Cast It Systems
  • Home
  • Clients
  • Talent
  • Services
  • About
  • Contact
Select Page

Movie Review

by Cast It Admin | May 12, 2010

Movie review

Kick-Ass

Reviewed by Don Speziale

For the past few months, we’ve been inundated with the trailer for the movie “Kick-Ass.” In that trailer, we are shown what appears to be a kid-friendly romp about a few kids who decide to become crimefighters. It’s all candy-colored action and a handful of funny lines.
“Hey!,” you think, “This looks like something I can take my 10-year old to see!”

WRONG!

In one of the few times in recent memory, a trailer has failed to give away every aspect of a movie. Oh sure, all those bright costumes and quippy kids are in it; it’s what’s SURROUNDING them that makes “Kick-Ass” one of the most subversive and deranged films I’ve seen in awhile.

And, oh yeah, it’s a lot of fun.

Based on a comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., the film introduces us to Dave Lizewski, an agreeably cute high school nerd (played by the winning Aaron Johnson). He’s got the same problems as every other outcast – not part of the cool crowd, into comic books and invisible to girls. One day, he and his friends (Evan Peters and the hilarious Clark Duke) are sitting around in what may be the world’s only combination Comic Book and Coffee Shop, speculating about why there are no REAL super-heroes in the world.

It isn’t long before Dave orders a ridiculous-looking scuba suit online, dons it and becomes “Kick-Ass,” – the world’s first costumed crime fighter.

Or so he thinks.

In one of the most twisted father and daughter relationships ever captured on film, Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz portray “Big Daddy” and “Hit Girl,” a pair of “superheroes” who  have made it their own personal mission to bring down every criminal responsible for the past tragedies in their lives.

And it’s here that “Kick-Ass” takes a turn into some pretty darkly comic and bone-crunchingly bloody places.

Trust me – your sensibilities will be tested.

As Kick-Ass, Dave turns into a YouTube sensation, and as a result, starts to make some enemies in very high places, including crime lord Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong). D’Amico has been losing men left and right to a mysterious costumed crime-fighter and he thinks Kick-Ass is responsible.

What D’Amico doesn’t know is that his men have fallen victim to Big Daddy and Hit Girl’s smoking guns. Anyone who crosses this little girl needs to watch out.

Let’s put it this way – if you’ve got a problem with 11-year old girls wielding guns and swords, shooting folks in the head with glee and dropping curse words like a sailor, then this movie probably isn’t for you.

While Kick-Ass is in the business for a laugh, Big Daddy and Hit Girl are the real deal, and once they join forces, Dave is in for the ride of his life. Before long, he’s living out a real-life comic book saga and learns that crime-fighting might not be all it’s cracked up to be.

Directed with a sure hand by Matthew Vaughn (“Layer Cake” and “Snatch”), “Kick-Ass” is an outrageous riff on traditional comic book movies. The film hits all the requisite comic-book-movie buttons (origin story, super villains, dual identity crises, etc.), but brings them into the real world in a gritty way.

The performances are all uniformly good, including Christopher Mintz-Plasse as D’Amico’s son who formulates a plan to trap Kick-Ass.  But Cage, who does a bad goof of Adam West’s Batman voice, isn’t very good.

The standout here is Moretz. Asked to do things on film that no child has ever done (and maybe shouldn’t ever had to do…if you’re a prude like that), she brings a bravery and grown-up sensibility to her role that allows the audience to accept the morally-questionable things her character does.

“Kick-Ass” isn’t going to be for everyone. Already being attacked by parental groups everywhere, the filmmakers are unapologetic in portraying mayhem and violence, most often perpetrated by a child.  Most of all, though, the film is entertaining and stays true to its convictions to the very end.

For a Hollywood studio film, that’s pretty amazing.

KICK-ASS; DIR: Matthew Vaughn; SCR: Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn; STARS: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Grace Moretz.  Rated R

Casting Networks International Columns

Terry Berland
The Competitive Edge
Laurie Records Commercial Actors Should Never...
Alixandra Kupcik
5 Questions
Angela Peters
His & Hers
Miranda O'Hare
LA Survival Guide
 Alys Daroy
Theatre Angel
 Jill Anenberg-Lawrence
Health Uncensored
Colleen Wainwright
Act Smart! Good Tools for a Great Career
 Bonnie Katz
The Conscious Actor
Karen Ann Pavlick Questions & Actors
Alison McGirr #BreatheMoveReact
Ross Grant Bulletproof Actor
Seminar Recap

Archives

  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • Home
  • Clients
  • Talent
  • Services
  • About
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
© 2021 Cast It Systems Terms of Use | Privacy Policy