Synopsis: Based upon the acclaimed comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, X-Men First Class), Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.
Release Date: February 13, 2015 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Action,
Film Review
Production
Some call Kingsman: The Secret Service James Bond on steroids, others call it a modern video game inspired spy caper, and others absolutely rubbish. All have a point, but few will be able to easily dismiss the film. Kingsman: The Secret Service bursts in with a brash attitude and a slick style, and while it may lean hard against its R-rating, it’s no less entertaining. It’s an ultra cool spy flick that uses its graphic novel as the platform for audacious action and brash humor. In the end, the film’s a great ride for any who are willing to accept director Matthew Vaughn’s (X-Men First Class) vision.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is one part super spy origin story and one part James Bond homage. There’s a secret organization called the Kingsman who have been a type of world police; they wear three piece suits as if they are armor, wield cool gadgets like a multi-purpose watch, and are unafraid to rack up a high body count. On the opposite side of the coin is Valentine, the comical Bond villain whose dastardly plan is such that only the Kingsman can stop him. Meanwhile, Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (Taron Egerton) is competing with a half dozen other teenage kids for an opening in Kingsman, and a chance at super spy glory. Eggsy is the clear favorite to join Kingsman, if only because he’s the star of the film and the hand-picked recruit of Galahad (Colin Firth from Before I Go To Sleep), but his less than stellar upbringing puts him at odds with the Kingsman’s ideals.
As with any Matthew Vaughn film, Kingsman: The Secret Service has its own distinct look and its own sense of style. It wields humor like a weapon, cutting through action sequences that are absurdly violent but completely entertaining. Similarly, the films brisk pace leaves out any room for sentimentality, favoring a direct approach when it comes to its story telling. There are plenty of juicy spy twists, and the film oftentimes subverts expectations, but it does so deliberately. It established a world where any and everything can happen, and lets the audience revel in that. Like Vaughn’s Kick-Ass, the rules of Kingsman: The Secret Service are clear, but they are not the rules of an average spy movie.
The best way to describe Kingsman: The Secret Service is that it feels fresh. From its take on spy organizations, the chosen one’s ascent to heroism, and the villain’s ultimate plan, the film bucks trends much like Galahad drops foes: with a sense of purpose and a flair for the cool. The film wants to entertain, and will do anything to earn audience’s laughs and cheers. And when we say anything, we mean anything.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is the deliberately pulpy action movie that audiences can sit down and enjoy for two hours and leave wholly satisfied. It’s escapism of the highest order, supported by solid performances across the board, including breakout young star Taron Egerton. Kingsman: The Secret Service is a hell of a time at the movies, and viewers will be chomping at the bit to return to this world.
Action Sequences
Kingsman: The Secret Service‘s action might exaggerate reality more than your average spy caper, but it does so with a panache that’s rarely seen in major motion pictures these days. It’s a film where the violence makes you simultaneously cringe and laugh, and looks incredibly sharp, and more importantly cool, on screen. Kingsman: The Secret Service‘s fight sequences are so full of life and personality that they are transfixing. Matthew Vaughn pulls the viewer in with a distinct vision for how his action sequences should be shot, and by and large it works in Kingsman: The Secret Service‘s favor. There’s a handheld quality to the action that, thanks to some visual effects tricks and a little old-fashioned camera shakes, imbues a visceral quality on every blow. It puts the viewer right there with the actor and gives every beat an extra punch. Not since Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has an action film delivered action that wears a bold style like a badge of honor. It’s uncompromisingly violent, unbelievably energetic, and almost wholly original. Even if the rest of the film were a wash (thankfully it isn’t), the action alone would get most through Kingsman: The Secret Service with a smile. But, be warned, this is a violent film with a sense of humor, and an uncouth one at that. So, if dismemberments, gore, or improper language turn you off, Kingsman: The Secret Service is not going to be your cup of tea.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Matthew Vaughn
- Producer(s):
- Screenwriter(s): Jane GoldmanMatthew Vaughn
- Story:
- Cast: Colin Firth (Harry Hart/Galahad)Mark Strong (Merlin)Jack Davenport (Lancelot) Mark Hamill (Professor Arnold)Taron Egerton (Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin)Michael Caine (Arthur)
- Editor(s):
- Cinematographer: George Richmond
- Production Designer(s):
- Costume Designer:
- Casting Director(s):
- Music Score: Henry Jackman
- Music Performed By:
- Country Of Origin: USA
