"Kingsman: The Secret Service" Review

Title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

Directed by: Mathew Vaughn

Screenplay by: Mark Millar, Dave Gibbons, Mathew Vaughn, and Jane Goldman

Year: 2015


January and February are notorious for consistently being the worst months for movie goers. It is usually a dumping ground for sloppy, cheaply made and put together films. Yet, this past January we had Selma. And for February we got Kingsman: The Secret Service, which I shall abbreviate to Kingsman for the majority of this review.

A secret spy agency recruits a boy named Eggsy (Taron Egerton) along with other young people his age into their intense training program to find a replacement for their most recently lost member. Meanwhile, a global threat slowly emerges in the form of Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson).

Kingsman is a unique film, in that it is both an homage to the classic spy films as well as a bit of a satire of those same movies. It treats the material with respect and takes itself seriously at the right moments, while also poking fun at some common tropes in the genre. And somehow it pulls this off really, really well.

The casting choices are very good, with Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Michael Caine leading up the titular secret service. Colin Firth excels at playing the proper, refined gentleman who could turn into a fighting machine within a moment's notice. Mark Strong's character, Merlin, is in charge of the training of the new recruits. Merlin is a tough cookie and gets some very funny lines throughout the film. Michael Caine, as Arthur, is the leader of the spy organization and as always performs very well. Newcomer Taron Egerton is certain to get plenty of work after this film as he is excellent as the main protagonist. We sympathize with his character, mainly because of the situation of his home life.

On the villain's side we have Sofia Boutella, playing a very creative take on the typical henchman. Much like Oddjob and Jaws from the Bond films, Boutella's character, Gazelle, has her own attributes that make her more dangerous than the actual villain on a physical level, in this being her prosthetic legs. The various things the filmmakers do with her abilities are amazing and incredibly inventive. And then there is the main villain, Richmond Valentine, played hilariously by Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson is evil when he needs to be, but more often than not, he is a very comical character, which is odd for a villain, but it works so well.

As much action as Kingsman offers, it arguably offers even more comedy. This film is flat out hilarious. The humour is quick and witty, complementing the film's quirky nature magnificently. Speaking of the action however, Kingsman delivers some high intensity thrills and sequences. Mathew Vaughn is no stranger to filming action, with Kick Ass and X-Men First Class under his belt. Kingsman is another good addition to his action collection, with the standout scene being the in the church, set perfectly to Lynard Skynard's "Free Bird." The camerawork is dynamic and fluid, never resorting to "shaky-cam."

Valentine's evil scheme is also very appropriate for the time we live in. Without giving away anything, it has a lot to do with technology and social media and its evolution. The message behind this plan is suitable in this day and age and elevates this film from simply being a stylized action spy picture.

As good as this movie is, it does suffer from a lack of character development in regards to the trainees. One of the characters is Roxy, played by Sophie Cookson, who develops a strong relationship with Eggsy and who is pivotal to an emtional scene towards the third act of the movie. But because she has not been developed enough, this scene and its consequences feel very weak. Also, another one of the trainees appears again during the climax of the movie but this character is so underdeveloped and one-note that his appearance bears no weight at all, especially given the situation.

Kingsman: The Secret Service is both a love letter and a deconstruction of the action-spy genre. It knows when to take itself seriously and, more importantly, when to make fun of itself. The action is heart pounding, the jokes land bull's eyes most of the time, the performances are good, and it is just a really, really fun movie. Mathew Vaughn continues to prove himself as a strong director, especially when it comes to filming action set pieces. The production values and screenplay are also great and it is an enjoyable experience. It is no secret that this is a really good action film.

Grade: A-