Kick-Ass

Eine brutale Portion an Actionszenen, die mit ihrem Einfallsreichtum sowie der künstlerischen Lösung den meisten "ernsthaft gemeinten" Konkurrenten in den Allerwertesten treten. Aber selbst Kick-Ass ist gewissermaßen ein ernsthafter Film, der sich oft auf einen Tarantino-Vollblüter setzt - aus reiner Brutalität und Pulp-Orgien, jedoch im Grunde genommen hat er ein doch so ziemlich reines Herz voller Mut und zivilen Charakters. Ich würde hier schon ein paar Dinge finden, die mir nicht ganz koscher erschienen, aber ich lehne es ab, mir die Freude an dem purem Filmfestmahl, das Matthew Vaughn angerichtet hat, verderben zu lassen. Kick-Ass hat Mumm wie der tschechische Schauspieler Jirka Lábus und dank einiger Szenen (stroboskopisches Feuergefecht, Big Daddys Säuberungsaktion, Kick-Ass's schmerzhafte Initiation) reihe ich diese wilde Fahrt unter den besten Comic-Adaptionen aller Zeiten ein. Auch deshalb, weil es den Machern gelungen ist, einen königliche Portion der Comic-Freiheit und Verspieltheit zu erlangen. Wer wird das denn in diesem Jahr trumpfen? OK, ihr Gören, mal sehen, was ihr jetzt drauf habt! (05.05.2010)

Chin down, thumbs up. I like Matthew Vaughn for his approach to filmmaking alone, but the actual result far outweighs my sympathy. Kick-Ass has everything that a proper pop culture film of its time should have - losers, the internet, comic books, crazy humor, absurd violence, and a hefty helping of hyperbole. You can't go wrong by putting this all into one mix, polishing the visuals, and throwing exactly the right music into the playlist. I doubt I'll come across a more musically and editing-packed scene in the movie theater this year than the FPS shootout in the warehouse. Other than that, Nicolas Cage is back in form and Chloe Moretz is the cutest little cutie. Edit: It’s not the movie of the year (The Social Network is a bit different caliber after all), but it is definitely the most stylish movie. (11.05.2010)

We all suspected it, we all believed it, but it wasn't until the final credits that we were relieved that it really is such a blast as it was supposed to be. When I was afraid after the trailers that Kick-Ass would bring some cool action with a lack of emotions, I couldn't be more wrong. If there's something missing in the movie, it is precisely the inner processes of the main characters. Dave Lizewski is a character who literally corresponds to the teenage anonymous archetype and you will experience every success or failure with him to the last drop. And who's to blame? It's Matthew Vaughn, who quotes, upgrades, or retells everything you can remember, but at the same time creates an unexpectedly grand spectacle out of the whole story. In moments when you realize that the film is made under far more modest conditions than usual blockbusters, yet you feel the intoxication it brings, which perhaps only the biggest blockbusters can provide, it's clear to you that something great has come with this group. For me, a very strong 85% on the first watch and a necessity for further screenings. Right after it finishes, there is so much that it requires additional enjoyment. P.S.: The huge spectacle repeats itself and jumps to the highest level of experience. The best cinema experience in a long time. And a solid hundred. (10.05.2010)

Kick-Ass is kickass. The story is taken more seriously than I expected and it’s really surprising how the film holds itself together considering how serious and detached it is. You could praise basically everything, in particular the soundtrack, which probably is the catchiest in many months. After watching Shutter Island in February I thought that this year there wouldn’t be many films that good, I was wrong, there’s at least one. 100% PS: Watching Kick-ass with a moralist could be a lot of fun. (14.05.2010)

Nomen est omen. A comic book movie about kids that isn’t for kids by any stretch of the imagination. Because gallons of blood flow, severed limbs pile up and an eleven-year-old girl accompanies the butchering of dozens of human bodies with cussing that would even make the proverbial trooper blush. But hold on, despite all of the above, this is an inventive movie and as much as it is bold and funny at the beginning, it changes smoothly into a serious and very heavy affair. Matthew Vaughn simply proves from the third time that he is special, very special. Which is good, really good. (29.04.2010)