I’m guessing we’re going to get a number of character trailers for “Kick-Ass 2” now, and the first one arrives today. It’s very Hit Girl-centric, and small wonder: when we look back on these films eventually, however many they end up making, one of the things that will be most notable about them is the story of Hit Girl and the actor playing her. Chloe Moretz has had a fairly remarkable series of experiences between the two films, and seeing the way she plays this role on both sides of all of those other films is pretty remarkable.
Right before she flew to London for “Kick-Ass 2,” Moretz finished work on Kimberly Pierce’s “Carrie,” and when we spoke at Pinewood Studios, she was still trying to fully digest that experience. Carrie White is a certain kind of reserved and withdrawn and beaten down, and while “Kick-Ass 2” sees Mindy facing the scorn of the mean girls at her high school, she’s no victim. I’m guessing the reactions you’ll see from the two characters couldn’t be more different.
The relationship she has with Aaron Johnson in the first film is great because she’s the kid, but she’s so much more experienced and centered than he is. Kick-Ass knows what he wants to be, but he’s not particularly skilled or talented. When he see Hit Girl in action the first time, it’s like he’s looking at a Martian farting $1000 bills. It makes no sense to him. He can’t understand what he’s seeing. He can’t imagine being that good at what he does.
By the time this film rolls around, Kick-Ass has started to really focus on becoming that fully-realized version of himself. He wants to be scary. He wants to be able to handle himself in any situation. He doesn’t want to feel like the 15-year-old girl is the real thing and he’s not. And the dynamic between Johnson and Moretz as actors is just as prickly and fun and competitive as what you see onscreen. It’s great to see how seriously they both take what they’re doing.
This is a really nice second peek at the film after the first teaser trailer recently, and it’s interesting how much of the film they seem willing to suggest in what they’re releasing. I don’t think they are treating the story points like some giant secret. In fact, between this and “The Wolverine” and “Iron Man 3” this week, I’ve got more to say about the way we handle spoilers right now, and I’ll do that a little later this morning.
For now, check out this Hit Girl heavy “Kick-Ass 2” sneak peek…
… and check out the movie when it arrives in theaters August 16, 2013.