spent on making you understand not only the characters, but also their motivations throughout the film as well. By the end of that film you were 110% invested in those characters, and it was totally worth it for the payoff.

I think with telling super-hero stories especially, unless you have that emotional investment in the protagonist before their “Radio-active Spider Moment”, you will be unable to relate to the character for the rest of the film after-wards. When you’re supposed to be cheering them on. The film in the case without that investment then becomes a much more passive experience. Because one thing that Kick-Ass exemplifies is the fact that the people who dress up and become super-heroes don’t come off as the most sane, or stable people to us normal folk, and not that easy to relate to either.
Check out the rest of the review after the jump!

Kick-Ass is the story of Dave Lizewski an average teenager without super powers, who one day decides after getting mugged he is going to attempt to be a “Real” super-hero. So he decides to don a scuba suit in an attempt to fight crime, only to get stabbed and hit by a car during his first attempted heroic act. The attack does leave Dave with some permanent nerve damage, which gives him a higher than normal pain tolerance of all things, which he uses to take beating and fight crime. This whole nerve thing is really fumbled throughout the film, and I never really bought it to tell you the truth.

Now Dave’s transition to Kick-Ass happens fairly quickly in the story, to the point I feel like we don’t nearly get enough time to really get to know our protagonist on a more realistic level before we have to make that jump. Not to mention we are assured he is so bland, and free of any blemishes that it’s kind of hard for the audience to find something in this lovable loser to hold onto. I feel this transition happened so fast it leaves the audience behind still looking for someone to latch onto for the rest of the film.

Next we are introduced to Big Daddy and Hit Girl, this quite honestly has to be Nick Cage’s best role in a very long time. I say that in the most sincere way, he plays his role as kind of Half William Shatner, Half Adam West and complete awesome; think if Mr Rogers was Batman…. and Batman used a shotgun. Big Daddy and Hit Girl are a father/daughter duo out to take out the city’s big crime boss, and are the closest thing to an emotional center point the film has to offer. Which says a lot when the most sympathetic character in the film is a sociopathic, homicidal 11 year-old girl.  While Kick-Ass seems to be just that punk kid wearing a scuba suit and making an ass of himself on YouTube. Big Daddy and Hit Girl are the real deal behind the scenes, when it comes to this super-hero thing. Although we do find out later that their motives are a bit more sinister as compared to Kick-Ass.

The plot of the film is sort of a convoluted 3 way between Kick-Ass, Big Daddy and Chris D’Amico or Redmist; whom did nothing but annoy me every time he was on screen.  I will spare you the plot synopsis Dustin already did a great job spelling it out here. But suffice to say the plots clash and bump into one another uncomfortably throughout the film, like strangers in an elevator. While they do all meet up in the end, it still seems a bit forced. I also think the film suffers from the same pacing issues plot wise most comic book films suffer from, when trying to put a 8 issue series in an hour and half of ADD overdrive.

The film clocks in at a hefty 2 hours which seem to really drag by the time you get to the end. I think the film should have, and could have been a half an hour shorter. To tell you the truth Kick-Ass should have had his own film, the sequel could have been simply Big Daddy and Hit-Girl and the final in the trilogy could have been their final team up. While the film is fun, by the time you’re in the parking lot, you really can’t pick out a specific scene that really jumps out. You just remember you had a lot of fun watching it.

The music and score in the film was, except for an instance with Red Mist and Kick-Ass in the “Mistmobile” very forgettable. The focus with Kick-Ass was the visuals and this film was beautifully shot and very stylized, which for a film based on such a visual medium, as comics should be a no-brainer. But it’s funny how many directors still don’t get that. Kick ass is a candy coated super-hyper-stylized kentic ball of violence when it gets going. While the action is very well shot, and the violence is pretty extreme, it lacks that visceral feeling you get from seeing a well-deserved portion of the ultra-violence getting dealt out. It therefore lacks the impact it could possibly have, and seems to be violent just for violence sakes, and a bit cartoony at times.

The acting in the film was very well done. While I may question plot, story or pacing decisions, I think every actor in Kick-Ass sold their role. Aaron Johnson pulled the lead off without a hitch, my only complaint is only if we had more time with him.  Lyndsy Fonseca’s role as the popular girl and Dave’s obsession to me was one of the few instances in the film, where we really got to see a character evolve throughout the picture. But I really think the breakout of the cast would be Hit-Girl, Chloe Moretz. In a role that quite honestly I was a little surprised to see a minor play in this day and age of politically correctness, but I honestly think she has a very long career ahead of her now because of it.

I have to say while I did enjoy Kick-Ass and thought it was fun, it was a very superficial experience for me.  I would have to compare it to taking a first date to a movie: sure you have spent 2 hours  with this person you really like, but you really don’t know them, or like them any better afterwards.  I think that is where the film really falls flat, is its total lack of character development. The characters are really cool, but you never really have a chance to warm up to any of them before the end of the film, or really care what happens at the end. Which I have to admit I saw at the beginning of act 3.

The director just seemed so busy trying to cram so many story threads into the film, that he forgets to make us really care why we are watching them in the first place.  I honestly can’t say I ever found myself really invested emotionally in any of the characters in the film, and I thought scenes where they could have really roped us in, were sadly really glazed over. I think this might definitely be a case where the graphic novel would be required reading to get that much needed back story and get more enjoyment out of the film. While Kick-Ass does succeed in giving us a spectacle worthy of watching and keeping us entertained; it sadly just doesn’t have a heart.
I sadly give Kick-Ass 3 out of 5 stars