I know that I'm supposed to like this movie. I'm something of a comic book movie apologist. For crying out loud, I've even defended The Green Lantern in more than one semi-heated debate.
When this movie came out in 2010, I saw the trailers and thought it looked pretty good. I definitely wanted to see it, but, truth be told, a super-violent super hero movie can be a tough sell with the wife. That being the case, I just barely got around to seeing Kick Ass today, fully expecting to enjoy it.
But, I didn't.
It might have been the fact that it was poorly made, rife with tone and pacing inconsistencies. But, let's be honest, I've overlooked that before. No, the biggest reason I didn't like Kick Ass was that it was morally repugnant.
The movie stars Aaron Johnson as Dave Lizewski, a nerdy teenager who decides to turn himself into a super hero he calls Kick Ass. He's fed up with being mugged and bullied and believes that, with a costume and some clubs, he'll be able to bring justice to the streets. He's got no powers and no real skills, but he's helped in his efforts during his first encounter with the criminal element when he gets hit by a car and the doctors end up replacing many of his bones with metal plates.
After that, he's basically able to take a beating longer than a normal person, and that's the extent of his abilities. He doesn't train to become a better fighter, nor does he invest in gadgets. He's caught on video taking on three criminals at once. Again, he doesn't really beat them up, he's just able to withstand their attacks long enough to frustrate them. Until the final act of the movie, that's really the only act of heroism we see Kick Ass perform. Yet, he inexplicably becomes famous. The comic book stores are selling his costume, there's a mountain of Kick Ass merchandise, and parents are even hiring Kick Ass impersonators to perform at their kids' birthday parties, all because of a single You Tube video.
Alright, fine. That's not too big a deal. I've excused far greater narrative leaps than that. So far, so good.
Then, one night, at the request of his would-be girlfriend, Kick Ass decides to confront a real criminal in his home. He walks in, utters a few threats, and it becomes clear that he's about to be savagely beaten if not full-on murdered. As this unfolded, I couldn't help but wonder how Kick Ass's seemingly normal girlfriend knew such a hardened criminal, but I had to put that aside, because, at that very moment, a twelve-year-old girl enters the room and kills everyone, but not before she's able to drop a few F- and C-bombs.
We actually meet this character a little earlier in the movie. She's Mindy McCready, played by Chloe Grace Moretz, a youthful superhero with actual heroic talents. Mindy is introduced earlier in the film when her father, played by Nicolas Cage, shoots her in the chest to show her what it's like being shot while wearing a bullet-proof vest. She shows up to save Kick Ass's ass dressed as her alter ego, Hit Girl.
Eventually, we learn that Cage and Moretz's characters have a long backstory that's left them desperate for revenge on the city's top crime boss. And, as you might expect, Kick Ass, continually lacking anything resembling talent or toughness, keeps getting pulled into their struggle. All of this leads up to a climactic third act wherein Cage get's burned alive and Hit Girl shoots and kills about 50 or so armed henchmen before getting the crap beat out of her by the aforementioned crime boss.
So...yeah...it's two tons of fun.
Now, I'm not a prude when it comes to violence. I enjoy a good, gory shootout as much as the next guy. But, this movie lacks anything resembling a consistent morality. From her first moments on screen to her last, Hit Girl just kills people indiscriminately. Cage's character, Big Daddy, is the same way. Do we want them to do that? Are we supposed to cheer when even non-threatening characters are brutally killed by a sixth grade girl?
I know there are many, many comic book characters that similarly act like vigilantes, who kill rather than capture their enemies. But, there's generally some sign of conflict over these actions, either in the characters themselves or in the world they inhabit. No such conflict is apparent in this movie, even though the hero doing the most killing is a pre-teen girl.
Ultimately, I guess Kick Ass is a movie that exists in an amoral universe. That's not inherently problematic, but, it's hard for a movie in this particular genre to work if there's no moral distinction between the good guys and the bad guys. Sadly, the movie is just never good enough to overcome this difficulty.And, fine, I'll just say it: I don't think the idea of a12-year-old girl shooting and stabbing her way through the criminal underworld while calling everyone a motherf---er is funny or entertaining in the slightest.
I'll admit to having a chuckle or two during the course of the movie. But, I just couldn't get on board with it.
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