Opening 15 Aug 2013
Directed by:
Jeff Wadlow
Writing credits:
Jeff Wadlow, Mark Millar, John Romita Jr.
Principal actors:
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Morris Chestnut, Claudia Lee, Amy Anzel
Davy and Mindy are two 15-year-old students at Millard Fillmore High School. Davy is a bit nerdy and shy; Mindy is self-confident, but a victim of mobbing. We need not worry, because, whenever it suits them, they put on their super-hero costumes and call themselves Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl and, equipped with super powers, go out to save the world. They are joined by a group of like-minded do-gooders, one more outlandish then the next, led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (played by Jim Carrey, whom I never recognized throughout the film). Their worst opponent is Chris, a boy their own age, much like them, except that he is terribly rich, has lost his parents and is cared for by a kind of butler/driver named Javier. When he puts on HIS super-hero costume, he is The Motherfucker. He also has a team of helpers; the most prominent one is Mother Russia (Olga Kurkulina), who looks like a seven-foot, blond version of former US president Bill Clinton.
This is a sequel to the original 2010 Kick-Ass film and familiarity with the original is not a prerequisite to an enjoyment of this new offering. In my favorite scene Mindy takes her revenge on the snobby girls in the cafeteria, after they have fooled her with a fake date with a popular boy in the school. In the end there is a huge confrontation of both super hero groups, good against evil, which is quite educational for anyone looking for original ideas for Halloween costumes. In Germany the film is open to viewers 18 years old and over, which is logical considering the bad language and sexual references; however, it’s too bad, because the actors – all looking like teenagers going on age four – and the storyline would certainly appeal to the pre-teen set. I would call it a pre-teen version of The Avengers, and I am sure there is a huge fan following which will storm the cinemas. (Becky Tan)
