Kick-A** 2

Note: I try to avoid cursing in my reviews. In this one, however, it’s impossible to. You've been warned.

So, Tuesday a friend of mine was in town, and we decided to see a movie. The only one we could agree on was Kick-Ass 2, so here’s my thoughts.

I saw the first movie in theaters as well, and without getting too much into it, I thought it was solid. It isn’t in my top one hundred, but good nonetheless.

This film picks up two years later. Mindy has been skipping school to fight crime as Hit Girl. Dave, sick of doing nothing, decides to don the costume again and asks her to train him. Then, we get a reversal. Marcus discovers Mindy’s secret and puts a stop to it, and Mindy finds herself wondering if a normal life would be better. Dave, meanwhile, discovers a team of superheroes he inspired, and joins up. Meanwhile, Chris D’Amico accidentally kills his mother, who has been keeping him safe at home since the last movie, and is free to pursue his vendetta on Kick-Ass. Donning his mother’s bondage gear, he becomes The Motherfucker, the first super villain, and proceeds to build his own team.

I was wondering what message this film was trying to send in regards to Mindy. The first movie pretty much made it clear that Big Daddy was screwing her over by forcing her to fight crime, but here they portray it as a good thing. Everything else is pretty consistent, though. It shows why superheroes wouldn’t work in the real world, though it seems to hint at a sequel with Dave still being Kick-Ass anyway.

Like the first film, action and comedy mix, though you need a pretty dark sense of humor to laugh at a lot of it, like a scene where Chris tries to rape one of Dave’s allies, only to be unable to get it up, or Mindy getting revenge on some bullies with a device that makes them vomit and defecate. It’s not for everyone, so I have a hard time recommending it.

Katie is pretty much written out via a really cringe worthy scene where everyone thinks Dave and Mindy have been getting romantic. Then, they hit at a real romance between the two. This is a shame, because earlier in the movie there was a scene where Dave comforted Mindy, and it worked as a brother-sister moment. I liked Katie in the first movie, so the romance here seemed pointless.

Chris is an appealing villain. Like the first movie, he does horrible things, but there’s a human quality to him. After his mother’s death, his bodyguard Javier steps up as a father figure, giving advice and encouraging him in his quest for revenge. It’s heartwarming, in a weird way.

Speaking of which, the relationships in this movie work. Dave and Mindy, Chris and Javier, and Dave and his dad all work so well. This movie knew when to slow down and let the characters breathe.

The violence is back in full force. There’s nothing horror movie level, but still bad for anyone with a squeamish stomach. Blood and over the top fatalities abound. The action is good, especially in the final battle. Hit Girl is every bit as awesome as she ever was. The scene at the end where she fights Mother Russia is a highlight.

I’m passing on rating this movie, but I enjoyed it, and I think I’ll see Kick-Ass 3.