KICK ASS 2

KICK ASS 2 sucks. It's not the worst movie of the year, just the biggest let down. Okay, second biggest because ELYSIUM definitely earned that title with flying colors.

What happened with KICK ASS 2? Did the filmmakers or Universal Pictures even watch the first film? Why did Lionsgate not go forward with the sequel? Easy answer, because they are cheep. That right there is the sequels first mistake, they should have made a deal with Lionsgate. The second mistake is going with a studio like Universal to make a exploitation comic book movie. All the heart that was in the first film is gone with KICK ASS 2. Everything that was great about KICK ASS is either tossed aside or watered down. Instead of Mindy/ Hit Girl taking down bad guys, we have a boring sub-plot of her being forced to fit in at high school hanging with the popular girls.

When the franchises most popular character is stuck in a remake of 'Mean Girls' and not out fighting crime then something is seriously wrong with your movie. I got real tired of Kick Ass complaining that Hit Girl had quit and wishing she would join the Justice Forever team.

To keep this from just turning into one giant rant I'll sum up the problem with KICK ASS 2 as being artistic differences. Director of the first film Matthew Vaughn, had a distinct vision and style. His screenplay was smart and witty. Matthew Vaughn knows how to direct action. He understands when and where to place changes in tone. KICK ASS 2 maestro Jeff Wadlow knows none of these things. That's a tad harsh I know but the end result of this new film was just so vanilla that I don't know how else to describe it?

KICK ASS 2 picks up shortly after the events of the first film. The brave acts of Kick Ass inspire other folks to put on costumes and dish out vigilante justice. Kick Ass wants to form a super-hero team with Hit Girl. It goes well for awhile but quickly gets interrupted when Mindy is forced to retire and focus on being a normal teenager. Dave/Kick Ass isn't about to quit so he joins forces with Justice Forever, a team of costumed vigilantes inspired by him. Justice Forever start cleaning the streets and begin making a real difference. Meanwhile, someone from Dave's past looking for revenge is quickly making a name for himself as the super villain The Mother#$%@#!.

KICK ASS was one of my favorite films of 2010. It's a shame what the sequel turned out to be. I really think things would have been different if the film had been written and directed by Matthew Vaughn. If that was the case then this would have been a world of characters worth revisiting time and time again.

My recommendation is to watch KICK ASS and forget the sequel even exists.