So here's the thing... Kick-Ass 2 is mired in controversy over its violence, to the point where, in the wake of yet another shooting spree in yet another US school, Jim Carrey decided to publicly distance himself from the film and all promotion of it.
Yes the movie is violent... but the guns are the least of its worries. I guess the specific problem could be that Mindy Macready (aka Hit Girl) takes up a gun while only a high school freshman (approximately 14, it seems) because, other than that, there's nothing unusual about the gunplay in the movie... There's far more focus on blades and bludgeons, in fact.
But there's more to Kick-Ass 2 than the violence. It's probably the first superhero movie in history to even begin to deal with the topic of escalation ('super heroes' begat 'super villains' who are, naturally, even more extreme than the heroes). It also deals remarkably well with Mindy's journey of self-discovery following the death of her father in the first film. I'm a huge fan of Chloë Grace Moretz, so I may be biased, but I'd say Mindy's first kiss was one of the best first kisses I've ever seen: she's lecturing Dave about what it means to be a superhero, and you see something click in her head - connecting the dots between her remarks about bravery and her recently-awakened sexuality - just before she kisses him. Given the character, and given how she developed through the movie, that moment was perfect.
Also, Jim Carrey's character, Colonel Stars and Stripes - the mob henchman turned born-again Christian - was more than the sum of his violence. Sure, his methods were extreme, and the line "try to have a little fun because, otherwise, what's the point?" came across more like something the mobster might say, rather than the reformed man... but you can't fault him for trying the best way he knew how. Beating criminals and instructing his dog to bite into their groins one minute, reminding his team-mates not to take the Lord's name in vain the next. He's a very charismatic character, who clearly believes in what he's doing... it's no surprise the other heroes flock around him so readily. His self-confidence (or was it Faith?) make him seem immortal.
Even the horrifically OTT 'Motherfucker', played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, is comparatively well-rounded for a comic book supervillain. He's the spoilt but lonely rich kid out to avenge the death of his father... almost the Anti-Batman. He even tells his bodyguard/confidant "you're, like, my Alfred". He captures the self-absorption and misdirected anger of a teenager very well, and the moment Chris D'Amico realises he's about to die as a result of his alter-ego's vendetta was brilliantly done. Likewise his very muted response to the lesson in his bodyguard's sudden and savage murder.
Funny how a couple of actors best known for silly comedies put in some of the best dramatic performances in the movie...
Personally, I'd say Kick-Ass 2 is every bit as good as the first movie and perhaps, what with the themes explored, just a little bit better.
Of course, the introduction of Iain Glen as 'Uncle Ralph' is obvious foreshadowing... Just like when he first turned up in the Resident Evil franchise...
On another note... Just how many British actors were in Kick-Ass 2, for crying out loud?
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