Kick-Ass 2 picks up about three years after the events of the first movie, where Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has hung up his Kick-Ass costume and returned to his normal high school life. Mindy Macready (Chloe Grace Moretz), on the other hand, skips school constantly to continue fighting crime as Hit Girl, a situation which irritates her legal guardian, Detective Marcus Williams (Morris Chestnut). When Dave decides to resurrect his alter-ego, he joins forces with Mindy, but the two don't make it very far before Marcus puts his foot down and forbids Mindy from continuing her superhero act. Dave then joins up with a ragtag Avengers-esque group of heroes featuring such notables as Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey) and Night Bitch (Lindy Booth). Meanwhile, Chris D'Amico, enraged by Kick-Ass' murder of his father at the end of the first film, invests millions of his inheritance money in hiring henchmen and becoming the world's first "real" supervillain. When he learns of Kick-Ass' whereabouts, Chris, now known as "The Motherfucker," targets them for assassination.
Kick-Ass 2 contains the same tongue-in-cheek style as its predecessor, simultaneously lampooning the superhero genre while also being a card-carrying member of it. The R rating once again allows the film to bask in glorious, deliciously depraved acts of violence, but it's all over-the-top and not meant to be taken seriously (with one exception that I'll dive into later). Also, in a scene that will offend many, an attempted (although not executed) rape is used for laughs. I laughed primarily because the reactions of the actors involved were priceless, but most might not feel that way. Still, there's something refreshing about a movie that un-apologetically, unpretentiously gives us a ridiculous storyline with a plethora of fight scenes without hedging its bets to draw in more teenagers.
With Kick-Ass' (played solidly but not particularly memorably by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) origin story out of the way, the filmmakers wisely devote more screen time to Hit Girl, once again played to perfection by Chloe Grace Moretz. She's more interesting than the title character and her struggle with high school social life (complete with typical "mean girls") is surprisingly affecting. Yes, this subplot ends with a graphic, disgusting scene, but it made me laugh, and there's no doubt the principals involved deserved it. Of the newcomers, Jim Carrey stands out; he's a blast to watch as the maniacal Colonel Stars & Stripes, but his screen time is limited. If there's an obvious weakness in Kick-Ass 2, it's the main villain. Christopher Mintz-Plasse scores some laughs, but the filmmakers can't seem to decide whether they want this character to be a buffoon or a true menace. The campy manner in which the actor plays the role clashes with of the character's acts of brutality. Also puzzling is how quickly and hastily Katie (Lyndsy Fonseca), who was delightful in the first film as Dave's girlfriend, is quickly and hastily written out this time around.
Kick-Ass 2 avoids the "more of the same" trap of sequels by briefly taking its story into very grim, quasi- Dark Knight territory. Without spoiling anything, I can say that an action taken by The Motherfucker's henchmen late in the film is something The Joker would bow down in approval of. It's grim even for an action-comedy, but since we've grown to care about the characters, it works. And the film also contains a memorable act of carnage where The Motherfucker's right-hand-woman, the hulking bodybuilder Mother Russia (Olga Kurkulina) destroys several police cars set to a beefed-up version of the "Tetris" theme. Yes, you read that sentence right. The final, all-out battle, set in a warehouse, is notable primarily for the viscerally satisfying confrontation between this character and Hit Girl.
Depending on box office success, we might see a Kick-Ass 3, but really, is there any way another entry into this series that won't feel as stale as month-old bread? Kick-Ass 2 delivers whats expected of it; it has its grip on the pulse of the YouTube world when it comes to superhero antics and it isn't afraid to venture into some outlandish territory. This isn't the unqualified, must-see that its predecessor represents; it needs a tighter focus and a better main villain, but it boasts laughs, solid action, and heart. Those are three aspects I'll happily accept.
Rating: *** (out of ****)
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