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Kick-Ass Review

Kick-Ass is pretty much as family-friendly as the title would suggest (I have yet to see a theater that actually prints the full name...every one I have seen has displayed the title as Kick A or Kick A**). But just to be on the safe side: this is very much not a movie for kids. The violence, language, and other material bring this to a Tarantino-esque level. Make sure the young 'uns stay at home, or go to the next theater to see How to Train Your Dragon.

With that done, you can expect to see a movie that honors and roasts the comic book genre at the same time. Some of the highlights include Nicolas Cage combining the best of Adam West and William Shatner to create "Big Daddy," our hero's house and father looking suspiciously like Sam Raimi's Parker house and Uncle Ben, Danny Elfman's score and Tim Burton's camera angles making the most of the Mistmobile, KA's full-body X-ray displayed á la Wolverine's in X-Men, and Hit Girl taking a hint or two from the various Robins over the years (including more than a little Damian).

The best part is that the movie works well even if you've never read a single comic in your life. The principles set forth are pretty universal, the action sequences were outstanding, and there was a lot more heart and brains in it than you would expect from a movie based on a comic with such a flippant title. Aaron Johnson fleshes out Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass so that you feel he's a real person, not just a setup for plot points. Lyndsy Fonseca also plays love interest Katie Deauxma as a real person with a real life, much to the movie's benefit. And Christopher Mintz-Plasse, as Chris D'Amico/Red Mist does an excellent job of skirting the line between family loyalty and his friends.

Of course, the one thing everyone is talking about is Chloe Moretz's turn as Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl. Not only does she get some of the best (if coarsest) lines in the whole movie, she is also responsible for the bulk of the film's action sequences. She manages to balance these beautifully with some strong family scenes with her father (Cage). The two of them show a real bond that, while dysfunctional by most definitions, remains solid until the end.

Overall, this was an excellent movie that deserves the good reviews it has been receiving. Although the story is relatively simple, it is told so well and by such good actors that you'll enjoy it, especially if you're a fan of comics or comic-book movies.

Collector/Modeler Interest:
The Mistmobile is a modified 2005-09 Mustang, so there's plenty of base vehicles out there in plastic and diecast. None of them have the correct body kit, though, so you'll have to either do some scratchbuilding or just call it "close enough."


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