Title – Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
Director – Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down)
Cast – Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey, Donald Faison, Clark Duke, Morris Chestnut
Plot – Kick-Ass (Taylor-Johnson) finds himself joining a group of costumed superheros lead by ex-mafia heavy hitter Colonel Stars and Stripes (Carey) that he himself inspired. Meanwhile Hit-Girl (Moretz) is facing the horrors of High School while Red Mist (Mintz-Plasse) becomes a super-villain hell bent on revenge against Kick-Ass.
“Try to have fun. Otherwise, what’s the point”
Review by Eddie on 7/01/2014
Let’s be brutally honest here, Kick-Ass 2 isn’t even half the film the original was. The original Kick-Ass came bursting onto our screens in 2010 with a kinetic energy thanks to the ace direction of Brit Matthew Vaughn and the brilliant casting of all main players not least in the relatively fresh faced Chloe Grace Moretz as profanity spouting Hit Girl and the best Nicolas Cage performance in eons. Kick-Ass 2 however came limping onto screens with little to no fanfare from critics and audiences alike, a stark contradiction to its predecessor. With this lacklustre reception it would be safe to assume the film is a lost cause but I myself was pleasantly surprised by the enjoyment levels found in the unquestionably lesser of the two films.
Kicking proceedings off a couple of years after the first film Kick-Ass 2 focusses its attention on an ever growing up Hit Girl and her travails in High School and with adoptive policeman dad Marcus (Chestnut) while Kick-Ass himself finds himself joined up with a rag tag group of wannabe heroes lead by the seriously underused Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes. This is the major flaw and missed opportunity of the film for one feels that the group of heroes in particular Jim Carrey’s Colonel had a lot more to give to the film in regards to heart and comedic moments yet you barely get a chance to learn their names. Mintz-Plasse as the now monikered Mother F$#*$*r is also a slightly underused presence with blame for this falling to new director/screenwriter Wadlow.
Vaughn did such a fantastic job as the original helmer that it was always going to be a tough job for whoever took on the project once he left the sequel and while Wadlow does an amicable take the films action and whip smart dialogue is nearly non-existent when compared to the first, where the originals violence felt shocking and thrilling here it seems forced and where words out of Hit Girls mouth bought gasps now they merely fall flat. The film as a whole to looks and feels cheap with production values not dissimilar to straight to DVD fare which is strange considering the films quite adequate budget.
Kick-Ass 2 is an enjoyable disposable movie with enough originality that could have been so much better yet oh so much worse. It’s a shame that the film feels so middle of the road and did such average business that it now feels as though the proposed trilogy of films will never come to fruition which is a shame considering the once bright future the franchise showed back in 2010.
2 and a half bottom dwelling sharks out of 5
Related articles
- Jim Carrey & Aaron Taylor-Johnson Featured In New KICK-ASS 2 Extended Scenes (comicbookmovie.com)
- Kick-Ass 2 review (rpollardhudd.wordpress.com)
- DVD Of The Week: Kick-Ass 2 (2013) (heropresstwo.blogspot.com)
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys) 
I’m glad you found enjoyment in the film, I never actually got round to watching it. Liked the first film quite a lot.
First was just a real blast, I suspect if the Vaughan stayed on for the sequel it could of been just as good.
Eddie
Seems like it.
Couldn’t agree more. The second was so disappointing. And frankly, Moretz needs to watch out that she isn’t just becoming a caricature of herself. I LOVED her in the first film and here she seems like she needs some serious therapy and an acting lesson or 2. Which is a sad thing to say about an actress that can and has delivered in the past. That point, Mintz-Plasse: what was he thinking? Garbage. Long way from McLovin, buddy.
Yeh both those two actors need to watch themselves, I have this feeling that once Moretz gets a little older she will have a touch time staying relevant.
Eddie
Agreed again. This one is not memorable, not in the slightest. Still sort of fun, at times, but nothing impressive all the same.
It had some moments that made you think it was going to be a ripper good time but then just kept falling back to seriously mediocre entertainment.
Eddie
That is a great summary.
Except, on occassion, it also got bad (the sick stick? Seriously?).
Oh that was truely horrible, should of been left on the cutting room floor.
Eddie
Of the pre-first-draft-of-the-screenplay outline. 🙂
The most disappointing part of this film was the finale. At the very least, I was expecting an epic showdown, but the majority of bad guys went down without much of a fight. Viewed this in August, and have already forgotten the majority of it.
So true man, that finale could of been all types of epic and awesome, they really missed out I reckon.
Eddie
I completely agree with this review. Watched this movie with a lot of expectations but for whatever reason, this seemed to be made more as an afterthought and to mint money from the franchise and somehow lacked the heart of the first one.
No heart at all when compared to the first, which had the heart with Hit Girl and Big Daddy and then also with Kick Ass’s struggles.
Eddie
Wow that movie was baaaaaaaad
I actually refuse to watch the 2nd film because I thought the first one was terrible.
Aww Mry that is sad to here I really loved the first film, but if you hate the first you have made the right call not watching this one.
Eddie
The sequel was good but I thought it didn’t have the same biting satire the first movie had. However, I will say the final fight was full of wild and crazy action.
I was expecting alot more from that finale but glad you enjoyed it Apollo.
Eddie
This scene defines the movie for me : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKNetErTE6g, If you can’t laugh at this what can you laugh at?
The tone felt terribly off with this one, which is saying something since the first movie definitely had its own issues with that aspect as well. But what helped that one out is that it was new to us, where this just feels like a retread of familiar waters. Good review Eddie.
Well put man the tone was well off with this, not sure to be a comedy or violent satire.
Eddie
I didn’t have many of the same problems with this one. I thought it was quite good overall. I’m curious what you thought looked cheap about it. I noted in my review when it came out that I didn’t think that it looked cheap at all.
As examples mate I would highlight the car chase after Kick Ass is kidnapped that looked incredibly shocking, other moments I would suggest are alley fights clearly staged on sets and the finale in which fights are played out between a few when in its early stages seems to appear hundreds of people only for it to drop off.
Eddie
Hopefully it didn’t make enough money to justify a Hit Girl spin off (like the ending suggests). She was amazing in the first one, over exposed in the second, and would just be run into the ground if she gets her own movie.
I would be happy to see her retired from films, and always be remembered for her great first shocking appearance.
Eddie
I enjoyed this film for what it was, but there was a distinct lack of compelling plot and characters. The original was smart, weird, edgy and satirical. This one was just an okay action film. Thanks, as always, for the insightful review, jordanandeddie!
Your very welcome 🙂
Eddie
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