When “Kick-Ass” was first released into theaters, it took the world by storm. An ordinary kid deciding to become a superhero…why has that never been done before? The film became a critical and commercial success, obviously leading to a sequel. Well, “Kick-Ass 2″ is here… and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Jeff Wadlow (Cry_Wolf) jumped into the director’s chair and picks up right where previous director Matthew Vaughn left off. “Kick-Ass 2″ is full of violence, blood, heart, but most of all, fun.
“Kick-Ass 2″ picks up where the first film leaves off: Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is done with the superhero life; Mindy Macready/Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) continues to fight crime while living with her father’s ex-partner Sergeant Marcus Williams (Morris Chestnut); Chris D’Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is still pissed about Kick-Ass killing his father with a bazooka.
Each character is trying to go on with their lives after the events of the first film, but things don’t go exactly as planned. Dave only gives up the superhero life for so long before he’s lured back in by Mindy. Mindy on the other hand is forced to give up that lifestyle when she is caught by Marcus. Marcus forces her to promise she’ll stop sneaking out of school to practice her skills with Dave and to focus on her schooling and to make friends. Chris decides to go in a radical direction and, after the accidental death of his mother, vows to get revenge on Kick-Ass and becomes The Mother F*cker.
With Hit-Girl leaving the superhero life, Kick-Ass doesn’t want to fight alone so he seeks out a partner. Enter Doctor Gravity (Donald Faison), who introduces Kick-Ass to the group Justice Forever: Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), Insect Man (Robert Emms), Night B*tch (Lindy Booth), Battle Guy (Clark Duke), and Tommy’s Mom and Dad (Monica Dolan and Steven Mackintosh). Together they form a superhero team that patrols the night and protects the innocent from crime.
While Kick-Ass is out patrolling, Mindy is dealing with high school…which winds up being a battle she’s unprepared for. Mindy is able to go out and fight against criminals but high school…that’s another story. On the other hand, The Mother F*cker is out building an army to fight against Kick-Ass and Justice Forever.
“Kick-Ass 2″ deeply explores who these characters are as people, not as superheroes. These characters are put into vulnerable positions, allowing them to discover more about themselves than they’ve ever had to before. Wadlow isn’t given an easy task when it comes to writing these characters, but he’s able to make each individual as realistic as possible allowing us to connect with them.
The performances in Kick-Ass 2 match, and even exceed Kick-Ass with Taylor-Johnson keeping Dave such a grounded character and Moretz keeping the “charm” that Hit-Girl had in the first film. Looking at the new additions, both Carrey and Faison take every moment they have on screen and make it memorable. But the best performance would easily have to go to Olga Kurkulina as Mother Russia. She is, quite literally, larger than life and is truly terrifying in every moment she’s on screen.
For everyone who enjoyed the first “Kick-Ass,” “Kick-Ass 2″ will certainly not disappoint. Everything that you loved in the first film is here in the second film; even the moments that left you feeling emotional are back. “Kick-Ass 2″ is an extremely enjoyable ride that is easily one of the best action films in all of 2013.
“Kick-Ass 2″ is now playing.
-Joshua Kaye
