Honestly? When I saw the trailer for Kick-Ass I turned to my friend and said "No way!" The idea of another american faux parody filled me with about as much excitement as a night out with a Public School Rugby team, But the more I heard about it the better it sounded. British story, british writers, (mostly) british main cast and then there were the reviews, from a glutch of four and five star endorsements to the one stars of the FT and the Mail (who referred to it as "evil"!) So this afternoon the same friend and I popped to sunny Feltham and took the plunge.
The story goes that a teenage boy growing up in New York wonders why no-one has ever tried being a superhero - so he gives it a go and "Kick-Ass" is born. Unsurprisingly he turns out not to be very good at it and inevitably gets his ass kicked more often than not. But along the way he meets other un-Superheros, gets mistaken for a gay gentleman by a pretty lady and inspires a city in various ways.
Much has been said about the 12 year old girl dropping the C and F bombs, the knife and gun violence, the severed limbs and the 15 certificate (and I know a number of people to whom I will certainly not be recommending this film on those grounds). But, as a Father, the thing that I actually found most uncomfortable was the manipulations by Nicolas Cage's morally grey Father of said 12 year old daughter, and I think that the film spoke well into this, even if only briefly, and resolve the Father character well within the plot.
So... I enjoyed it. I laughed (a lot), I hid my eyes in nervous anticipation and didn't look at my watch once from start to finish! There is a good plot without excess fat, some great lines and visual gags, enjoyable action and a top sound track.
Rating: ★★★★★
Would I recommend it? Yes (request your personal recommendation)
Do I want to ever see it again? Yes
Watch the trailer: (But don't let it put you off!)
