Review: Kick-Ass 2

Kick-Ass 2 (Spoiler-free)
Cert: 15 / 103 mins / Dir. Jeff Wadlow



Expectation is the enemy, and the victor, of many a sequel. Some manage to equal their predecessor, a few even surpass it, but following up a breakout hit like Kick-Ass was never going to be easy, no matter how much it stood holding the door open for another movie. Not only is K-A2 contending with its elder sibling, it's also surrounded by many other page-to-screen adaptations, and being a bit indie is no longer a unique selling point. So, how does it fare?

Well, the first half never quite clears the hurdle of 'largely unnecessary sequel', with clunky dialogue, glaring flashbacks and a clockwork mechanism of setup / fight-scene / setup / fight-scene. The thread with Mindy/Hit-Girl trying to fit in at school was the worst offender, with a resolution so telegraphed as to almost be a waste of everyone's time. But thankfully the second half reaches down and gives the first a hand. Everything from the return of Hit-Girl onwards is quite marvellous, and the story suddenly starts to feel like it has some consequence. This really is Moretz's film (despite what I've just grumbled about), and she gets the best deal in terms of having material to work with. That said, Taylor-Johnson and Mintz-Plasse are on great form as the returning hero and villain respectively, and Jim Carrey gives a fantastic dialled-down performance as Colonel Stars and Stripes. Everyone else, unfortunately, is in one-trick-pony territory, and there just isn't the time or scope to give such a massive cast-list that much to do, no matter how entertaining they are. I also noticed a very strong Brit presence on-screen, which was nice. I suspect it's a combination of the Matthew Vaughn connection and the UK location filming, but I'm not complaining.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Kick-Ass 2 very much, but I'd be fibbing if I said it was anywhere near as iconic as its forebear. A third installment would benefit greatly from having Vaughn back at the helm. It spends a little too much time moralising, and not quite enough having fun. But when it is enjoying itself, you can't help but be swept along for the ride.

Oh, and stick around after the credits for a short, final scene.


Almost.



Mostly.



I'd say so, yes.



If you're already a fan, the cinema.



No.



I will.



I didn't hear one, but it could well have been buried. There was a lot of screaming..

Now that Geek has almost become the new mainstream, is the comic-book-movie well starting to run dry?

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• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
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