Kick Ass 2

After the actions of Kick Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) in Kick Ass, their bravery (or stupidity) inspires people to stand up to injustice, become superheroes and join the crime fighting group named Justice Forever, led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey). Soon, Chris D’Amico (formerly known as Red Mist) hears of Justice Forever and decides to counteract the superheroes by assembling his own team, led by the world’s first super-villain, The Mo*********.

It is without a doubt, that Kick Ass was one of the most original and ambitious creations to be released in 2010. It was different, it was gritty and it dared to go that little bit further. Heralded ‘shocking’ by both critics and classifiers alike, Kick Ass really did turn the tables on the comic book genre, by delivering a fresh and brutal piece of film-making.

Written and directed by relative newcomer Jeff Wadlow (2008’s Never Back Down), his direction is good but doesn’t offer the same style as Mathew Vaughn and has instead gone for a cheap style of Hollywood remake. His script is entertaining, but not satirical in it’s approach; it almost feels as though he has deliberately gone for a script which has some of the qualities of its predecessor, whilst attempting to reach people who aren’t fans of comic books.

Kick Ass 2 is just as brutal, but not as effective. It includes all the stabbings, punches and villainous hi-jinks, but it never seems to be quite as entertaining as it should be. There are many memorable sequences, including a fight scene which takes place on the motorway and a fight in suburbia; but it just doesn’t feel enough. The cast have acted well, delivering fun and fresh performances; including Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes who has improved on some of his later roles like The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.

It may not be the sequel we were all hoping for, but it’s entertaining, brutal and above all satisfying. Lets hope that Mathew Vaughn takes the reigns back for the potential third installment.