North Texas Daily

Cole Clay / Intern

Review: “Kick Ass 2”

4/5 Stars

“Kick Ass 2” has sparked a bit of controversy in past few months leading up to its release. Funny man and supporting star Jim Carrey refused to endorse the film due to its insane level of violent content.There is a kernel of truth in Carrey’s stance, but most of  violence in the movie is portrayed with a campy tone that is too much fun to overlook.

Most sequels are groan-worthy and are usually cheap impressions of the predecessor. With “Kick Ass 2” writer/director Jeff Wadlow, who helmed the 2008   guilty pleasure punch-fest “Never Back Down,” ups the ante and keeps the familiar characters fresh.

We pick up with the cape-less crusader known as Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) as he teams up to fight crime around New York City with a rag-tag group of costumed vigilantes. Meanwhile, super villain Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is plotting revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows and loves.

Wadlow’s work on the aforementioned “Never Back Down” prepared him for the ludicrous style of action that “Kick-Ass 2” calls for. Wadlow creates a truly cinematic experience by playing into the overall cheesiness of super hero movies, as well as playing into how inherently fun that can be.

Carrey gives a rollicking performance as the semi-noble Colonel Stars & Stripes, who is the backbone to the group of quasi-heroes as well as the film itself. Since “Kick Ass,” Taylor-Johnson has shed the nerdy image that made his performance so admirable. Because of this he falters just a bit, but still retains a sense of delightful innocence.

The movie is about an identity crisis and Wadlow’s script caters to the high school/college crowd. The issues he touches on walk a fine line between exploitation and satire. For example, Hit-Girl, played by the indelible Chloe Grace Moretz, is transitioning into a young woman and gets her first experience in the dating world, which turns from heartbreaking to hilarious. The eclectic mix of characters each get big payoff moments that celebrate their individuality.

Wadlow has become a double threat with “Kick Ass 2”. He crafted a sequel that stands alone while celebrating the source material. It is clever, funny, stylistic and exciting from start to finish. Don’t expect to be wowed on anything other than these points. What you can expect is 100 minutes of pure no holds barred fun.

“Kick Ass 2” Opens Nationwide Friday