Although this is only his third film, it still surprises me that Matthew Vaughn’s name is not better known, given that his previous two offerings were the superb Layer Cake and Stardust. Each revitalised a genre, but his intent to throw his hat into the comicbook superhero ring with a largely unknown title still made me slightly apprehensive.

The real problem will be how to promote Kick-Ass, which straddles the line between parody and homage, in equal parts hilarious and violent. The initial trailers were interesting but hardly gripping, nor did they seem to match the incredible hype from last year’s ComicCon. You must ensure you see the restricted red band Hit-Girl trailer to fully appreciate the craziness that awaits. And then you must see the film.

My full Kick-Ass review is up, following a review screening I attended on Monday. The short description is that it’s quite simply the most fun I’ve had a cinema since Inglourious Basterds last year. Faaez accompanied me and, aided by a raging post-stag hangover, appeared to have any remaining synapses blown away by the end, confirming it definitely wasn’t what he expected from the advertising he had seen. I was asked to give a two-word review afterwards and whatever I said was almost certainly wrong. The correct answer is demented brilliance.

Fans may also wish to know that Forbidden Planet on Shaftsbury Avenue has a stack of the graphic novel, signed by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. Through a strange misunderstanding of retail theory, they are “cashing in” by reducing the price by a couple of pounds. Such inexplicable practices deserve to be rewarded.

Last week I also got round to seeing Crazy Heart, and have a review up for that too. Suffice to say Jeff Bridge’s Oscar win was more than deserved. You’ll notice some minor format changes in these two reviews and I’m hoping this will be the start of a steady stream for this year. I’d really like to get back into writing full reviews as well as the general film discussion in posts here, though obviously they take a significantly longer time investment.