The Bat Cave

“Show’s over, motherfuckers.”

I was really anticipating this one and the results were mixed. It had a fun feeling to it, but the main character really didn’t move me at all and almost all the other characters were pretty hollow as well. Kick-Ass never felt like a superhero of any sort to me… just a nerdy kid in a bad costume. Hit-Girl is what made this movie borderline awesome despite all its flaws. Not only is the character well written and an utter bad ass, but the young girl that plays her displays a ton of acting talent. The movie has some good action and is funny at times, but the story wasn’t executed spectacularly and the casting was questionable.

That was my initial review back when I first saw Kick-Ass in theaters and after watching it again on DVD last night, not a whole lot has changed. I’m still really underwhelmed by the character of Kick-Ass. The kid gets credit for having the balls to put himself in hopeless situations and it shouldn’t be surprised when he finds himself hospitalized after his first attempt at heroism, but at his core, he’s a scrawny geek and there’s not really a moment in the film where you think he might actually amount to something.

Hit-Girl remains the story here and I think, rather than a Kick-Ass sequel (which is already announced), a spin off starring this character would make more sense. She’s awesome and easily steals the show. Chloe Moretz, the 12 year old girl that plays Hit-Girl, seems to be a rising talent and someone to keep an eye on. She already has numerous roles lined up and is set to star in the American remake of the Swedish film Let The Right One In due out October 8th, 2010. Normally, I’d be suspect about an American remake of nearly any film, especially so soon after its release, but Moretz has me highly interested, especially since her role actually has Oscar potential, an assessment I can make having read the novel.

I was a little hard on Kick-Ass the first time I saw it. It’s not really a mediocre film, it simply suffers because its main character isn’t all that great. I liked it upon a second viewing and I’d bump its grade up a bit. It’s worth watching for Hit-Girl alone, but is a pretty decent comic book/superhero film on its own regard. I’d recommend it.

Grade: B-
Viewings: 2
Replay Value: On the cusp of being a DVD worth owning. The edition I rented had no special features, but there’s a 3-disc edition that’s probably worth investing in. I’d pop it in once in a while.
Oscar Potential? I can’t really imagine this movie getting any attention. Maaaaaaaaaybe for Best Costumes.
Sequel Potential? Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall is already announced. I’d be interested, not only for more Hit-Girl, but to see if they can actually do something worthwhile with the main character.
Nudity? Well, there’s some National Geographic type nudity when Kick-Ass is surfing the net for jerk off material, but that’s it. It wouldn’t have hurt to have this girl naked: