Thirteen*2

 "Kick Ass. More like Ass Kick."

- Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), Kick Ass 2010.

This singular line speaks volumes about the newest addition to the superhero genre. I am undecided about my opinion of the film but my initial reaction is negative.

The film's opening is strong - establishes the story rapidly and develops the character of Kick Ass effectively. The problem with Kick Ass is you cannot help but draw parallels to Spiderman - the witty remarks, the 'homemade' costume and the constant 'with great power' references were obvious. The difference of course lies in the lack of super powers combined with his reason for becoming a superhero. That's the main source of enjoyment for me - the notion that everyone has thought of being a superhero at least once in their life and yet noone has ever really given it a shot. His first attempt goes horribly wrong - being stabbed in the stomach and hit by a car. I absolutely loved the sequence! The swiftness with which Kick Ass was overwhelmed and the unrefined flailing of his technique were realistic and brought a humbling naturalism to the film.

Unfortunately that was something that the film lost more and more as the story progressed (more on that later).

His first save was a beautiful sequence. Attempting to save a lost cat is the stereotypical first job for a superhero and their worst nightmare. His line "Fuck you Mr Bitey" was wonderful. This scene also included some of the best dialogue of the film, throwing his reasons for wanting to be a superhero into your face and also having a go at the people standing by and watching all this happen. It was a wonderful moment that completely encaptured Kick Ass' reason for being.

Unfortunately the film takes a turn after Big Daddy and Hit Girl hit the screen. Their inital interaction is hilarious - BD shooting HG so that she knows how to take a bullet. That was funny and in the strangest way, almost endearing. Nicolas Cage and in particular Chloe Grace Mortez perform their characters beautifully throughout the film but the way in which Mortez is used unhinges the film for me. I can see that such gratuitous violence would carry well in the graphic novel and look forward to reading it to see how it compares but in a film it is unsettling to watch. In another film I would not have had issue with it, it not even the fact that Hit Girl is an 11 year old girl that unsettles me the most - it is what the two 'heroes' are doing that feels off.

Big Daddy's wife was killed, thus robbing him of his love and Hit Girl of her mother and Big Daddy was framed by D'Amico and spent 5 years in prison. Throughout this time his character changed and became fueled by vengeance against those who had caused him pain, upon release he took this rage and used it to turn his daughter into a walking killing machine - so that she too could have 'revenge'. The parallels to Batman have been drawn and stand as a direct comparison point to the character's motivation. Both Batman and Big Daddy suffer personal loss and want revenge. The key difference is that Batman uses his anger and stops ALL criminals and will never ever kill - because he is already so close to the line if he takes a life he will be no better than those he hunts. Great! Big Daddy however takes his revenge and targets the people responsible for his wife's death and that's it. There's no attempts to help the greater good, so chivalry, just flat out revenge against those who wronged him. That feels wrong, he's not a superhero, not even a vigilante - just an angry man with a gun.

His reason for being when compared to Kick Ass' is where I feel the film loses it's point. Kick Ass is a hero - he is by definition doing heroic things, attempting to save people who are in trouble, regardless of whether or not he knows them. His character works well, I don't think Big Daddy or Hit Girl do. Red Mist fits in just as well as Kick Ass - he has motivation for his role and a distinct target. Christopher Mintz-Plasse suprised me with this character. I expected him to betray his father in the end and take the hero line - but Mintz-Plasse proved that he has a bit more under his belt than just Superbad style characters.

Overall I honestly can't say how I felt about the film. I absolutely loved parts of the film - the whole beginning, the voice over and the first person sequence but then there was the parts of the film that I really hated. But I did think despite everything else the film was really well cast, but for a more definitive opinion of the film as a whole I think it requires a rewatch to determine my thoughts.