Kick-Ass
A hugely enjoyable comic-book adaptation. It's well cast, well scripted and delivers strong characters, interesting sub plots and stand-out set pieces.
Matthew Vaughn handles the material superbly - directing the characters and action with wit and flair. I always felt that his directorial debut 'Layer Cake' was a tad over-rated and nothing more than a solid gangster flick. In the last six years, Vaughn has clearly matured and developed as a film-maker. In this movie, he delivers two incredibly exciting and creative action sequences - one in a warehouse, one in a penthouse. Plus, we get the best "death by bazooka" scene in cinema history. For these reasons, I'm willing to forgive him for producing 'Swept Away' and for blatantly plugging his wife's perfume half-way through this film!
Last month, I wrote about the character of Lisbeth Salander in 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', describing her as "one of the most important and complex female characters in modern cinema." I'm pleased to say 'Kick-Ass' gives us another iconic screen heroine: Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz). How can you not enjoy seeing a foul-mouthed 12-year-old girl slice and shoot her way through a room full of bad guys? Her relationship with her father (Nicolas Cage) gives the film an emotional core and leads to some touching and moving moments.
This is the most fun I've had at the cinema since 'Zombieland'. The ending leaves the door open for a sequel and I don't think that would necessarily be a bad idea.
