All one needs is a mask and a costume. Once crime fighting, and saving citizens gets involved, you have a superhero. Sounds like an easy task to do, right? Well, both Dave Lizewski (a.k.a. “Kick-Ass”) and Mindy Macready (a.k.a. “Hit Girl”) had to learn this the hard way, in the new superhero sequel “Kick-Ass 2.” Jeff Wadlow replaces Matthew Vaughn as director.

The sequel takes place shortly after the first film, where Kick-Ass and Hit Girl have been superheroes for some time. Hit Girl’s superhero days come to an end, though, when her new guardian Marcus, (who was briefly seen throughout the first film,) wants Hit Girl to commit to school.

This leaves crime fighting all up to Kick-Ass, who immediately hates the idea of being by himself. But before Kick-Ass gives up, he hears about a league of real-life superheroes who treat crime fighting like community service and Kick-Ass manages to become a member of this league. But things begin to turn dark once Red Mist makes a villainous return: he is out to kill both Kick-Ass and Hit Girl in revenge of his father’s death. Red Mist manages to form a villainous league of his own, putting Kick-Ass and Hit Girl into one very crazy situation.

The idea of allowing both Kick-Ass and Hit Girl to resolve each other’s problems throughout the film was a very intriguing element. The film also successfully depicts the consequences of violence in society, and it leaves an impression as to why real-life superheroes don’t happen in reality. “Kick-Ass 2” also manages to be a very fun film that never feels boring.

Though “Kick-Ass 2” is a great experience, there are a few flaws along the way. The first being that the film has a tendency to let the action go absent for too long. Also, some of the over-the-top moments in this film get pushed too far at times. Director Jeff Wadlow’s filming style for action scenes, also feels too “shaky-cam”-like, making it hard to distinguish the on-screen focus sometimes.

Despite the flaws of this film, “Kick-Ass 2” is a very fun superhero sequel that has a lot to say about the consequences of violence. For those who loved the original “Kick-Ass”, this is a great continuation.