MOVIE: KICK-ASS

It’s wonderfully depraved; it’s uber-gonzo; it’s bitingly funny; it’s Kick-Ass! Matthew Vaughn’s unapologetically over-the-top flick is the hippest, most exhilarating film out now. It’s also proof that ‘so-called’ legitimate comic-book films don’t have to be dour, humourless affairs – they can also be a ‘helluva’ lot of fun! Dave Lizewski (Nowhere Boy’s impressive Aaron Johnson) spends his days fantasising about buxom high-school teachers and reading superhero comics. Unfortunately, he’s awkward around girls and is the target of repeated muggings. When Dave becomes a masked vigilante to revitalise his remote existence, he soon trades blows with a powerful Mafioso (the ever-reliable Mark Strong). Kick-Ass also stars Christopher (McLovin) Mintz-Plasse, a ludicrously straight-faced Nicholas Cage and Chloe Grace Moretz, who steals the show as an 11-year-old assassin in pig-tails. While it revels in its use of violence and profanities, Kick-Ass is a surprisingly sweet (and often romantic) offering that plays like an off-the-hook mash-up between Superbad, Spiderman and Kill-Bill. Bring on the sequel! (JH)