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Friday, August 16, 2013

MOVIE REVIEW: KICK ASS 2




His heroic antics having inspired a citywide wave of masked vigilantes, Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) joins their ranks to help clean up the streets, only to face a formidable challenge when the vengeful Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) transforms himself into the world's first super villain in this sequel written and directed by Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down). John Leguizamo, Donald Faison, Morris Chestnut, and Robert Emms co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey, John Leguizamo, Donald Faison

Release Date: Aug 16, 2013

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and brief nudity

Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.

Genres: Superhero, Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

The first Kick Ass film was always going to be a tough act to follow. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty to like in this serviceable sequel. Actually there’s a lot to like actually, especially for fans but watching the sequel you jhave a sense that there’s something missing. It provides the over the top violence and witty dialogue from the first but lacks some of the punch. It has a strange over the top but neutered softer feel throughout. There are big tonal shifts throughout which exasperates the issue. Another issue is that Hit Girl is sidelined for big chucks of the film. Chloë Grace Moretz is mostly relegated to dealing with mean girl instead of kicking ass. When she’s in costume, Moretz brings the same kind of spark and energy she did in the original, something this sequel sorely needed. That being said, Moretz’s subplot achieves a rather poignant moment of vulnerability in the third act, really showing off her range. Aaron Taylor-Johnson isn’t as impressive but he’s solid throughout. He brings the same goofy aloof earnestness to the titular character. Johnson is adequately wide eye throughout but it’s a tougher to believe that he’s an actual high school senior this time around. The remaining supporting cast is fun but most are underused and underdeveloped. Jim Carrey in particular is underused even though he shines in his limited scenes. He brings the wacky energy that Nic Cage did in the original and I wish there was more of him. Donald Faison has a small role as an overly caffeinated hero; it’s a fun little role which also could have done with a tad more screen time. The rest of the heroes are kind of background noise even Kick Ass’s new love interest played by the lovely Lindy Booth. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is a bit of a mixed bag as the villain. He’s never menacing enough to be taken seriously. The script doesn’t do him any favors with some clunky dialogue. To Mintz-Plasse’s credit he does provide some funny moments. So is this a worthy sequel to Kick Ass? It works more than it doesn’t but it never reaches the heights of original. Fans of the original, like myself, will find plenty to like here. Just don’t expect to be blown away.

B-


13 comments:

  1. Great review. I'm possibly seeing it this weekend. I honestly didn't expect it to live up to the first, seeing as they pretty much just forced a sequel in there to capitalize on the success of the first film. It looks good enough, but something tells me that this isn't going to be as good as the first, like your review clearly states.

    Good job on having the review up and on time. I'm sure you'll get a lot of reads on this one :)

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    1. Thank you man. It has it's faults but it's a solid follow up to the first one just not as good. Hope you enjoy it, I'll be looking forward to reading your review.

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  2. I seriously need to watch the first one soon. Too bad the sequel did not turn out as well as the first one though.

    -James

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    1. I think you should James, it's a great film. This one is as good but still strong.

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  3. Nice review, Daniel.

    I liked the first movie and will check this one out.

    B2B.

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    1. I think you'll enjoy it if you liked the first, not as great but still pretty strong.

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  4. You and I were EXACTLY the same on this one. I think you are one of the few people that enjoyed the first as much as I did. This one was fun and solid. But like you, I felt as if it was toned down and missing something.

    Perfect review, Daniel. Coming from someone who appreciates the first movie for exactly what it was, you hit the nail right on the head with this one.

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    1. Thank you man, right in tune on this one. I just watched Kick Ass again a week ago to get ready so the comparisons were fairly fresh. I enjoyed the sequel but just didn't love it.

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  5. i think plasse was intentionally a cartoon villain, and that kind of worked for me. and i think carrey was pretty fantastic in the role, and wish he had more screen time (but i think he made the absolute most with the time he had). oh, and i think this one is a whole lot better than the first one, which i didn't care for.

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    1. Plasse was fine but he never really posed a threat in the long run. I wish Carry had more screen time as well since he was great. I agree he did the best with the little screen time he got.

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  6. Good review Dan. It had its moments, but it was very odd with its tone. Sometimes it would be funny, and then sometimes, it would be very dark and disturbing. I didn't find it to gel quite well in the tone department really.

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  7. I really loved the first Kick Ass but there is something about Kick Ass 2 which feels like effort.

    It got pushed down the queue this week and I don't know if I can fit it in next weekend.

    B- is a very respectable score but it all just feels a bit been there seen that.

    K :-)

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    Replies
    1. It's good just not great like the first one. Its very much a case of been there done that...

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