Many look back fondly on Matthew Vaughn’s 2010 superhero action comedy Kick-Ass, myself included. The film was a fun, oddball pastiche of brutal action and coarsely self-referential dialogue, bold enough to give star Chloe Moretz (then eleven) lines so filthy they can’t be printed here and glorify intentionally over-the-top violence, often at the same time.
Whether all of the original movie’s advocates are looking forward to the upcoming Kick-Ass 2, however, is less certain. Vaughn stepped down to let lesser-known director Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down) take the reins this time around, and the film is already courting controversy, with star Jim Carrey now refusing to support the film on the basis that its violence sends inappropriate messages in light of December’s Sandy Hook massacre.
In Kick-Ass 2, the titular vigilante (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) begins to train other masked crime-fighters inspired by his exploits and must face his most powerful adversary yet, the disgruntled Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who renames himself The Motherf***** and forms an army of villains in order to exact revenge on Kick-Ass. Meanwhile, Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) retires from crime-fighting and faces new obstacles in high school, only to be called back into action once again when The Motherf*****’s army goes too far. Jim Carrey co-stars as Colonel Stars and Stripes, the whimsically violent leader of a team of new heroes.
So far, the trailers haven’t really piqued my interest, and to me Kick-Ass 2 looks like a simple rehash of the first film, though perhaps a little bigger in scope, but I’ll see it for the great cast anyway.
To promote the movie, Universal has released a new clip from the film today, showing The Motherf***** in ecstasy following the discovery of his true nefarious self. They also released a ton of new images, which you can see below.
Will you go see Kick-Ass 2 when it hits theatres, or has the concept of amateur masked crime-fighters worn out its welcome? Is there still a place for films that glorify violence in our culture? Sound off in the comments section.
Kick-Ass 2 opens August 16.
