It's not entirely clear as to what the intentions are behind Kick-Ass, given that it seems to simultaneously embrace comic book conventions whilst also deconstructing and sending them up at the same time. No matter: Matthew Vaughn's relentlessly entertaining, dark and humorous exploration of the superhero myth and vigilantism offers up one of the smartest and - let's face it - sickest comic book movies of recent times, as lowly loser Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) suits up and tries to become a costumed crime-fighter. Of course, the point of Kick-Ass lies with the fact that doing such a thing in real life would probably end up getting you killed pretty quickly, and before long Dave winds up getting stabbed and beaten down. Later on, however, he meets two "real" superheroes, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage on brilliant form) and 12-year-old Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz in a movie stealing performance), as the three take on a crime syndicate. Kick-Ass has everything you want from a good comic book film; drama, laughs, violence, tension, even if the "point" is a little muddled.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
