Jim Carrey Slams His Movie Kick-Ass 2 for Onscreen Violence in Wake of Newtown Shooting Tragedy

Actor claims to have had a "change of heart" about his upcoming flick, which he says "in all good conscience I cannot support"

By Alexis L. Loinaz Jun 24, 2013 12:21 PMTags
Kick-Ass 2 Marv Films

Jim Carrey doesn't think his new movie Kick-Ass 2 kicks ass.

The actor is publicly denouncing the comical superhero satire's second outing, which opens on June 28, over what he claims is its heightened violence in the wake of the Newtown shooting tragedy that left 26 dead.

The 51-year-old Carrey took to Twitter Sunday to share his thoughts on his new film, which he is now distancing himself from.

"I did Kickass a month b4 Sandy Hook and now in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence," he wrote.

The actor later added: "My apologies to others [involved] with the film. I am not ashamed of it but recent events have caused a change in my heart."

In the film, Carrey plays masked crusader Col. Stars and Stripes, who teams up with the titular hero to stamp out criminal lowlifes. Although satirical in its approach, the franchise's first installment was nevertheless overtly graphic in its depiction of violence, as it attempted to send up the superhero genre.

Shortly after Carrey's Twitter tirade, the creator of the comic-book series that Kick-Ass is based on, Mark Millar, posted an extensive response on his website.

"I'm baffled by this sudden announcement as nothing seen in this picture wasn't in the screenplay eighteen months ago," he wrote. "Yes, the body-count is very high, but a movie called Kick-Ass 2 really has to do what it says on the tin."

Millar added that he "couldn't be happier with this picture" and gave props to a "magnificent" Carrey for what the comic-book creator thinks is "one of Carrey's best-ever performances."

"Ultimately, this is his decision," Millar noted, summing up his thoughts.

Carrey has been a vocal proponent of gun control, recently penning an impassioned op-ed in The Huffington Post that chastised critics who claimed that his advocacy of stricter gun laws ultimately won't have an impact on curbing gun violence in the aftermath of a slew of tragic mass shootings.

"These horrific events are also an invitation for us to become more civilized and to deal with our addiction and entitlement to violence," the actor wrote. "Not to shut our eyes and ears and scream at those with a different opinion than ours to 'f--k off and go back to Canada.'"