If you liked the first, go ahead and pretend this one doesn’t exist. It’s what Big Daddy would do.

The first half of the film drags a bit with high-school subplots, crabby teen disagreements, street fights and shock value that consist of foul language, explosive and sadistic diarrhea and bloody fights. But it is the action-packed second half with the costumed final battle that salvages the film from being a mediocre dish out.

Politically incorrect dialogues aside, Kick-Ass 2 is actually quite a fun ride. Beneath the deliberately ridiculous costumes and mock-serious dialogues lies a sea of brutality and gore gleefully topped off with the kind of language that would make a sailor blush.

After a while the stunts and the action feels too routine leaving very little to no space for surprise. Even Jim Carrey’s extended cameo seems uninspired. The portions with Moretz seem the best with the supporting characters pushed to the periphery.

The first one worked for its bizarre novelty. Kick-Ass 2 tries banking on those unique traits. The film also had ready material to encash (it is based on a hit comic book series of the same name). Yet it doesn’t quite get the mood of the franchise right. What you have here is a formulaic rehash that never quite captures the maverick madness of the first film.

There are a few gags a bit of action, but nothing will broadly appeal to you unless you are of a certain age group. Along with the action, it is the performance of Chloe Grace Moretz that leaves an impression but otherwise Kick Ass 2 doesn’t have much to gloat about.

The problem with the sequel is that it banks on the very same things to sell itself. More of the same is passable fun, but not satisfying enough to people who loved the first film and look forward to an expanded universe in the sequel. Given the ‘Kick-Ass”s relatively tiny profit it was a miracle that the sequel got made, and in a way the filmmakers wasted a golden opportunity to create something truly great.

Over its 103-minute running time, the film goes about meticulously and blithely destroying its legacy, making a hash of the dark, provocative subtext of the original. Spend your weekend watching your toes rather than this artless and juvenile crap.

Most sequels are cursed, they can almost never be at par with the original masterpiece. The same holds true for Kick-Ass 2. However, the film isn’t as disappointing as most sequels turn out to be.