The Freak's Rating: A :Superhero movies are a dime a dozen. Occasionally, an Iron Man pops up with something new, but for the most part they are regurgitated storylines, stereotypical characters and contain all the enthusiasm of a baked potato. Kick Ass sets out to reboot the genre and does a phenomenal job of doing so.
Don't get me wrong, this film isn't for everyone. This is a classic example of how I rate films. I will give this film a solid A. I'll own this one and no doubt watch it a few more times. I give it an A because it succeeds 100% at what it is trying to accomplish. I wouldn't recommend it to MANY of my friends and family, but if you are a comic book fan or have ever wanted to be a superhero...this may be your favorite film all year.
All acting is decent, but that isn't why you want to see this film anyway. Writing is fantastic for the most part, perfectly blending fantasy and reality (as much reality as the genre will ever blend) along with a wonderful blast of humor and violence. This is flat out entertaining as hell, making me wiggle in my seat various times at the sheer awesomeness I was witnessing.
Kick Ass takes something many of us have always wanted to do, become superheroes, and puts a spin to it. The film is always self-aware, poking fun at itself many times. Without a few bad lines and a few tiny holes in the plot, this gets an A+ from me. Even Nicolas Cage can't screw it up! Fans of the genre, comic books or who weren't the popular kids in high school should love this film. It is an incredibly violent film, yet as much fun as I've had in months. Hit Girl is my new hero and I can't wait for a sequel.
Brian's Rating: A+ : I am going to have to throw my hat into the Kick Ass ring. This movie was awesome. Just like Watchmen, it takes the comic book super hero thing into a more grounded or realistic direction. The result is spectacular. It is truly innovative writing, and the director framed it perfectly.
Characters in this are awesome. Kick Ass is both very relatable and also a bit out there. Many times the movie made me laugh, and it also had me on the edge of my seat. I absolutely adore the universe that is setup here, much more than any mainstream comic hero universe we have.
Yes, the movie has more than a couple small plot holes, but these do not even make me flinch for my rating. In a comic book movie, one actually expects the type of holes that are there. They actually help define the genre of super-hero graphic novel writing. All of them center around trying to contrive situations to get the character into the next action set piece that will look cool on a storyboard. Translated to film, its how to get to the next action set. Its a familiar gambit, and it is completely OK with me so long as it keeps itself in check.
Even with the plot holes, the movie flows together so beautifully, it see-saws back and forth between outrageous action scenes that make you gasp, and then touching character scenes that really do keep the audience attached to what happens to them. It has touches of teen-age love. It has a super-villain....and it has Hit Girl. This character single-handedly pulls the film from a B+ to an A+. She is the frosting for the cake. She is what sets apart the universe from anything else, similar to how Dr. Manhattan gives a contrast for the Watchmen universe. She is also fallible, and that is why everybody will lover her.
I cannot stress it enough. See this movie. Even if you are not big into comic book action movies, you will find something to love. My wife is just such a test case for this, and she loved it too.
