Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz, Nicholas Cage
Director: Matthew Vaughn (Stardust, Layer Cake)
Running Time: 1 hr 57 min
Release Date: April 16, 2010
Budget: $30 million
Critics’ Thumbs Up: 63%
“…ridiculously entertaining…” Chris Hewitt, Empire
“Kick-Ass is half-assed.” Karina Longworth, Village Voice
The most Kick-Ass thing about this action comedy is the 13-year-old co-star Moretz ((500) Days of Summer) who brings toughness and sweetness to her role as Hit-Girl. Based on the comic book by Mark Millar and John S. Romita Jr., Kick-Ass pays clever homage to the superhero culture as it tells the ultra-violent tale of an ordinary high schooler (Johnson) with no extraordinary powers who becomes the titular vigilante. Though often too graphically vicious, Kick-Ass succeeds in offering filmgoers a new superhero experience. Rather than dwelling on dark material like The Dark Knight, getting bogged down in mythology like Watchmen or featuring romance and sensitivity like Spider-Man, Kick-Ass is off-beat, satirical and light-hearted.
