Kick-Ass - 6 stars out of 10

Kick-Ass - 6 stars out of 10

This film was far from what I expected.  Based on the movie poster and the title, I figured that this would be a superhero spoof similar to "Green Hornet," filled with tongue-in-cheek comedy about how unrealistic it is for superheroes to actually exist.  Although it started that way, I was taken aback by the intensely realistic gore (not because blood bothers me, but because I wasn't prepared for it).  I expected a main character like The Star Wars Kid and I actually wasn't too far off.  But forget everything else about this film - nothing can compare to Chloe Moretz's performance.  She absolutely kicks... butt, doing most of her own stunts and nearly matching the intimidation of her character in "Let Me In."  The greatest moment is when she shows up in her schoolgirl outfit, pretending to be lost, and then puts a gun in the guy's mouth.  That transition between innocence and bada** (also displayed in her first sequence with the bowling alley) reemphasize her diverse talent.  Unfortunately for the rest of the actors in this film, she makes them all look like amateurs.  This does not exclude Nicolas Cage, who is back to his old ways as if the script purposefully indicates: [deliver lines awkwardly, as if you do not know how to act and are just interested in another paycheck].  I really love his earlier films but something has gone terribly wrong in his career and he needs to start trying again.  Aaron Johnson's secret identity is supposed to be a teenager who is invisible to everybody; unfortunately, he played this role so well that I forget that he was even in the film.  They could have done more with his two friends to make them a memorable comic due, but I really enjoyed looking at Lyndsy Fonseca (particularly during the self-tanning scene...)  The film often suffers identity confusion, not sure if it wants to be a comedy or a legitimate superhero film, but it's an enjoyable story that is totally worth watching just for Chloe Moretz's innocent eyes behind her mask... abruptly followed by her kicking butt.