On Aug. 16, "Kick Ass 2" opens nationwide.
The sequel to the cult classic "Kick Ass," continues the story of Dave Lizewski, aka Kick-Ass, as he joins a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Meanwhile, the Red Mist plots an act of revenge that will affect everyone Kick-Ass knows.
The film recently premiered in London and scored positive reviews. Dave Golder of SFX gave it three stars out of five and wrote: "'Kick-Ass 2' tries so hard not to stumble into sequel pitfalls, and avoids most before landing squarely in the biggest one of all. The plot isn't just a rehash; the main characters all have new emotional journeys; the action set-pieces feel fresh and original."
However, Golder noted the film still had its faults. "On the downside, 'Kick-Ass 2' spends too much energy trying to ape the crowd-pleasing theatrics of the first film."
The Digital Spy's Ben Rawson-Jones also gave the film three stars out of five. "This mildly disappointing but nonetheless entertaining movie's brilliant predecessor was such a pleasure-inducing, Dirk Diggleresque whopper of a movie that this sequel feels shackled by an abundance of awe and reluctance to step free from its sizeable shadow," wrote Rawson-Jones.
The new film was directed by Jeff Wadlow and stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz Plasse, and Jim Carey. Universal will distribute the film in 2,800 theaters. The movie is rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and brief nudity.