Spoiler Free SXSW Review: Kick-Ass (2010)

Hell yes!!!! I am glad to see that someone finally has big enough balls to create a 12-year-old female character that curses like a sailor and can kick a grown man’s ass in 2 seconds flat. And that’s exactly what I told Kick-Ass co-creator John Romita, Jr., as we talked after the premiere at the South By Southwest (SXSW) film festival. He seemed pleased as punch to hear me say that too.

Kick-Ass is a comic book turned film created by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. Ordinary geek Dave (Aaron Johnson) embarks on a quest to become more than just a geek. He wants to be a superhero! And his superhero name… is Kick-Ass! He runs into other, better trained superheroes along his journey, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz). They all team up to take down a drug lord, Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong).

Kick-Ass is a great film. It was funny and, unsurprisingly, kicked a lot of ass. It pulls you in so that you really can identify with the characters and root for them throughout the film, and there are plenty of little touches especially for comic book fans, such as Nic Cage’s tribute to Adam West, who played Batman in the old school television series before he became mayor of Quahog. You’ll know what I mean after you see the film.

All the actors did a great job; however, Chloe Moretz stole the show. She is absolutely amazing as Hit-Girl. She kicks more ass and is tougher than any other person in Kick-Ass. Sorry boys, but you all just got out done by a 12-year-old. The writers didn’t hold back when it came to her. She cursed, she sliced and diced baddies, and she received her share of beatings. There is some controversy going on about this character with some parent groups. Don’t watch it if you’re offended by a child spouting off f-bombs and stabbing bad guys. I, however, loved it, and I applaud the creators.

Kick-Ass did get off to a slow start but there was a bit of story set-up to be done, so it was understandable. It gained momentum as it went along and ends with a frickin’ huge action sequence. This would be one for all you superhero/comic/action lovers to see. All uptight parents might want to skip this one. Mark your calendars, Kick-Ass comes out in theaters everywhere April 16, 2010.

To avoid spoilers, I’m going to cut the categories short on this review. If you want things spoiled, go read my full-fledged film spoiler.

Baddies: Frank D’Amico and his minions.

Best Line: “Shut the hell up and pick your weapon!” Hit-Girl and I need to hang out, like right this second!

Action Rating: 3 Ass Kicked Kick-Asses, out of 5. (Remember, these are ACTION ratings, not ratings of Katrina’s sheer love of movies like Kick-Ass!)

Illustration by Alex Langley. Rocket Llama World Headquarters.

This is the Action Flick Chick, and you’ve just been kicked in the ass!

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* Spoiler Free SXSW Review: Kick-Ass (2010)
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