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KICK-ASSMovie Reviews
Action comedy about an average teenager determined to become a superhero despite his lack of super powers, and forges an alliance with a couple of other fledgling superheroes. Cast:Aaron Johnson, Lyndsy Fonseca, Nicolas Cage, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-PlasseDirector:Matthew VaughnRelease Date:April 16, 2010DVD Release:August 3, 2010From:LionsgateRating:RLength:1 hr. 57 min.
Kick-Ass played to very good reviews that at the same time were mixed. • Richard Corliss wrote in Time, "...kicks beaucoup d'ass... forces the grownups in the audience to acknowledge that the action is as troubling as it is gorgeous.... Smart, important and deadly." • And Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "Will I seem hopelessly square if I find 'Kick-Ass' morally reprehensible and will I appear to have missed the point?" More Reviews Below...
Sara Vilkomerson, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Cage turns up at his eccentric best; and audiences will fall in insta-love with Hit-Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz)... but the Tarantino-plus level of violence is unsettling."(See all of Sara Vilkomerson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 126 words, 04/15/10
Richard Corliss, Time: OUTSTANDING "...kicks beaucoup d'ass... forces the grownups in the audience to acknowledge that the action is as troubling as it is gorgeous.... smart it is. Smart, important and deadly."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,502 words, 04/16/10
David Germain, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an action comedy so bloody funny -- double emphasis on bloody -- fans might need to see it again just to catch the gags they missed from laughing so hard the first time."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 728 words, 04/15/10
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "Swiftly and smartly directed... in a standout turn, Chloe Grace Moretz, just 13, delivers a hilariously foul-mouthed performance."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 84 words, 04/15/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...enjoyably supercharged... is it a problem that 'Kick-Ass' is by far the most violent movie ever to feature kids as heroes? Parents should consider themselves warned..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 688 words, 04/16/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The intelligence and irreverence recalls similar qualities in director Matthew Vaughn's debut, 'Layer Cake'.... The best superhero movie since 'The Dark Knight'..."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,281 words, 04/13/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "Youth, danger, fun, rule-busting defiance. That's the juice of rock & roll.... a mosh pit of a comic-book movie that dares you to dive into its anarchy."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 452 words, 04/16/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...isn't as subversive as it aspires to be, starting out as an indictment of fanboy fantasies, then submitting to them. But it's irreverently entertaining."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 480 words, 04/16/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: POOR(cg) "Will I seem hopelessly square if I find 'Kick-Ass' morally reprehensible and will I appear to have missed the point?... You know what? You inhabit a world I am so very not interested in."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 700 words, 04/15/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD "...at once embraces and satirizes contemporary action-film clichés with Tarantino-esque self-regard -- it's the latest in giggles-and-guts entertainment."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 04/16/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...a thuddingly awful movie... It all feels like 'Watchmen Jr.,' yet director Matthew Vaughn avoids that movie's serious tone in favor of geek-universe chic."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 417 words, 04/16/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...equal parts disturbing and enticing, it will leave you speechless because its characters are anything but.... poised to be a popular culture phenomenon..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 635 words, 04/16/10
Kyle Smith, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Hit Girl may be the coolest assassin since Jules in 'Pulp Fiction'.... She's the baddest, funniest, killingest and coolest female superhero ever."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 662 words, 04/16/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: WEAK(cg) "I started hating this movie around the midpoint.... the more pressing issue is how stupidly relentless the gore is, from beginning to end."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 599 words, 04/16/10
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "...proof that the term comic book, once shorthand for childish simplicity, now conveys precisely the opposite.... Bottom line: Violent, profane and hugely entertaining."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 312 words, 04/16/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "Do we splutter in outrage or relax and dig the Grand Guignol spectacle? In schizoid fashion, I both spluttered and enjoyed myself."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 344 words, 04/12/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: POOR(cg) "Will I seem hopelessly square if I find 'Kick-Ass' morally reprehensible and will I appear to have missed the point?... You know what? You inhabit a world I am so very not interested in."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 700 words, 04/15/10
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Never as shocking as it thinks it is, as funny as it should be, or as engaged in cultural critique as it could be, 'Kick-Ass' is half-assed."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 747 words, 04/14/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Feel guilty for watching 'Kick-Ass,' but pass the popcorn anyway.... Vaughn has made a comic-book movie both for fanboys and philosophers."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 927 words, 04/16/10
Josep Parera, La Opinion: GOOD(cg) "...apostando por una narrativa tradicional, demuestra que aún es posible redefinir el género de los superhéroes, gracias a un reparto espléndido..."(See all of Josep Parera's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 04/16/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Pushing several envelopes and juggling teen angst comedy with superhero fantasy... has punk energy, ace action moves, and a winning sense of absurdist fun."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 516 words, 04/16/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...has the crazy outsized, cartoonlike violence of a Tarantino film plus the knowing sense of humor.... There's a serious intelligence behind this picture..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 639 words, 04/16/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: MODERATE(cg) "An awkward blend of ultra-realistic violence, boundaries-bending satire and low comedy... not everybody in the cast is on the same page or even the right page."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 04/16/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a guilty pleasure of the highest order, a guns-blazing, media-savvy superhero comedy designed to thrill geeks and outrage prudes.... fabulously insane..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 612 words, 04/16/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...does exactly what it's supposed to, as long as you're game for the language and the gutting.... The action is insanely entertaining, and the comedy at times hilarious."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 780 words, 04/16/10
