Kick-Ass 2 (5 Stars)

I went to see this film yesterday with fellow members of the Birmingham Film Club. Actually it's now the "Birmingham Film & Theatre Club" because it was renamed last month, but I'm sticking with the old name. I expected the film to be good, but it exceeded my expectations. It had everything I want in a movie: action, well developed characters, a good plot, a hint of romance, high school scenes – I'm a sucker for American high schools – and strong comedy. Yes, comedy. The main difference between this film and the first is that there is more comedy. This is what lifts it from being a good film to a great film.

Another thing that improves the film is that Chloe Grace Moretz, who stars as Mindy Macready (Hit Girl), is now older. A 12-year-old super-hero, which was her age in the first film, is difficult to accept. It stretches credibility even within the comic book genre. She's 15 now, both in the film and in real life, which is the typical age for teenage superheroes. That would be approximately the age at which Peter Parker became Spider-Man in the original comics.

I don't like to write too much about new films for fear of including spoilers, so I'll just give a brief overview of the film's premise. The film takes place three years after the events of the first film. Dave Lizewski has given up appearing as Kick-Ass. After the death of her father Mindy Macready has promised her new guardian to give up being Hit Girl, but she's skipping school and training in secret. After seeing on the news that a new wave of super-heroes are emerging who claim they were inspired by Kick-Ass, Dave and Mindy decide to team up and return to action.

Jim Carrey is just perfect as the new super-hero Colonel Stars and Stripes. Of course he's perfect, he's Jim Carrey, and everything he does is perfect.

P.S. One important spoiler: there's an after-credits scene, so please don't run out of the cinema too soon.