Kick-Ass: 9 reasons why this movie still rocks 10 years later

The Malicious Mark Strong

Every superhero needs a worthy adversary. Someone who’s the antithesis of everything the other stands for. In this case, for Kick-Ass, Big Daddy, and Hit-Girl, it was Frank D’Amico.

Frank was the typical crime boss you’d see in most movies with one exception: He had a better personality. He could go from ruthless crime boss to caring father and back in the blink of an eye. He even made jokes. All of that made him blend in with the tone really well, ensuring he was a villain who remained believable while fitting into this sometimes wacky movie at the same time.

Mark Strong was a fantastic choice. He’s one of the best actors that people don’t talk about enough – especially when he’s playing the antagonist. When he pops up on screen, you’re reminded that he’s one of the greats.

Here, his annoyance with Kick-Ass and Big Daddy was hilarious. On one hand, he couldn’t take them seriously. He laughed and mocked them like you’d assume someone would. Until Big Daddy hit him where it hurt; in the pockets. That was enough for him to realize it was time to stop messing around.

Seeing Strong maintain his character to the very end wasn’t shocking. After all, it’s what great actors do.