Movie Review: Kick-Ass

After a series of mediocre flicks from Spiderman 3, Fantastic 4, Wolverine and even to the incredibly stupid Hulk movies, I really thought Hollywood had pretty much reached saturation point in superhero movies.

Then came Kick-Ass. What can I say? I didn't have a high expectation of this film. The trailer seemed to downplay its intensity and somehow gave me the impression that it was going to be just another forgettable cheap thrill. Oh was I ever so mistaken! Kick-Ass was awesome!

You know that rare feeling when you go out of the cinema SO excited at the film you've just watched? Well, it surely hits that sweet spot! Seriously. It just had something of everything - compelling characters, comedy, action and a little girl cursing and slicing off limbs. Haha.

On a technical standpoint, everything was above reproach. Really. The direction was good, the narrative was interesting, the musical scoring was ridiculously entertaining and the script was remarkably well written. Sure, the premise of the film was simple and maybe uninspired but I thought the pacing was so exemplary that the movie managed to keep me on the edge of my proverbial seat right until the end credits.

Also, the brilliantly choreographed and highly stylized action scenes were so brutal and intense that it would not feel out of place in any Spiderman film or even in a Tarantino gore-fest. In fact, it was more like a Spiderman and Kill Bill lovechild. Haha. The comedy was also top notch and had me laughing at some daringly placed jokes and other typical nerdy/immature humors. It was hysterical!

The acting performances, on the other hand, was superb from the entire cast. Yes, in a movie this stunning, acting usually is secondary. But I'm glad this film proved otherwise. I thought everyone delivered resonating performances. Aaron Johnson had so much screen presence to be believable as the lead. Heck, I even found his quirkiness to be quite charming. Nicholas Cage, almost unrecognizable, played his role effectively with perfect subtlety. Christopher Mintz-Plasse was also, surprisingly, good and I thought the days of him being simply known as McLovin' are over.

Now, as impressed as I was with some of the casting ensemble's performances, I was really blown away with how well Chloe Moretz - Hit-Girl - played her part. Seriously. She easily stole the show. Her introduction alone will go down as one of the great character introductions EVER! And even while committing such horrible acts of violence, she strangely managed to capture that sense of childlike innocence. Unbelievable.

I honestly couldn't recommend this movie more. It was that rarest of films - a successful mixture of two genres that delivered an almost perfect cinematic experience. Ultimately, a superhero flick that was WAY more than what I was expecting. Oh, and this movie isn't trying to be cool, it just is! 

RATING: 9/10