Review by Jason Hricik
Release Date: February 13, 2015
Cast: Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton, Michael Caine
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Studio: Marv Films
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Genre(s): Spy, Action, Comedy
Based On The Secret Service comic book by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review Spoilers: Low
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Kingsman: The Secret Service is an interesting twist in the spy-film genre. If you like the zany humour of the classic 007 or The Avengers, or the ugly world of Bourne or Casino Royale, this movie is a refreshing mix. That may be why some critics haven’t liked it, because it is both when you may only be expecting either. If you are looking for a specifically gritty thriller or a kid-friendly classic… this ain’t that sort of movie.
Vaughn’s directing shows throughout, with fight scenes and ideology reminiscent of Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class. The fight scenes flow with the cadence of a whitewater rapid, accelerating and decelerating to savor the action. The movie itself was charming and fun, with nods to many classics. The story was not complex and the character development was predictable but, in my opinion, the movie itself was entertaining.
Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is a memorable, megalomaniacal villain and Jackson does a great job with the role whose idiosyncrasies would be out of place in most other spy films. “Eggsy” (Taron Egerton) plays a British hooligan that comes of age under the mentorship of Harry “Galahad” Hart (Colin Firth), a proper English gentleman and agent of the stateless spy agency, The Kingsman.
Final Thoughts: This isn’t a movie for children, not only because of the violence, language, and innuendo, rather, it’s because of the impressionable, charismatic, and suave demeanor of the protagonists. The bespoke suits, characters, action, and humor made this an entertaining movie I would share with friends, but I would have liked to see more complexity to the story.
English