From its showstopping introduction at last year’s Comic-Con, buzz and awareness
of this freewheeling adaptation of the violent comic series has spread from geek
comment boards to mainstream pop culture. With ecstatic reviews from the recent
SXSW premiere coming in, Kick-Ass seems all but solidified as another genre
triumph for director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake,
Stardust) and
distributor Lionsgate come April 16th.
All elements of Kick-Ass are drawing praise, from its premise (Hollywood.com: “A
pitch-perfect send-up of everything that is characteristic of superhero films“),
to its cast of characters (IGN: “Time, effort and thought has clearly gone
into the creation of Kick-Ass, Red Mist, Big Daddy and Hit-Girl that it’s
all-but-impossible not to root for them“), to the gleefully lurid action
(Empire: “Ultra-violent cinematic rush that kicks the places other movies
struggle to reach“).[rtimage]MapID=1217700&MapTypeID=2&photo=13&legacy=1[/rtimage]To lay his vision of everyday deranged citizens donning superhero costumes,
director Vaughn famously went outside the studio system. A sensible approach the
critics agree. “Without studio stormtroopers breathing down his neck, Vaughn
found the freedom to make a thrilling, hugely violent, darkly funny comic-book,”
says Empire‘s Chris Hewitt. Likewise, Digital Spy claims “Kick-Ass’s punk
rock full-throttle approach lends it a freshness and vigour that elevates it
from the crowd.”[rtimage]MapID=1217700&MapTypeID=2&photo=15&legacy=1[/rtimage]Perhaps central to the Kick-Ass staying power with critics (and, as Lionsgate hopes, at the box office) are the performances. “Aaron Johnson, in the title
role…brings a lot of heart to the character that drives the emotional crux of
the film,” says Hollywood.com. Chris Laverty: “Kick Ass welcomes the
return of Nicolas Cage to acting (only slight sarcasm) as someone with a
seriously screwed up moral centre.” And every review agrees: Chloe Moretz as
nimble, foul-mouthed Hit-Girl steals every scene, the same way her co-star
Christopher Mintz-Plasse did in
Superbad.[rtimage]MapID=1217700&MapTypeID=2&photo=16&legacy=1[/rtimage]As an eye-popping alternative to recent dour superhero films that is rewarding
for comic geeks but accessible for audience at large, reviews peg it as a
near-total success. Or, as Variety puts it: “Kick-Ass most certainly does.”
Yep, you
knew that one was coming.
Where will Kick-Ass‘s Tomatometer ultimately end up? Take your best guess
above and let us know if you’re hitting the theaters for Kick-Ass!
