Kick Ass 2

Since Jim Carrey came out against the movie he was starring in, Kick Ass 2 has found itself as part of the violence in movies debate. Does Kick Ass 2 glorify violence? No, actually. It makes it look like it hurts really, really bad. The film has Kick Ass, the costumed crime fighter with no superpowers joining a team of like-minded individuals to clean up the city streets. But things get complicated when a new mysterious villain starts causing chaos. Hint, hint, it’s someone from Kick Ass’ past. Carrey plays the leader of the team Justice Forever, Colonel Stars and Stripes.

Since the previous film, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who plays Kick Ass and his alter ego Dave, has become a more refined actor with turns in art house movies like “Anna Karenina.” So I had my doubts that he could come back to the action blockbuster business. But he does extremely well. His strong acting abilities shine through while balancing emotionally heavy moments and the awkwardness of a teenage boy in heat. Carrey is great as Colonel Stars and Stripes acting as an indirect replacement to Nicholas Cage’s character that died in the first film. The actor’s transformation is great. It’s a shame he isn’t proud of the role. Talking about acting, Chloe Moretz also has to be mentioned. Hit Girl has become an iconic role for her and the two best performances of her young career.

With an attempt to up the stakes in the sequel, the playful approach that made the first “Kick Ass” a cult hit goes missing for a large portion of number two. Christopher Mintz Plasse’s villain, The M-F-er (I abbreviated) is funny until he starts committing really gruesome crimes that are difficult to watch. With such a strong lead ensemble, it’s almost disappointing that the script deals with the new supporting heroes so much. When the comedy is mixed in with the over-the-top action, the film achieves the entertainment value fans of the comic book would expect. But it doesn’t occur as often as necessary to be a full on success.

Each film earns either zero, a half or a full arrow in five categories. The categories are Acting, Writing/Directing, Emotion, Innovation and Overall Impression. The arrows are added up to equal the full score.