Kick Ass 2 - ***
Please consider skipping my review if you don't want spoilers. I've tried to make it spoiler free but I'm sure someone will point to part of the review and criticise what I've said...
So Kick Ass 2...
A film which appears misguided in scenes, trying too hard for laughs in others and lacks the punch (pun almost intended) of its predecessor.
Hit Girl was the main star of the first film and so it follows that the film is more fun when she is about. She has the best attitude scenes, she has the best action sequences and her character seems, mostly, more at ease than that of Kick Ass. Like a heroic Joker, as in Dark Knight Rises, you'll find yourself hoping to see her come back and feeling like scenes without her drag at times.
As for Kick Ass himself, seems like the three years has turned him from being a nerdy wannabe star to a star with a Spider-Man esque body, clearly this is one actor that has spent those three years down the gym. He is largely true to himself and there is another Spider Man esque link but not revealing spoilers.
Outside of those we, of course, come to the character whose alter ego Red Mist was the wannabe Kick Ass of the first film but who, and I don't think this is a spoiler, has elected to change teams, adopting a name which I can't type here. His character has one morally dubious scene which is played for laughs but isn't really 'that' funny. Other than that, I felt that early promise of the character was relinquished and he almost gets shown up by his team of hench men with the artist formerly known as Red Mist taking a back seat.
As with the joke scene with 'Red Mist', there are more jokes which are made and just aren't that funny. Anyway, action - good, jokes - bad, movie flow - seems a bit disjointed at times. Overall 3 star.