Kick Ass (no spoilers)

First of last night's double bill was Kick Ass.  I hadn't got into the hype and had little idea of what it was about.  The Daily Fail hated it which always makes me interested but also makes me think it won't be anywhere near as bad as they tell their readers it is.  That it involved Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman was a bonus.  I really enjoyed Stardust.  Seeing Mark Strong on a poster cinched it.

I was surprised when the film began.  I'd assumed that it was set in Britain.  No, I didn't read the comics!  Never mind it's always good to see the Chrysler Building on screen.  It starts off with witty dialogue and the film pretty much carries on with it throughout.  I did enjoy the film and laughed quite a lot.

Nicholas Cage was perfect in his role.  He's never been a favourite of mine but he was great.  How he kept a straight face throughout is beyond me.  The teenagers in the film didn't really stretch it a lot.  They were all characters we've seen a million times before.  They played it well, but no-one apart from the lead really had a huge amount to do.  The lead was a likeable, if out of his depth, kinda guy.  I didn't tire of him.  The stand out in the cast had to be the 13yr old Chloe Moretz.  Looking at her IMDB page it seems she's no stranger to acting.  She's pretty damn good at it too.  I would expect precocious in that role not the confidence she had.  Mark Strong was ok but it was a stereotypical baddie and didn't really give him a chance to show us what he could do.

If I had a complaint about the film it was the length.  It was way too long.  Half an hour less would have made it a hilarious, snappy film.  The run time dragged it out and let it down for me.

3.5 pawprints out of 5