Kick-Ass

Four of us went to see this movie Saturday night, and I rather liked it. Of course, I'm a card-carrying fan boy, so I would, but I think the movie provides enough genuine heart and action to attract a far wider audience than just those geeky enough to harbor strong feelings about whether it should be "Doctor Who" or "Dr. Who," a topic the refreshment-counter attendant and I were discussing before the film. ("Doctor Who," of course, and I will brook no argument.)

The plot proceeds basically as you expect it to go, but for this sort of film, that's okay, even desirable. Matthew Vaughn, the director, is constantly navigating between opposing forces--realism vs. fantasy, parody vs. straight film--and in general he achieves a reasonable balance. The silliness, which is inevitable, only becomes irretrievably over the top by the end, at which point the film has earned enough suspension of disbelief that you don't mind.

I thought the cast was generally fine, but Chloe Grace Moretz, who plays Hit Girl, steals the show. Every time she's on screen, the camera loves her, and the movie is better for her presence.

I must note one thing: If you're the kind of person who cannot suspend disbelief, or if you must look at every movie that contains kids and ask if the actions of those kids is healthy, then do not see Kick-Ass. We already know that it's not a good idea to train your daughter to kill, so you have to accept a world in which that training is acceptable or the film will appall you.

For everyone else, I recommend it.