This is another film which doesn’t fit the bill of a ‘traditional’ martial arts film, but it has some themes in it related to combat and fighting which is why it made it’s way on to The List.
We follow the main man Dave – who is a teenager who dreams of being a superhero. He’s not strong, from another planet or bitten by a radioactive spider, he’s just a kid. Dave doesn’t have any real enemies, he has a few friends and is about as average a teenager as you can get.
But he wonders, why has no one ever become a superhero before? So naturally, he orders some tights and starts to train himself. He thinks up a name – ‘Kick Ass’, and he ventures out on the street to stop crime.
He smells the blood of his first fight for justice when he discovers two guys jacking a car. He shows up, tells them to stop their criminal activities…
…and then gets brutally stabbed and left for dead.
He wakes up in the hospital and takes some time to recover. Then he’s back at it, but this time he stops a gang of guys from bashing someone, and it all gets caught on video and becomes a YouTube sensation.
From there he continues to fight crime and attracts the attention of other superhero wannabes and even the real deal – a father and daughter team who actually know how to kick some ass – Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage!) and Hit Girl. But with his run ins he is almost killed and saved by this father / daughter duo but before long the most dangerous crime boss in town sees his men getting taken out, and does whatever he can to find and kill Kick Ass.
So naturally, things start to become a little too real for Dave as he must fight for survival and help out his new found allies.
Such a Unique take on Superheros and Crime fighting!
So Dave is Kick Ass, and Kick Ass is a guy in tights and he beats people with clubs – not that impressive.
Since behind Kick Ass is just a bland everyday teenager with no real fighting ability, the story is quite interesting and a even made me cringe every time Kick Ass went into action – the reality and sense of the danger is very present when watching this film!
He’s not exactly strong, and watching Dave get his ass kicked a couple of times and stabbed initially was a good move for the writers, since that is what would really happen if someone tried this!
But he soldiers on to find the inner warrior within, that’s what is great about this movie accompanying the comedy and awkward teen moments. Aaron Taylor Johnson, who played David / Kick Ass, brings a naive but memorable character to life.
Martial Arts?
Ok, so this seems more superhero movie than martial arts movie, but the introduction to combat with Dave (or “Kick Ass”) is something every martial artist can relate to.
For those who have dealt with violence or train to, that first meet up is a messy situation that never plays out like it does in your head. When we imagine we’d do amazing flashy kicks and simply evade every punch thrown, in reality, combat is messy and unpredictable – much like displayed in this movie.
I love the realistic beginning to Kick Ass’ legacy. Getting his ass kicked and nearly being killed several times, simply stumbling through his journey tells a tale that revolves more around luck or fate than his acquisition of skill.
However, Big Daddy and Hit Girl (the father / daughter team) are pretty legit but rely more on expensive and flashy weapons – a little more realistic in a world of guns and violent groups. We see hit girl showing off some friggin’ cool martial arts movements, even in her final fight against the crime boss – who also happens to be a black belt.
The action is cool and hints on realism while switching almost instantly to hyped up cinematic combat – I enjoyed the contrast.
The Verdict?
More Superhero parody than martial arts film, but still it has some cred. An entertaining movie either way. I give it my thumbs up.
On Blu Ray –
Region A (US & Canada)
Kick-Ass Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack w/ Digital Copy (Bilingual) [Blu-ray] (2010)
Region Free (Plays in Any Country)
Kick-Ass [Blu-ray] [Region Free]
On DVD –
Region 1 (US & Canada)
Kick-Ass
Region 2 (UK, Europe, etc)
Kick-Ass [DVD]
Region 4 (Australia, New Zealand, etc)
Do you recognize any of the martial arts being used in this movie? It’d be a great learning and reference opportunity for me.
I’d have to rewatch and see. One day when I have some time I’ll check it out 😉