[Review] Kick-Ass 2 (2013) by Bea Harper

I honestly do believe that “Kick Ass 2” was made specifically to get a reaction out of it’s audience and for all intents and purposes, it worked. The inevitable sequel to the jack in the box hit of 2010, this movie is one of the epitomes of the term ‘attention whore’ because it wears it’s intentions on it’s mask- do crazy shit, say crazy shit and sit back with a coldie while the audience responds. Whether or not they go along with it is completely their affair and the movie doesn’t ask anything else.

I for one wasn’t that blown away by “Kick Ass” to be honest- I didn’t hate it and I thought it had a brave concept and a can-do cast, but was it as great as it was hyped up to be? No, and that’s okay- we’re used to being taken for a ride by the media when it comes to sensationalistic films. In the case of “Kick Ass 2”, it’s more of the same. When sequels are made, it is a tricky deal because you know the phrase “Lightening never strikes the same place twice”? It’s very much the creed of most sequels. Now, before you point out that “Aliens” was an absolute juggernaut, allow me to pose a reason- “Aliens” was successful because it didn’t try to walk the same path as Ridley Scott’s SF Gothic chiller. Cameron went it a completely different direction and the gamble paid off.

With “Kick Ass 2” though, it’s a shame to say that it’s really not as great as it has talked itself up to be because it’s ultimately a rehash of the first one’s territory, with a couple of alternative variations thrown in to conceal it’s identity. Ironically , it’s this type of formula that comic books themselves follow- one particular story blows the readership out of the water and the company tries to do it again, using the same basic equation, but give or take a couple of elements.

Let me just say this, Chloe Grace Moretz is the main reason to see this movie- her Hit Girl is brutal and nihilistic as they come, but Mortez plays her role completely down the line, with guile and the deep desire to be accepted by others her age, and despite the more sinister elements of the character, Mortez works it like it’s nobody’s business. In the sequences when she plays Hit Girl’s alter-ego Mindy who is adjusting to the unfathomable complications of high school, she finds herself at a loss about what to do and although you have seen Hit Girl Krakatoa her way mercilessly through goons, to Mindy Macready, navigating a classroom is a whole different mission she isn’t prepared for. The young lady has a bright future ahead of her, and I honestly hope she doesn’t end up like… SOME people.

The entire cast are well-suited to their roles and as you’d expect, Jim Carrey’s loon of a ‘hero’ is a show-stopper and Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s Motherfucker is another highlight because despite his squad of henchmen and big words, he is still a cowardly putz. Plus, it is very refreshing to see a gender reversal- we have a male character who wants to be like a female character- a much younger female character mind you. That’s not something you see every day and I for one appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. But therein lies that sense of familiarity- you have seen all of this before and you start to implore the movie to DO more, but it ultimately doesn’t. It seems afraid to buck the conventionality it says it wants to discard, and when it tries to go places, it falls short.

“Kick Ass 2” promised to deliver more thrills, laughs and foul-mouthed spills, but in the end, we are just seeing much the same. It tries hard to deliver what is new, but consequently it tries a little too much and it comes across as forced, which is a shame considering the good things this movie had going for it. The rise of The Motherfucker, (that’s what the subtitle for this movie should have been), more heroes and villains joining said Motherfucker and Hit Girl (with quite a few familiar faces) and the fact that the movie truly does contain a relevant message to say about how deluded society is in what it considers to be good and evil… all of this could have been handled masterfully if the time and consideration had been taken. This movie could have been an improvement on the first one because the pieces are there, but they are never put together as a whole, cohesive and entertaining picture in the way that would have made this movie better than it’s predecessor.

“Kick Ass 2” is not terrible or excruciating to sit through, despite what I have said. It basically gets the job done, that is, to entertain and delight stalwart fans of the first instalment, and it’s as stylish as you’d like your Kick Ass to be and the actors are obviously having a ball, but those who want more will be at a loss. For a movie that promised to be wilder, bigger and better than the first, it just doesn’t cut the mustard and the sass is recycled rather than creative. If there is a “Kick Ass 3” I hope the film makers are able to expand upon an idea and be fearless rather than play it safe. A shame, but it is what it is and perhaps that is the best way to enjoy it.

Author’s note: Actually, you know what? “Attention Whore” could actually work for a superhero name in this universe.

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