Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Insanely violent sequel lacks humor, originality.
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Kick-Ass 2
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 22 parent reviews
Based on 53 kid reviews
Kids say the sequel is filled with extreme violence and strong language, making it a disappointing follow-up to its predecessor. While some viewers appreciate its humor and action, many criticize the film for its lack of originality and excessive crude content, making it unsuitable for younger audiences.
- violence
- strong language
- lacks originality
- inappropriate for kids
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
After watching so many new superheroes arrive on the scene, the retired Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) decides to once again don his Kick-Ass costume, hoping to team up with Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz). Unfortunately, Hit Girl's new guardian (Morris Chestnut) wants her to stay in school, where she faces a new challenge: mean girls. So Kick-Ass joins a new supergroup led by Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey) and connects with the attractive Night Bitch (Lindy Booth). Meanwhile, the former Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) has inherited a fortune and takes on a new identity, the supervillain known as "The Motherf----r," whose main goal is to get his revenge on Kick-Ass.
Is It Any Good?
The original Kick-Ass was a crazy, wild shocker that, while successful, was hardly a smash hit; this sequel seems arbitrary, obligatory, and unnecessary. KICK-ASS 2 lacks both the first movie's shock factor and its sense of humor. It doesn't even seem to have a cohesive idea or theme, bouncing back and forth between concepts of being a hero with a costume and being a hero without one. It sends Hit Girl back to high school for a bit of biting social satire, but that's quickly wrapped up and dropped. What's more, actor Taylor-Johnson, now big and muscular, is hardly the "ordinary" guy he was in the first movie. There's also a new director, Jeff Wadlow, who lacks the smarts and style of former director Matthew Vaughn. But the ultimate sign of "meh" is that not even Carrey (who publicly spoke out against the movie's violence after production was complete) can muster up anything exciting or loony to do. Certainly, prior knowledge of the characters conjures up a bit of goodwill at the start, but eventually, Kick-Ass 2 just throws in the towel.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Kick-Ass 2's violence. Is it necessary to the story to show such extreme, over-the-top fighting? Does it help illustrate the movie's themes better or more clearly? Could the movie have been less violent and just as effective?
What's interesting (or tragic) about the 15-year-old Hit Girl character? Is the idea of a skilled, confident teen girl superhero cool or disturbing? Or both? Why? Is she a role model or a cautionary tale?
What does the movie have to say about sex among high schoolers? Is Hit Girl too young to be thinking about sex? What's the fatal flaw of Kick-Ass's relationship with Night Bitch? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
What is the movie trying to say, overall? Can anyone truly be a superhero? Does being a superhero require a costume?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 16, 2013
- On DVD or streaming : December 17, 2013
- Cast : Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Chloe Grace Moretz , Jim Carrey
- Director : Jeff Wadlow
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Studios
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Superheroes
- Run time : 113 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence, pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and brief nudity
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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