Dave Lizewski, a comic-book fanboy, decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name -- Kick-Ass -- assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There's only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers. His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copy cats, is hunted by assorted violent and unpleasant characters, and meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes, including an 11-year-old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl and her father, Big Daddy.

Sometimes when you watch a film you could swear the movie was done by a different director as it seems to just bleed that directors style and panache. For me Kick Ass at times seemed like a Quentin Tarantino film as it just seemed to have his kind of style and love of martial arts films especially the music interludes. The music interludes had that campy fun 1970’s nostalgic feel to them ala a Tarantino film and were so much fun also ala a Tarantino fun. Kick-Ass on the other hand also had its own style as well a more modern take and not just a fun tribute to 1970’s campy kung fu films. Kick Ass is a fun film with lots of action, tons of humor mixed with every now and then with a Tarantino like nostalgic feeling.

Kick-Ass might not be the first film to take a tongue and cheek approach at a comic book superhero type of movie but it definitely seems like the first. The film mixes moments of real superhero comic book heroes in with a nerd who just decides that it was time for someone to try and be one to perfection. The film goes back and forth between being somewhat of your typical comic book film to a more fun tongue and cheek look at the genre and it does it to perfection. You get that fun feel, that we don’t care about the genre and what has come before us but at the same time you get a great story and just a smidgen of what most comic book films try and be in a perfect blend of action and humor.

I am surprised that no one has done a film like this before or for that matter no one has tried to be a cape vigilante in real life either which ironically enough is the question the film asks too. The film has a great story that asks questions that am sure many movie goers have asked before why has no one never tried to emulate Batman a man with no superpowers but still a desire to make a difference as a caped and masked hero. It is a fun idea and a great story and plot and Kick-Ass tackles both with a tongue in cheek humor all the whole still mixing in plenty of action and crime fighting from the very real to the very comic book like over the top panache. Everything about Kick-Ass is a perfect blend from the real to the not so real, from comedy to action and all done masterfully.

I am so glad they cast Aaron Johnson as the lead role in the film rather than going to someone like Michael Cera for the film who seems to be the go to nerd for all films and who has grown completely wearisome in the role of said nerds. Dave Lizewski is a nerd, a geek but it’s good to see them use a new face for the role rather than go to your typical stand by guys who normally play these roles. Chloe Grace Moretz and Nicolas Cage also give really good performance as your more typical superheroes ones that actually seem to know what they are doing and not just bumbling their way through crime fighting like Dave is. Again the film balances your well known actors like Cage with your unknowns like Johnson and just like everything else with the film it has perfect balance in everything it does.

Grade: A-