I read the comics of Kick-Ass 2 as they were coming out, and I was amazed at how brutal it was. I couldn't believe that they would make a serious effort to adapt it into a movie. There was some really cruel violence, including some rape, and children being slaughtered. They eliminated most of this, and much of the violence is actually toned down from what is in the comics. This is a good thing. The comic was really difficult to read, and it only works because it doesn't force the reader to linger on things the way that movies can. Plus, in the comic, a dog is killed. That doesn't happen in the movie.
In a weird way, I liked this one a bit more than the first. It still has some problems, but I find the spread of heroism very inspiring. I mean, I'm a lazy guy, but I like to think that if I had the means, I would help people as needed. It's a joy to see the variety of people that get drawn into being a hero. There's only one real villain. Most of his army is fighting only because they're paid. This changes our perception of them - they're mostly just easily compromised, driven by greed. After The Motherfucker is defeated, I would have liked to see some of them just abandon the fight because they weren't going to get paid.
The message that comes out at the end is mostly that the benefit of superheroes is that they influence people to be everyday heroes. It's a nice message, and we get a nice hint of what that's like.
There are a few weaknesses to the movie. One of them is the change in direction that Mindy's storyline took, compared to the comic. (I might be confusing this with her storyline in the Hit-Girl spinoff title.) The resolution to her school subplot isn't especially satisfying, because this sick-stick thing doesn't fit in. It's too much of a fantasy element.
As much as I like the music cue from 28 Days Later (In the House - In a Heartbeat) the use of a ripoff version in this soundtrack was distracting. It shows up many times. I think I counted about three, but there may have been more. It's a weirdly bold piece of music to copy, especially in such a complete way.
Both Kick-Ass and Kick-Ass 2 really bother some people, and I understand their problem with it. It's not something that can be argued against. The movie takes place in the real world, but it also includes substantial elements that are not part of the real world. This requires the viewer to hold two contradictory ideas in their mind at the same time. I suppose that years of reading comics has allowed me to do that. But I also know other comic fans that can't handle these movies.
We are supposed to be horrified by the violence in these movies, which is the way it should be. In a way, these movies are more responsible than your standard action fare. I guess that might make some people uncomfortable.
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