I wanted to like Kick Ass 2, I really did. As a fan of the first film, I enjoyed the experience because it was just so different. The violence was tongue-in-cheek and irreverent, there was significant shock factor with Hit Girl’s cartoon violence, and for a pseudo super hero flick it even had a tight plot with believable acting. All in all, Kick Ass 1 stole the show.
Enter the hobbled Kick Ass 2, a shadow of its former self. Like a drunk on a binge, Kick Ass 2 falls down on many levels. First, the mystique of Hit Girl was stolen away in some odd high school story arcs more fitting to an episode of Glee. Confusion, hormones, mean girls, boys bands, and a helicopter parent all dulled the hit from Hit Girl. On the opposite side of the coin, Red Mist (AKA: The Motherf**ker) was horrendous as a crime lord and super villain. The acting was stilted, boring, and absolutely disposable. Even the charm of the protagonist Kick Ass was deflated into an odd series of teenage angst and getting his ass kicked again and again.
Unfortunately, Kick Ass 2 missed in all the places the original hit. The quirky humor, the over-the-top cartoon savagery, and the cohesive direction of the film were all lost in the remake. I was thoroughly disappointed by Kick Ass 2 and, truth be told, will never see nor recommend this film be seen by anyone. In my rating system, this falls within the “Only watching it on cable TV because I’m bed-ridden with Ebola” category or somewhere around a 4 of 10.
Guh!