Welcome to the new year and the new WATC(H). My new year’s resolution is to catch up with Nicolas Cage and finish watching the second half of his entire filmography. I squeezed in 55 movies in a little less than a year, so I’m hopeful that I can keep up the pace to get to 108+ by the end of 2024. We shall see. 

Hopefully he won’t make an additional 10 movies this year (although the viewer in me would love it); I predict he will make at least five more in 24, so I definitely have my work cut out for me.

For this first review of 2024, we enter the highly entertaining world of comic book superheroes. If you don’t know this, Cage was once quite the collector of comic books. He had first editions of the first Superman comic, Fantastic Four #1, Green Lantern #1, and quite a few super valuable ones. But when his Superman comic was stolen from his home in 1999, he then decided to sell much of the collection (some speculate this was also because of his money troubles at the time).

Incidentally, in 2011 the original Superman comic was later recovered from an L.A. storage unit.

Cage was also in line to play Superman, a favorite hero of his, in the never made 1999 Superman Lives, but had to settle for this bad CGI cameo in The Flash (2023) which nods to that promising “film that wasn’t”.

So in some ways, Kick Ass is a nifty consolation prize for Cage in which he gets to play not the invulnerable alien with amazing powers, but the well-equipped, “other kind of super hero: the masked street vigilante. 

But first, a short summary…

Kick-Ass (2010) is a black comedy super hero film based on the Marvel comic of the same name. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and Stardust) the movie features a group of teenagers who are interested in learning how to fight crime as masked crusaders.

As was common in the mid-aughts, the film is highly self-aware (breaking the fourth wall), ironic, and comedic, as these teenagers have an entire mythology of super “hero-dumb” to base their learnings and actions upon, but no tangible fighting or superhuman skills. They are aware of their inherent weaknesses (they have no mutant strength, knowledge, or capabilities) but hope their good intentions, will power, and clever disguises will allow them to prosper where reality says they will likely fail.

In this first movie, (and yes, there is a sequel) the plot focuses on only one of the teenagers who makes the move into the super hero life. High schooler Dave Lizewski, who goes by the pseudonym Kick-Ass, buys a scuba costume online to hide his face / identity, and heads out into the tough city streets to locate missing cats and protect “innocent” victims from injustice and gang violence. Most of the violence in the beginning the film comes in Dave getting his ass kicked, rather than kicking ass, but with every valiant attempt Kick-Ass makes he gains momentum in the public perception as his video escapades go viral on his “Myspace” account. As his popularity blows up with well-wishers and super hero requests, so do the stakes.

Of course, when Kick-Ass unintentionally crosses paths with real criminals and real vigilantes, the stakes are raised to the highest point and he realizes he’s no match for either. Regretful of what he’s gotten himself into, he thinks he would have been better off “staying focused on school” and on his friends at the comic store and the horny happenings in his girlfriend’s bedroom, rather than facing evil with all its guns, knives, and cruelty. But by then, of course, it’s too late and his life is thrown into chaos as he has Mob bosses trying to kidnap and kill him, and super heroes tracking him down and giving him advice about how to best stay out of trouble and stay alive. 

By the end of the film, Kick-Ass has learned to kick some ass (rather than the opposite), fight alongside some true caped crusaders, and even kill the bad guys with some pretty big guns and a bazooka. He may not be great yet at what he does, but he knows who to go to for more training, and more importantly, he’s learned how NOT to get killed when it matters the most. He’s proven he can navigate the more tricky aspects of super hero life.

The World According to Big Daddy / Damon Macready

Kick-Ass / Dave Lizewski is the headliner for this movie. He’s a nerdy, hormonal teenager who could have been one of many tongue-tied characters on Revenge of the Nerds, American Pie, or Superbad. But don’t be fooled. This movie may center on Kick Ass but it is really all about Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and his daughter Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) a.k.a. the alter egos of the father / daughter team of Damon and Mindy Macready. These two characters steal the show and really are the backbone of the story and plotline. For those of us familiar with the comic book realm, Big Daddy is akin to the Batman (or some bizarre variation of him) and his acrobatic daughter Hit Girl plays his (deadlier) Robin.  The movie does little to hide the similarities other than the bare minimum to prevent copyright infringement. 

From the bullet-blocking costumes with capes, to the hidden armory / hideout within their home, Big Daddy and Hit Girl are instantly recognizable as the edgier modern take on the octogenarian D.C. duo. But similar to Christian Bale’s Dark Knight and Amazon’s darkly satirical The Boys, these Kick-Ass characters are not the innocent gee-willikers hero tropes from the 1950s Batman and Robin. Not by far. 

Big Daddy is not the upright do-gooding dispenser of justice, but instead is a no-holds-barred vigilante bent on taking vengeance against the man who framed him and sent him to prison (causing him to lose his wife, police job, and standing in the community).  Damon Macready / Big Daddy is a militarily savvy strategist and weapons expert who has framed his entire life around finding and dismantling the empire of crime kingpin Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong). Big Daddy’s greatest weapon and most precious gift is embodied in his young foul-mouthed and worldly-wise daughter Mindy, whom he has raised up in the art of hardcore vigilantism, i.e. Hit Girl. Even though she’s only 11, she’s not afraid to drop the c-word while stabbing a guy in the throat. She’s already a proven killer and well-equipped to take on any and all hand-to-hand and weapons combat needed to take out various street thugs, Mafiosos, and hired killers. Her disdain for Kick-Ass’s obvious lack of training and inept attempts at vigilante life, drives the comedy and somehow makes her an even cuter “kid”.

