Kick-Ass 2 (2013)

Written by CinemaSerf on September 5, 2023

I was actually quite surprised to see three of the leads who made the first film (2010) return for this far inferior sequel. Following on from the denouement of that enterprise, "Red Mist" (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is using his father's ill-gotten gains to assemble a force that can combat the growing number of lycra-clad have-a-go heroes that are attempting to cut crime in their community. Without dad this time, it falls to "Mindy" (Chloë Grace Moretz) to train up our still pretty hapless hero (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) so they can be ready for the formidable foes that are now facing them. ATJ still looks great with his shirt off, thereafter this is really nothing at all to write home about. It's all just by-the-numbers film making with perfectly choreographed, and extended, combat scenes with violence that has become more graphically brutal leading to a conclusion that you don't need any kind of map to find. What made the first film a bit quirkier is not in evidence here; the language and humour is largely plain crass and Jim Carrey adds really very little as this rumbles along. Hopefully we will never see any more of "Kick-Ass"; this mini-franchise has definitely run it's course and belongs in glass case.