Kick-Ass Genre

Kick-Ass is extremely typical of the superhero genre as it conforms to the stereotypical imagery of superhero films. The conventions and iconography of the film are very generic of the superhero film genre. However the film also breaks and challenges conventions and expectations of the audience.

The film is typical of a superhero movie as the main character is much like Spider-man, Dave is simply a high school teen whose main goal is to get the girl and become popular. The superhero costume makes Kick-Ass feel important and is a huge difference from his alter ego which happens to be a nerdy boy who is inviable to girls. Dave is relatable and typical of a nerdy high school boy who so happens to magically become a superhero, the audience are familiar with this archetype making the film a typical superhero movie. The goals of Dave are simple and achievable and conforms too many superhero films as the hero always gets the princess as his reward for saving the city.

One scene in particular that conforms to the superhero genre is the opening shot where we see a superhero standing on top of a building looking over the city he sore to protect, this is significant and instantly recognisable by the audience. However this is soon broken as the hero jumps and crashes straight into a yellow cab showing the film also breaks typical conventions and expectations.  

On the other hand Kick-Ass breaks and challenged many of the generic conventions in film, this is mainly through the character types, for example Dave has no super powers at all the only way he deals with the daily thrashings is from being previously beat up and having damaged nerve endings which isn’t exactly how most superheroes become ‘super’. The character of Hit Girl is the biggest challenge as her character is extremely controversial, she challenges audience expectations as she is an 11 year old girl who uses the most provocative language, uses the most brutal weapons and is involved in almost all of the attacks, she has language and knowledge beyond her years and it is surprising for the audience to see a superhero that murders others let alone that murderer being a young girl with no motive but a killing thrill. In addition to this the abuse towards Hit Girl also challenges the audience as in today’s society we see child abuse as wrong so when we see Frank D’Amico punch her repeatedly in the face and throw her around the audience are instantly taken aback.

Kick-Ass can also be seen to have huge influence from postmodernism to shock and or challenge conventions. Once again the character of Hit Girl shows this as children in film are usually vulnerable, innocent and victims however she is calculating and manipulative (anachronism, things that don’t fit together are placed together, much like a juxtaposition). One scene that highlights this is the murder scene in Rasul’s apartment, as she brutally murders many people the soundtrack to a children’s TV programme (banana spilt) is played. The film also breaks the 4^th wall and is self-referential as during the torture scene there is a voice over that tells the audience not to be smart and that his voice over doesn’t mean he survives much like in Sin City, American Beauty and Sunset Boulevard showing the film is aware it is a film. Kick-Ass also blurs genre boundaries as it has influences from many genres such as: high school comedy, action, gangster films and kung Fu films.

Overall it is clear that Kick-Ass is a superhero film, however it could also be part of a niche genre of its own along with other films such as Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, both of these films have similar editing style due to their comic book inspiration as well as comedic elements, there is comic book and video game iconography that is shown on screen and also the both share a hero that is vulnerable and weak and has his flaws which challenges conventions of a typical superhero film. This shows that although Kick-Ass can be seen as a superhero movie it fits better into a sub-genre with Scott Pilgrim, as the two films are very similar in visual style, plot line and overall character goals.