Kick-Ass is a violent and funny examination of why more regular people don’t appointed themselves as superheroes and defenders of the innocent. As the movie graphically depicts, being a superhero isn’t all that glamorous. You might get lucky once and manage to take down a few petty thugs, but most of the time you will be woefully outnumbered and outgunned. But even that knowledge doesn’t stop high school outcast and comic aficionado Dave Lizewski from creating a goofy costume and taking to the streets as a masked vigilante. He nearly is killed in his first attempt to mete out justice, but he soon gains a kind of celebrity status on the Internet after one of his more successful forays is captured on a phonecam. He also discovers that he’s not the only costumed avenger on the streets.
The movie has generated some controversy for its portrayal of Hit Girl, a crime-fighting 11-year-old girl who brutally dispatches her opponents while swearing like a character straight out of Tarrantino’s oeuvre. And sure, it’s a bit discomfittig to hear a little girl say “cock” and get viciously punched in the face, but it’s consistent with the movie’s over-the-top tone. The movie is in love with the idea of regular people as superheroes, even if those regular people are kids. Most comic book movies are carefully formulated efforts to cash in on known franchise. Kick-Ass, based on a more obscure series, is profanely endearing and one of the better examples of the genre.
let’s be honest: my mother would’ve perished if she’d known the kind of language we were using at 12 years old.
also: an 11-year-old pottymouth is probably one of the LEAST offensive portrayals of a girl I can think of, off the top of my head.