The movie that does exactly what it says on the poster...

"I always wondered why no-one did it before me," muses über-geek Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) at the opening of Kick-Ass. You can imagine director Matthew Vaughn (who previously helmed Layer Cake and Stardust) asking himself the same question; the premise of Kick-Ass seems so gloriously obvious it's a wonder it hasn't been done before (and I daresay it actually has, so feel free to lambast me in the comments). Still, it's been done now, and even if it has been done before, I very much doubt it's been done better.

The superhero movie has stalled a bit recently - for every Dark Knight there's a Superman Returns, for every Watchmen there's a Fantastic Four. It's indicative of Hollywood policy that once the moneymen find a formula that hits big they'll flog the bugger every which way but loose, and this is true whether that flavour be a genre, a franchise or even an actor (cf Robert Pattinson, who I'll wager has a shelf life exactly the same as the time it takes a female teen's hormones to be flushed through the bloodstream). The comic book market is easier to exploit thanks to its various niches and sprawling multitude of universes, as well, of course, as the rabid fanboys eager to ignore any middle ground when it comes to the quality of the film in question.

"The real strength of Kick-Ass is the way it manages to perfectly balance action, character, comedy and plot"

But back to Kick-Ass. In short, it's great. Really great. Not without its flaws, but nevertheless... great. The aforementioned premise - which I probably should have explained before that ramble, but hey-ho, here goes - is that Dave, after various muggings and musings on the vague and general shittiness of the world - decides to become a superhero.

The only drawback, as Dave lives in the staunch, everyday world of the laws of physics where magic radiation and the X-gene don't exist, is that he has no powers. He's just a teenager, as he puts it, with "the right mix of nai veté and optimism". Naturally, his first attempt at do-goodery ends in a massive beating, where he at least gains some semblance to superhero status: his bones have been fixed with so many metal bolts his x-ray makes him look "like frikkin' Wolverine!"

But such is the early career of every superhero, and it's not long before he gets marginally better at thumping ne'er-do-wells. Yet it's MySpace and YouTube that really makes his name, and it isn't long before he catches the eye of local drugs kingpin Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong), which also brings him into contact with Big Daddy and Hit Girl (Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz), two rampaging, arse-kicking vigilantes hell-bent on revenge.

The real strength of Kick-Ass is the way it manages to perfectly balance action, character, comedy and plot. It's a genuinely funny film, its vein of humour running dark and delicious. The action set-pieces come thick and fast, but they're never forced or extraneous and always drive the plot onward - what's more, there're all beautifully choreographed.

"Nic Cage is one of Hollywood's most frustrating stars, but the fact he makes some truly godawful movies doesn't detract from the fact he's a damn good actor, as proved here"

All these little nuggets of comedic and kinetic joy orbit neatly round the centre of a cluster of fine performances. Johnson's Kick-Ass is a believable and likeable hero and Mark Strong makes a convincing and malevolent antagonist. The real stars of the show, however, are Cage and Moretz as the daddy-daughter duo. Nic Cage is one of Hollywood's most frustrating stars, but the fact he makes some truly godawful movies doesn't detract from the fact he's a damn good actor, as proved here. He's got a superb comic ability that he really should be exploiting, and his Adam West-inspired take on Big Daddy is one of the highlights of the film, perhaps second only to Moretz's Hit Girl, a cult icon in the making. Feisty, foul-mouthed and deadly with a blade, she steals every scene she's in and, as the movie progresses, almost become he focus of the narrative, which is no bad thing.

There's a massive amount of violence, which seems to be simultaneously highly stylised and grimly realistic. It's indicative of Kick-Ass's refreshing lack of sentimentality. It isn't mawkish or preachy, and the opening half is, if anything, a rumination on teenage hope, following your dreams and at least having the balls to try and make a difference.

"Kick Ass differs from your bog-standard superhero fare in that the characters are far more relatable; by the time the chop-sockey action really ups a gear you actually give a toss"

As the narrative progresses the film increasingly resembles a regular superhero blockbuster - it's be easy to accuse Vaughn of playing the movie to type, but to me, it feels more like a reward for both the character and the audience, that staying true to your hopes is always ultimately rewarding. It also differs from your bog-standard superhero fare in that the characters are far more relatable; by the time the chop-sockey action really ups a gear you actually give a toss, especially as there's no super-power mcguffin to ultimately rely on. All credit to Vaughn for making things very, very human.

There are, of course, a couple of weak links - Dave's romance with the high-school hottie starts of well but loses a lot of its momentum; you get the impression its inclusion was based more on focus-group appeal than narrative necessity, and some of the scenes inject the film's tone with an uncharacteristically saccharine bite. As such, there's a bit of a dip in the pace at the start of the third act, when not an awful lot is happening just when you're craving more. But still: visually stunning, funny, engaging and often oddly poignant, Kick-Ass is the first of a smart new breed. Fingers crossed its impact isn't diluted by a hundred-and-one Hollywood knock-offs.

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