Kick Ass 2, 2013. dir. Jeff Wadlow
Sequels are tough, let’s not deny the obvious. In most cases, a formula for a good sequel is to:
Sequels are tough, let’s not deny the obvious. In most cases, a formula for a good sequel is to:
- avoid being a carbon copy of the original’s plot with slightly skewed details, and
- being fully aware of the essence of the original and what made it great.
Kick Ass 2 is a sequel to the 2010 film Kick Ass about a grassroots vigilante superhero which dealt with both the superhero genre itself as well as the events that would follow a superhero in the internet age. In regards to my list above, Kick Ass 2 did well with the former but had trouble making it’s goal with the latter.
While sometimes it isn’t fair to constantly compare the sequel with the original, when dealing with a film such as this, it really can’t be avoided. The first Kick Ass seemed to have a solid awareness of where it stood among the other superhero movies of it’s day. Yes, it was violent, crude, and filled with profanity, but it was also confident. It knew what it was doing, and what it was doing was delivering a dynamic film that people could have fun watching. A lot of that credit can be given to it’s director Matthew Vaughn, whom also directed the critically acclaimed superhero film X Men: First Class.
The change in direction I believe is what made Kick Ass 2 not live up to it’s predecessor. While Vaughn stayed on as Executive Producer, the director duties were passed onto Jeff Wadlow, who prior to this was known for directing the MMA film Never Back Down. Kick Ass 2 kept almost all of it’s original cast, with special cameos from award winning actors John Leguizamo and Jim Carrey. However, almost everyone in this film seemed to give their most shallow performances to date. None of them felt like they were giving all they got into their characters, and more-so, none of them really seemed to be having fun. For example, while it was done to establish the villain, called The Motherfucker, as a complete sociopathic a-hole, you could see the discomfort among everyone as Christopher Mintz Plasse delivered his ridiculously racist and sexist lines to the screen.
Which brings me into my biggest issue with the film overall. Just like the most-vocalized criticisms about Seth Macfarlane’s stint at the Oscars, this film was not making fun of things people did, but rather the things people are. The main villain of the first film was a grimy CEO type who had done a lot of bad things to other characters in the film. The main villains of this film were random ethnic stereotypes chosen by The Motherfucker to do his biding. This film seemed to think it could get away with it’s blatant stereotyping by including a character to stand around and say “hey, that’s racist” at random points, but not only did that not work, it was terribly lazy for a film that is supposed to be so smart and dynamic.
I tried very much to love this film, as I love the original Kick Ass and all it’s tongue in cheek fun, but I couldn’t. Everything was so shallow about the execution that I couldn’t empathize with anyone on the screen. It was like I was watching a puppet show of the characters I knew and loved: familiar, but in the end hollow. If you still have a burning desire to go see it, by all means, go ahead. The action scenes were still fun to watch and a lot of parts still really delivered on the film’s promise of unadulterated butt-whooping. Just be aware of what you’re getting yourself into.
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