Everyone has dreamed it; just no one has done it. We all want to be super heroes but always seem to find ourselves limited by our general lack of superhero-y abilities and our general discomfort in form fitting clothing. I bet you even know what super power you would have if you had the choice (duh flying). But what Dave Lizewski has done is take his unnoticed high school persona, general lack of any fight training, and intense love for comic books and has made himself significantly more kick ass.

Dave becomes a viral sensation with his green scuba suit and dual wielding batons and serves as the inspiration for other people who want to make a difference. Only problem for Dave is that with great attention comes great foes and he has caught the attention of a local mob boss who sets out to make an example out of his alter ego Kick Ass. Also in the mix are Big Daddy and Hit Girl, who seems to have all the skills to be a masked vigilante, including the ability to remain under the radar until their masked colleague Dave requires aid.

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Matthew Vaughn directs Kick Ass, the non-superhero action fest based on an adaptation of the Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. graphic novel of the same name. Vaughn's previous directorial efforts include Layer Cake and Stardust, and he brings the same hyper-stylized intensity to Kick Ass. Vaughn served as Guy Ritchie's producing partner for many films and the influence is clear. Kick Ass is in your face hyper violence with a filthy mouth, and you are bound to enjoy every last minute of it. From the truly inventive and adrenaline soaked fight scenes to the punch-you-in-the-gut realisms of being a teenager today, Vaughn seems to have left nothing in the tank and simply went for broke to deliver a film that fires on all cylinders for 117 minutes of nonstop fun.

The only complaint I could have is that, at times, the film feels as though it shifts tones a little too quickly, easily leaving you somewhat off-balance for the following scenes. You will see an 11 year old firing pistols and swearing up a storm at a couple of thugs which brings a smile to your face and full belly chuckles, but you are also expected to feel the pains of seeing people hurt or die and, because of this playfulness, some of Kick Ass's effect is loss.

 What’s not a complaint is the excellent casting and acting on display. British newcomer Aaron Johnson plays the dweebish Dave to perfection, and Nicholas Cage proves why America can't stop watching him after all these years. Say what you will about Cage's body of work, but you could never argue he is uninteresting. You simply have no idea what he will do or say next in most of his films, and Kick Ass serves as no exception.

Chloe Moretz also brings the maturity and understanding of an actor twice her age, and she is a joy to watch with each subsequent ass- kicking. Mark Strong is always a formidable villain these days it seems, and even with the miscasting of Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Clark Duke, the film is still worth your 10 hard earned dollars.

While some of the casting is not up to par with the pairing of Cage and Moretz, Kick Ass is a filthy fun ride full of kick ass action and faux superhero badassery. Just maybe don’t take your mom…

--Greg MacLennan