The real comedy of Kick Ass comes in the otherwise normalcy of daily life that occurs in the intermission between the heroes seeking out bad guys to destroy and the bad guys trying to unmask and neutralize their upright foes. There’s the semblance of the milquetoast parent and child relationship for the Macreadys (“what do you want for your birthday?” and “let’s do a little pop quiz to test you on your homework…”) but the normalcy is always only on the surface level (e.g. Mindy wants a butterfly knife for her birthday instead of a puppy, and the answer to the pop quiz was the origins of the AR-15 machine gun.) The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as Hit Girl often reflects her father’s interests and sensibilities as she ogling the latest gatling gun or loading clips into her arsenal weapons as if she’s packing for a slumber party with her friends.

Seeing Nicolas Cage play this bizarro version of Batman Dad was definitely a highlight on the WATC(H) so far, especially since I remember watching the old Adam West Batman and Robin as a pretty young kid. That 30 minute TV show (pre-cable) with such bright costumes and colors probably set me on a path of life-long appreciation for comic book heroes and villains. But re-imagining Batman Dad in a more cynical (no, let’s say pragmatic with context-flexible morality) mold also added to the overall interest level, the comedy, and the believability, but only because there were a lot of knowing nods to the old Batman.

A few Big Daddy notes and highlights

• The opening scene with the Macreadys where Big Daddy trains Hit Girl on how to “take a bullet in the chest” by shooting her…multiple times! Dark. But hilarious. She negotiates for a trip to the bowling alley and getting ice cream from her dad, but has to take a few rounds in the kevlar for it. 
• The fake ‘stache. Damon Macready wears a mustache but when he becomes Big Daddy he adds eye paint and sticks on the ‘handlebars’ to his stache. Something about this reminded me of Peter Sellars disguises in The Pink Panther. I loved it.
• To try and help the incompetent Kick-Ass evade detection and keep his identity secret, Big Daddy and Hit Girl show up at his house in their full super hero costumes. When they leave, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage really) turns on his best Adam West impression, and speaks in a very…staggered…manner. He tells Kick Ass, with many pregnant pauses and overemphasized syllables, “See we LIKE you…but we don’t…TRUST you…”
• To complete the Adam West tribute, as they leave Kick Ass’s room, Big Daddy cries out, “Hit Girl…back to headquarters…” and then does a slouching full speed run to the window. This was “to the Tee” impression of the original Batman and Robin TV show. I kind almost see the spinning batman symbol and here the whirling cadence that would act as interlude dividing one scene from the next. (Here’s the whole amazing scene.)

• His final hurrah. The fatherly pride of Big Daddy for his Hit Girl was on full display in the last scene before Big Daddy passes onto the Justice League up in the sky. After being taken prisoner along with Kick Ass, Big Daddy has been beaten with fists and bats and has been set afire. Hit Girl, armed with her night vision goggles and supply of weapons is trying to rescue Big Daddy and Kick Ass before its too late by killing a collection of D’Amico’s goons and assassins. As she runs through her training, Big Daddy yells out instructions WHILE HE IS ON FIRE! It’s amazing. I’ll put the quotes down in the quotable section for your enjoyment. The last scene between father and daughter is touching even within this warped world of Kick Ass super heroes.

To be honest, there’s not a lot I can add by way of explanation or exposition for this film. It’s a great popcorn muncher full of funny surprises. It’s entertainment value was pretty high especially if your sense of humor is a little warped or dark (like mine is). I watched it with my wife who also said she enjoyed it (and she’s not nearly as dark as me.) 

Even though Mr. Cage does not appear in the sequel, I may check it out anyway, just to see what happens to Kick Ass and Hit Girl. It’s an interesting franchise and was made more so by the appearance of the always great, Bizarro Batman Nicolas Cage.

Firsts for Nicolas Cage as Bid Daddy / Damon Macready 

• Vigilante superhero role
• First time as a knock-off Batman
• Single-handedly John Wicks a whole warehouse full of mob thugs and burns to ground
• Shoots his daughter with a handgun (twice)
• Use of fake handlebar mustache
• Buying his daughter a butterfly knife for her birthday
• Responsible for a guy getting crushed in a car compactor (as opposed to not getting a guy crushed in car compactor) (Gone in 60 Seconds)
• Getting cattle prodded and tortured on live stream
• Never getting that drink of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows (cause he was set on fire and died)
• Getting set on fire

Recurrences

• Police officer (It Could Happen to You, Wicker Man, Bad Lieutenant PoCNO, World Trade Center)
• Ex-convict (Con Air, Amos and Andrew, Wild at Heart)
• Playing a comic book character (Ghost Rider)
• In a bowling alley (Racing with the Moon, The Family Man)
• Sniper (Bangkok Dangerous) with a child near the cross-hairs (Face/Off)
• Teaching his “daughter” the ropes of his chosen but sus career (Matchstick Men)
• Dying while looking a little / lot crispy (Deadfall)

Quotes from Big Daddy / Damon Macready

“You’re gonna be fine baby doll!” (Then shoots his daughter from close range with a pistol.)

“You won’t be scared when some junky asshole pulls a Glock.” (Advice from BD to HG after shooting her.)

“Two more rounds. No wincing. No whining, and you got yourself a deal young lady. Good call, baby doll!” 

“Oh child. You always knock me for a loop.”

“[He’s] good at getting his ass KICKED. He should call himself ASS KICK instead. [Laughs like “heah heah”]

“You know I’m not going to stop.”

Things Big Daddy yelled while on he was on fire and Hit Girl was murdering all the villains

“Take cover child!” 

“NOW SWITCH TO KRYPTONITE!”

“Go to Robin’s REVENGE!” 

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Man of Steel (Cage)

Hey Nic. Way to kick ass and take names. I bet there’s going to be a lot more where that came from in 2024!