Sequel to Hit-Girl was always this violent because it’s satirical, why speak up now?

Jun 25, 2013 08:07 GMT  ·  By
Writer Mark Millar responds to Jim Carrey’s claims that “Kick-Ass 2” is too violent for him to support it
   Writer Mark Millar responds to Jim Carrey’s claims that “Kick-Ass 2” is too violent for him to support it

The other day, Jim Carrey caused quite a stir when he went on Twitter to disavow his own movie, “Kick-Ass 2,” based on a comic book by Mark Millar. He said it was “too violent” for him to support anymore, but what Millar doesn’t understand is the need to speak up now.

In a post on his official blog, Millar addresses Carrey’s comments while pointing out that the timing he chose to make them is weird at best.

The script for the film was just as violent as the final cut of it, and Carrey had access to it 18 months ago. So, he asks in a very graceful manner, why speak up now and not simply refuse to do the film in the first place?

The latter would have seemed a more suitable option if he was really so bothered by the violence, and he could have taken it right after perusing the script.

“As you may know, Jim is a passionate advocate of gun-control and I respect both his politics and his opinion, but I'm baffled by this sudden announcement as nothing seen in this picture wasn't in the screenplay eighteen months ago,” Millar writes.

He admits to the obvious fact – that there’s a lot of violence in the film – but points out that its use is satirical. He also stresses that this is a work of fiction, not a documentary.

“My books are very hardcore, but the movies are adapted for a more mainstream audience and if you loved the tone of the first picture you're going to eat this up with a big, giant spoon,” the writer says.

“Like Jim, I'm horrified by real-life violence (even though I'm Scottish), but Kick-Ass 2 isn't a documentary. No actors were harmed in the making of this production! This is fiction and like Tarantino and Peckinpah, Scorcese and Eastwood, John Boorman, Oliver Stone and Chan-Wook Park, [the film] avoids the usual bloodless body-count of most big summer pictures and focuses instead of the CONSEQUENCES of violence,” he continues.

Millar stresses that he has nothing but respect for Carrey (of whom he says he gives his best performance ever as Colonel Stars and Stripes) but he hopes he will reconsider his stance on the film.

There are plenty other instances of real-life violence that we should all lose sleep over and not waste time and energy over finding offense with works of fiction, Millar concludes.

His entire post is here.