KICK-ASS 2

In his pursuit to become a better superhero, Kick-Ass receives a brief training from his friend Hit Girl. But Hit Girl suddenly decides to hang up her cape so Kick-Ass joins a group of masked crusaders called Justice Forever. Simultaneously in another part of the city, Red Mist having accidentally killed his mother is reborn as the self proclaimed super villain ‘The Mother F***er’ (TMF). While Kick-Ass and the Justice Forever crew work to end crime in the city, TMF and his gang of hired thugs work to end the life of Kick-Ass and discharge mayhem on the city.

Kick-Ass 2, needless to say is the sequel to the immensely successful Kick-Ass (2010), but regrettably the story quality has not been replicated from the first to the second. Haven’t we seen the outcast teenager trying to fit in with the cool kids in a hundred movies already? How about the rebellious teenager who disregards the sound advice of their parent? Even the montage where the police crack down on costumed vigilantes has been done before in Watchmen (2009). Indeed true cinematic originality is a scarcity these days but at least desist from doing the same played-out adolescent storylines. Even Kick-Ass’ basic character development has been overlooked. It’s hard to believe that a character that went through all those events in the first film still lacks confidence and self assurance in the sequel.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse return as Kick-Ass/ Dave Lizewski, Hit Girl/ Mindy Macready and TMF/ Chris D’Amico respectively. From the three characters TMF is the only one who has been given a proper character arc and Mintz-Plasse certainly makes the role memorable. The new additions to the cast are Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes and John Leguizamo as Javier, TMF’s right-hand man. Both seasoned actors are beacons of recognition amidst a sea of lesser known actors. The assemblage of actors in the sequel are mostly forgettable faces but nobody stood out as incapable.

Similar to nearly every movie produced by a big Hollywood studio in the recent past, the cinematography, special effects, score and editing of Kick-Ass 2 is standard fare. All these films feel like they’ve been made out of the same dough, cut from the same cookie cutter and baked in the same oven. A little known fact in Hollywood is that if the original was good, it’s considerably harder to make a better sequel. What made the first film stand out was the simple yet refreshing new take on the comic book movie genre. The first film was filled with humour, charm and excitement. I empathized with all the characters and feared for their safety in moments of danger. But Part Two contains none of those elements; instead we are given decapitated limbs, blood, vomit and diarrhea. Hit Girl went from being a potty-mouthed wise-ass to an overemotional Tween (girl between the ages of 10-15). Watching a pre-pubescent Mindy Macready beat the crap out of grown men was hilarious in the first film but seeing the fifteen year old Mindy doing the same feels phony. The exaggerated action scenes in Part One was acceptable but the same type of scenes in Part Two seem intolerable. The man who deserves most of the blame for the diminished value of the sequel is the film’s writer/ director Jeff Wadlow. It’s like he took a Classic Car and de-pimped it into a Bumper Car. Although enjoyable at times, overall Kick-Ass 2 is as gratifying as a swift kick in the gluteus maximus!

Rating: 5/10

S. V. Fernando