With the superhero satire “Kick-Ass,” director Matthew Vaughn turned the superhero genre on its head back in 2010. The film shows an ordinary teenager without superpowers who wants to fight crime – and often has to take the hit himself.
The most important thing in brief
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“Kick-Ass” (2010) is a refreshingly unconventional superhero satire. With its provocative style and unforgettable characters, the film set new standards Superhero cinema. He distances himself from traditional narratives and chooses a more humorous, realistic approach. Films like “Deadpool” and “The Boys” show similar tendencies.
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The protagonist, Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), is not just looking for adventure; meaning in his life. The film explores what it means to be a hero and questions the motivation to fight crime.
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“Kick-Ass” is based on the comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. and not only celebrated success with critics, but also attracted attention Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz also for her breakthrough in Hollywood.
“Kick-Ass”: Humor, Violence and the Myth of the Superhero
To say that the movie “Kick-Ass” is just one Adaptation of the comic of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr., falls short. This is the unusual case that filming for the film adaptation began while the comic series was not yet completed. At the time filming started, only four of the planned eight issues had been published. The reason why Hollywood jumped at it so quickly is because of both Originality of Millar’s story as well as in the success he had previously achieved with his series “Wanted”, which was also made into a film.
Millar was heavily involved in the film’s creation process and informed the director Matthew Vaughn explains the further course of the plot at an early stage. Even if the comic and the film differ in some details, this remains the case Film adaptation overall very close to the original. It often follows the original story both visually and textually.
“Kick-Ass” brings fresh wind into the familiar superhero genre by not only being a gripping one Coming of age story told, but takes its exaggerated characters seriously despite everything. This creates characters that will be remembered for a long time. A highlight is Nicolas Cage, who, as an avowed comic fan, shines in a supporting role as “Big Daddy”. His portrayal of the driven and caring father is consistently convincing. Aaron Johnson charmingly embodies that overwhelmed nerd Dave and shows a clear development. The character “Hit-Girl” also leaves a lasting impression: an eleven-year-old girl in a wig and leather outfit who uses a sword and pistol to fight bad guys in a way you’ve never seen before.
Anyone who knows the comic template knows that it is there extremely bloody is coming. The film is also not a little brutal, which is surprising given the harmless trailer. However, the violence is so exaggerated that it is hardly shocking. But that one Breaking taboos definitely succeeded. “Kick-Ass” offers above all entertaining fun with lots of speed and humorwhich entertains for almost two hours.
Ordinary people as superheroes in “Kick-Ass”
Plot of “Kick-Ass” (2010)
The film adaptation is based on a comic by Mark Millar and tells the story by Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), an unassuming high school student who dreams of being a superhero. Without any special skills, he slips into an unfashionable diving suit, goes on patrol as a “kick-ass” and usually gets a good beating. But when he met the powerful mafia boss Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong), things get serious. Luckily, Kick-Ass isn’t alone. He gets support from professionals: the vengeful ex-cop Damon Macready (Nicolas Cage) and his eleven-year-old daughter Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz), a deadly fighter who mercilessly attacks the villains.
