Advance Screening Review: "Kick-Ass"

[Screening Date: April 7 / Release Date: April 16]

Don’t be fooled by the blue sky and wispy clouds through which the opening credits fly. As we learn pretty quickly, this is one superhero movie that’s not for kids -- even though it’s about them -- and the film is stronger because of it.

Sure to be one of the most successful, if not controversial, movies of the spring, “Kick-Ass” doesn’t pull any punches (or kicks, haha). It belongs to and subverts the superhero genre at the same time, with the potent blend of action and comedy serving the story and characters rather than plodding from one fight scene to the next. This is especially helpful for those in the audience (like myself) who aren’t familiar with the comic book series upon which the movie is based.

Set in a world that’s not very far removed from our own (they even make a joke about “Lost” ending), “Kick-Ass” tells the story of idealistic teen Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a comic book fan who doesn’t understand why superheroes don’t exist in real-life where they’re just as needed, if not more so. After witnessing crime being ignored around his neighborhood and falling victim to violence himself, he decides to take up the cause despite his obvious lack of superpowers.

Dave’s vigilante justice soon draws the ire of a local mob boss, whose son (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is one of Dave's classmates. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Dave, other “superheroes” -- a father-daughter team (Nicolas Cage and Chloe Grace Moretz) -- are already at work in the city. Once their paths cross, it becomes clear that larger plots are unfolding and they may actually be the only ones who can save the day.

Naturally, no coming-of-age story would be complete without instances of juvenile humor and adolescent angst, but there are some surprising moments of deeper philosophical resonance that set this movie apart from others of its ilk. At one point early in the film, after Dave has intervened to save a young man from an unfairly-matched gang fight, one of the thugs asks Dave what his problem is. His response, like the rest of “Kick-Ass,” shows a remarkably confident level of awareness and maturity: “Three assholes laying into one guy while everyone else watches, and you’re asking what’s wrong with me?” Everyone else watching, of course, refers to the growing crowd around them cheering, taking pictures, and filming Dave’s victory, which isn’t why he’s fighting. This frustration is admirable, and given the paparazzi-like state of today’s culture, his retort is almost anthemic.

Another anthem worth taking up is the refreshing amount of youth empowerment that the film advocates. Modern childhood is tragically threatened by horrific situations like neglectful parents and abuse from trusted authority figures, but this movie defies such threats in its own way. Sometimes, it’s with a wink and a smile during genuinely funny and touching family moments. Other times, it’s with an explosion or a well-placed expletive during some truly stunning action sequences. Either way, it works!

The film does occasionally stray toward being a little *too* violent, but one can likely attribute that to its source material. Otherwise, the overall look and style of the film is colorful and well-edited, almost like a graphic novel come to life (which does actually happen during one critical scene of backstory). The soundtrack boasts an exemplary use and variety of music, both in song selection and the instrumental score.

Even the acting, which is typically hit-or-miss in similar films, hits all the right notes. Johnson, a relative newcomer, more than ably carries the movie and impressively conveys the conflict between Dave’s good nature and being overwhelmed by his own intentions. Cage actually finds a great character for his quirky but endearing screen presence, and Moretz pulls off the feat of making an 11-year-old tough girl, who swears like a sailor and kills her way through rooms of bad guys without breaking a sweat, seem exhilarating and plausible rather than cute and gimmicky.

Perhaps most interesting is how Mintz-Plasse, best known for his breakout role as McLovin’ in “Superbad,” manages to work in the medium of adolescent comedy without playing the same character over and over (yes, I’m looking at you, Michael Cera). Mintz-Plasse retains shades of the awkward teenagers he’s played, but ends up showing more range when it comes to depicting his torn loyalty among pleasing his villainous father, protecting his heroic friends, or choosing his own path.

By the end, it becomes all too clear that “Kick-Ass” is intended as a first chapter, an origin story to set up at least one more film if not a franchise. I don’t normally say this, but if this “comic book movie” is a sign of things to come, it’s one sequel that I wouldn’t mind seeing. {B+}