Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz and Jim Carrey
Directed by: Jeff Wadlow
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 43 mins
Universal
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
When we last saw Kick Ass (the character, not the film) he was sending a missile through the body of crime boss Frank D’Amico, much to the chagrin of D’Amico’s son, Chris. As the new film begins we find that Chris, once a self-made super hero himself known as the Red Mist, has decided to use his inherited wealth to become the baddest villain of all time. To complete his turnaround he gives himself a new name. I can’t tell you that name on a family web site but let’s just say that it begins with the word Mother!
Sometimes funny and extremely violent, “Kick Ass 2” is a by the book sequel that continues the concept of regular citizens becoming heroes. Wanting to form a “Justice League”/”Avengers” style group, Dave Lizewski (Taylor-Johnson) takes to the Internet to find some like minded allies. Among them are a husband/wife team (Steven Mackintosh and Monica Dolan) who call themselves Remembering Tommy after their missing son, a sexy 20 something woman (Lindy Booth) who calls herself Night Bitch and a former Mafia hit man, recently born again, with the moniker Colonel Stars and Stripes (Carrey). Missing from the group is Mindy Macready, better known as Hit Girl (Moretz), who promised her late father, and her new guardian (Morris Chestnut) that she would not fight crime any longer. That being said, she will soon find out that crime is nothing compared to high school.
Even though the film is full of the same ideas that made “Kick Ass” so entertaining, it is that sameness that dulls the sequel. Without real powers these “heroes” take major ass kickings and the repeated sight of black eyes and broken bones becomes repetitive. Carrey brings some life to his character but when you remember his recent, very vocal objection to screen violence, it makes it hard to watch the carnage he dishes out. The language is equally as salty as the first film but, where it was almost, dare I say, “cute” to hear little 10 year old Moretz curse like a sailor here it seems forced, as if the writer kept looking for the next word that would shock the audience when heard. Moretz gives the best performance of the film, dealing not with the bad people of the street but the bitchy girls that walk the halls of her high school, which actually is the plot of her next film, the remake of “Carrie.”
The action scenes, especially one with Mindy on top of a speeding van, are well choreographed and fun to watch. Too bad the entire film doesn’t come with that same recommendation.