From the very beginning Kick-Ass
2 is very much more of the same crazy comic book action that made its 2010
predecessor, Kick-Ass, so popular. If you were a
fan of the original you will definitely be a fan of the second installment. The question is, however, does Kick-Ass 2 surpass the
success of its predecessor, and will it be a hit with all audiences?
Kick-Ass 2 delivers
more of the same quirky teen drama and over the top action as the original,
along with the intelligent integration of social media that ensures the film is
current and relevant to audiences through new and innovative narrative features.
Once again, the intense and gratuitous violence featured in Kick-Ass 2, has attracted controversy, much
like the original Kick-Ass, and
divided critics’ opinions of what constitutes good taste. To add to this, Jim
Carey, who plays a new character, Colonel
Stars and Stripes, publically distanced himself from the project claiming
he could not support a film with such high levels of violence, following the
Sandy Hook shootings. Creator of the original comic, Mark Millar, responded
stating “Kick Ass 2 Isn’t a
documentary... This is fiction.” The bottom line is Kick Ass 2 is violent, very violent, at times to the point of being
grotesque. This is however also where Kick
Ass 2 really delivers; if you’re a fan of stylised and exaggerated comic
book violence you will certainly be satisfied.
Kick-Ass 2 features
some brilliantly inspired action scenes and confrontations that, unlike many
current summer blockbusters, do not seem old and recycled. A particular stand
out moment for me was Hit-Girl
hijacking a van full of armed thugs to save Kick-Ass,
as every inch of the speeding vehicle is utilised in a relentless and tense
brawl. Ultimately your opinion of the violence in Kick-Ass 2 will be determined by personal tolerance. I can
certainly appreciate how those unaccustomed to mature-rated graphic novel
adaptations, such as, 300 and Watchmen could see the violence within
the film as excessive and unnecessary. Despite this consideration, frequent and
often brutal violence is part of what made Kick-Ass
so popular in the first place, and in this case I feel its presence is
essential to remain true to the source material and franchise.
Mark Millar justifies the usage of violence describing how, “Kick-Ass avoids the usual bloodless
body-count of most big summer pictures and focuses instead on the CONSEQUENCES
of violence.” This is very much true as Kick-Ass
2’s narrative is driven by the resultant aftermath of the original Kick-Ass’ bloody resolution. More depth
and characterisation is given to Hit-Girl
as she tries to figure out her place in the world, following her father’s
death, and her loyalties are tested. Kick-Ass’
enthusiasm to be a real hero is invigorated further by joining the team of
superheroes, Justice Forever. Chris D’Amico, aka Red Mist, meanwhile, plans to avenge his father’s death under his
new super villain persona, The
Motherfucker. I felt that Red Mist’s
evolution into the Motherfucker was
dealt with excellently, allowing the actor, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, to give
some hilarious standout moments in an already hugely entertaining film, and
arguably steal the show with a brilliantly comic performance.
Kick-Ass
2, however, is not without its downfalls. Justice
Forever was a great concept that I felt was sadly underutilised, as they
seemingly only go on one significant crime fighting adventure together. I feel
this could have been simply remedied without making the film too lengthy, by
including a short montage of various crime fighting shenanigans performed by Justice Forever, to make them appear a
little less superfluous. Leading on from this, their team leader Colonel Stars and Stripes has a far
smaller role than advertisements and trailers make out. Watching the film in
the cinema, I realised that I had already seen all the character’s key lines in
trailers, which really undermined his scenes and presence. This is more of a
complaint towards whoever cut the trailer, as the character functions perfectly
within the narrative, I was just disappointed that to discover I had already seen
the majority of the character’s key moments and punchlines. Lastly, though
Matthew Vaughn and Mark Millar do a decent job of investing the audience in the
characters and taking them on a turbulent emotional journey, I felt that no
scene registers so deeply and emotionally with the viewer in the sequel as the
powerfully emotive death of Big Daddy
in the original. This is not a criticism, just a point that Kick-Ass 2, unfortunately falls short,
if only by a little of the high benchmark set by its predecessor.
To summarise, Kick-Ass
2 offers a fun and exciting sequel that will likely please many fans of the
original. It has a sharp plot that follows logically and satisfyingly from the
original so it doesn’t feel like a contrived cash in. In a few areas Kick-Ass 2 doesn’t quite capitalise on
all its potential and just misses the highs of the original, but not to an
extent that spoils the experience for the audience. Asides from comic book
fans, and action junkies, it’s hard to designate who will and won’t enjoy Kick-Ass 2, but I would certainly
recommend the film to those not easily
offended by violence or bad language, as the film is fresh, exciting and
witty.
