Skillet Seal of Approval: Kick-Ass

This film is violent, graphic, bloody, cringe-inducing, darkly humorous, full of jaw-dropping moments and you know what, I loved every minute of it. There have been a barrage of comic book films as of late and it's been a mixed bag. The good ("The Dark Knight"), the bad ("The Spirit"), and the mediocre ("Hulk"). "Kick-Ass" is a refreshing change in direction for comic book based films in that it's actually good (because I needed something to wash out the taste of "Wolverine"). I found myself becoming completely involved with all of the characters and invested in their plight. I laughed at every joke, cringed at most of the stabbings, and laughed at some of the stabbings too. Each action piece was wonderfully choreographed and are used to help move the film along, it is not dependent on action scenes alone. The writing and the acting are great and are the real stars of the film. You believe in these characters and what they are going through instead of just going through the motions until the next major plot point.


"Kick-Ass" surprisingly has a strong message on societies reluctance to take action on crimes or misdeeds. Many times in the film a person is attacked and people just stand around watching instead of taking any action. This aspect of our society is what sets off our hero on his journey to be the comic book-like hero the people need. Many of the films crucial scenes revolve around this and it's quite alarming how people become frozen at the sight of a wrongdoing to the extent that they treat it like theatre. It's an aspect of our society that is commonplace today and serves as a great jumping off point for the film. In Kick Ass' first real fight he is called out by a knife-wielding criminal for being crazy and sick. To which he responds that what's crazy is that people stand and watch, taking video, while one guy gets is ass kicked. It's a strong statement on society, but one that is unfortunately true. The more people around watching the less likely someone is to step up and help out. But enough analyzing let's get to the good stuff.


This film excels in the hyper-realistic violence department. Within that violence, as well as the film as a whole, it blends a lot of the things effortlessly: humor, violence, and blood. Oh yes, the blood. Blood gushes and oozes as bullets and knives fly through flesh and air and, it's awesome. I don't remember the last time I was laughing while cringing during a fight scene. It's a union about as perfect as milk & cereal. The film moves along at a nice pace and I never once felt bored or if it were on a scene for too long. The soundtrack never overpowers a scene, instead, it serves as its compliment. It's the collection of violence, action, music, blood, humor, profanity, and everything else in this film that really made it work for me. This film is not for the faint of heart, so if you have a strong stomach and are not put off by people getting their legs chopped off and repeatedly shot and stabbed then this is the film for you.