Kick-Ass (2010)
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An ordinary teenager attempts to become a real-life superhero, only to find himself entangled in a dangerous conflict with a ruthless vigilante and a powerful crime boss.
The story
Dave Lizewski is an awkward teenager living in Staten Island who, inspired by comic books, decides to become a real-life superhero known as "Kick-Ass." After sustaining injuries while confronting muggers, he gains a heightened tolerance for pain. His quest for justice leads him to cross paths with Big Daddy, a former cop seeking revenge against the crime boss Frank D'Amico, and his daughter, Hit-Girl, a highly skilled young vigilante. As Dave gains notoriety, he becomes a target of D'Amico's criminal empire, forcing him to navigate a dangerous world of organized crime and high-stakes vigilantism while trying to maintain his personal life.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Dave Lizewski, an awkward teenager in Staten Island, decides to become a superhero named 'Kick-Ass' after being injured by muggers. He gains a following and eventually encounters Big Daddy, a former cop seeking revenge against the crime boss Frank D'Amico, and his daughter, Hit-Girl. D'Amico, believing Kick-Ass is a threat, tries to trap him using a fake vigilante named Red Mist. During a confrontation, Dave is tricked into revealing the locations of Big Daddy and Hit-Girl. They are captured and tortured on a live broadcast, though Hit-Girl manages to escape and kill D'Amico's men, while Big Daddy is tragically killed. In the final confrontation, Dave and Hit-Girl infiltrate D'Amico's penthouse. Hit-Girl duels D'Amico while Kick-Ass defeats Red Mist. Kick-Ass ultimately kills D'Amico with a bazooka. The film ends with Dave and Hit-Girl retiring from crime-fighting, with Dave pursuing a relationship with his friend Katie and Hit-Girl being placed under the guardianship of Big Daddy's former partner.
- First release year
- 2010
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Matthew Vaughn
- Writers
- Jane Goldman · screenplay; Matthew Vaughn · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Aaron Johnson · Dave Lizewski / Kick-Ass; Christopher Mintz-Plasse · Chris D'Amico / Red Mist; Chloë Grace Moretz · Mindy Macready / Hit-Girl; Mark Strong · Frank D'Amico; Nicolas Cage · Damon Macready / Big Daddy; Lyndsy Fonseca · Katie Deauxma; Clark Duke · Marty Eisenberg; Evan Peters · Todd Haynes
- Genres
- superhero; black comedy
- Themes
- Vigilantism; Identity; Coming of Age
- Tone and mood
- Action; Dark Comedy; Violent
- Premise and plot tags
- Superhero; Action; Comedy; Crime
- Source material / true-story basis
- comic book of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.
- Franchise connections
- Kick-Ass
- Content notes
- Strong Violence; Profanity
- Reception
- The film was well received by both critics and audiences, gaining a large cult following. It was praised for its audacity and humor, though it faced some criticism for its extreme violence and profanity.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 78% · scale: percentage · review count: 264; Metacritic · score: 66 · scale: 100 · review count: 38
- Awards and nominations
- Empire Award · Best British Film · 2011 · Win
- Production trivia
- The 2D/3D animated comic book sequence took almost two years to finish.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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