Ah, hyperviolence. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways . . .
Revisiting the crew from the 2010 superhero action-comedy Kick-Ass, which asks the question “What if superheroes actually existed?” this sequel picks up where we left off, following the prominence of the superhero after Kick-Ass has set the example for others. The mean streets are now walked by those in colorful garb who aren’t afraid to fight back against the criminal element, taking out the trash of the city and making it a safer place.
Sore from the death of his kingpin father, the Red Mist has decided to match the example set by Kick-Ass and Hit Girl by becoming the world’s first supervillain, creating his own league of deadly bad guys to destroy the heroes that have banded together. All the while, Kick-Ass and Hit Girl are seriously re-thinking their places in the world, wondering if the game of crime-fighting is still for them.
I really liked this film. It was fast fun with moments that make you laugh and make you cringe. The action and jokes hit the mark, and it’s a neat wrap-up to a story, even if it does tie up too many loose ends while still trying to leave it open for a third installment. Mintz-Plasse, Carrey, Moretz and Taylor-Johnson all make for a really great cast, with the subtle-yet-welcome editions of John Leguizamo and Clark Duke, as well as a few others. Carrey absolutely steals the show as a former mob enforcer-turned-born-again-Christian-turned-superhero Colonel Stars and Stripes, the head of a newly formed league of capes called “Justice Forever.”
Nothing to do with the movie, but the controversy surrounding Carrey’s public disowning of the film during the film’s promotional campaign seems even odder after viewing the movie and taking his character into context. (After filming, and receiving a hefty paycheck for, Kick-Ass 2, Carrey Tweeted “in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence,” a move that may have actually brought more publicity to the movie than a rash of television appearances could have.) Carrey plays a good-guy superhero with a strong moral fiber who doesn’t believe in guns. So, why the switch? It doesn’t seem to have won him any real political favor, any more than criticizing animal mistreatment after playing Ace Ventura.
But back to the movie, it’s a fun re-creation of the world comic books have brought to the table. I would ignore the reviews from aggregate critic-sites on this one, and check it out for yourself.