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...plays with teen comedy conventions. It flaunts its adrenaline addiction. Most important, it proves adept at juggling tones: Ultraviolent and funny..."(See all of Chris Vognar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 519 words, 04/16/10
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Just because it has a winning 11-year-old girl as one of its most unforgettable characters doesn't mean Vaughn's crazed ride of a flick is for kids. It so isn't."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 638 words, 04/16/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the film has its moments of high-flying, low-down style. It's also nowhere near as subversive as it thinks it is.... the movie is rude, witty entertainment."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 952 words, 04/16/10
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A bizarre and ultimately self-sabotaging movie that defies categorization... at times cheap and cynical, while in other moments ingenious and strangely noble."(See all of Tom Keogh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 570 words, 04/16/10
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "If you're in on the joke, director Matthew Vaughn has provided an imperfect but still wickedly hilarious take on Mark Millar's deconstruction of superhero mythos."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 214 words, 04/16/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...nails every target in the fun house, from horny-teen angst to politically insensitive slapstick to absurdly spiraling violence that would make Scarface cry hallelujah."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 342 words, 04/16/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a rabid puppy of a movie, energetically bounding off the screen and into your lap, where it proceeds to chew off your face.... Kids, don't try this at home."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 04/15/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Everything you've likely heard about 'Kick-Ass' is true, providing you've heard it's profane, outlandish, ultra-violent, shocking, funny and wildly entertaining."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 609 words, 04/16/10
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...reminds you of the great pleasures and thrills of superhero comics -- then turns everything you ever learned from comic books upside down."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 489 words, 04/16/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Never as shocking as it thinks it is, as funny as it should be, or as engaged in cultural critique as it could be, 'Kick-Ass' is half-assed."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 747 words, 04/14/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It's the greatest introduction of a movie character in at least 10 years, the moment when Hit-Girl makes the scene. I'll say no more about it..."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 04/15/10
Keith Phipps, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...comes closest to inspired, unsettling lunacy... elsewhere, Vaughn struggles to put his own stamp on some familiar action beats..."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 399 words, 04/15/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...every time the film's entertainment value seems to be in jeopardy, here comes Hit-Girl to save the day."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 653 words, 04/16/10
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper: VERY GOOD "...there's something incredibly thrilling about a little girl who's always armed with throwing stars and a butterfly knife and can mow down a room full of big men..."(See all of Tricia Olszewski's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 418 words, 04/15/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the basic joke grows as saggy as Dave Lizewski's suit. On another level, though, 'Kick-Ass' stands as an intriguing fantasy of social networking."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 294 words, 04/16/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD "...at once embraces and satirizes contemporary action-film clichés with Tarantino-esque self-regard -- it's the latest in giggles-and-guts entertainment."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 04/16/10
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: WEAK "...it's worth asking whether we have witnessed a silly mismatch of innocence and experience, to be relished for its gross-out verve, or a formidable exercise in cynicism."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 793 words, 04/19/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...equal parts disturbing and enticing, it will leave you speechless because its characters are anything but.... poised to be a popular culture phenomenon..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 635 words, 04/16/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD " 'Kick-Ass' most certainly does. Equal parts audacious dark comedy, wish-fulfillment fantasy and over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek action-adventure..."(See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,027 words, 03/13/10
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...its balancing act between innocence and gore perfectly matches the expectations of genre fans... it's only Moretz's likeably ludicrous tough-girl act that holds things together."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 480 words, 03/13/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...equal parts disturbing and enticing, it will leave you speechless because its characters are anything but.... poised to be a popular culture phenomenon..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 635 words, 04/16/10
Tim Grierson, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "Defiantly irreverent and gleefully violent... may rely too much on pastiche and juvenile humor, but it's also an undeniably energetic piece of genre filmmaking."(See all of Tim Grierson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 999 words, 04/07/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD "...at once embraces and satirizes contemporary action-film clichés with Tarantino-esque self-regard -- it's the latest in giggles-and-guts entertainment."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 04/16/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the basic joke grows as saggy as Dave Lizewski's suit. On another level, though, 'Kick-Ass' stands as an intriguing fantasy of social networking."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 294 words, 04/16/10
22.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Kick-Ass's reviews are separated by an average 22.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Kick-Ass (48 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Kick-Ass's reviews cover 94.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 28,450 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 593 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 15.4 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Kick-Ass's reviews on average broke 15.4 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Kick-Ass's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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