Kingsman: The Secret Service

Within the past decade, Matthew Vaughn has been recognized as one of the finest director of our generation. While he started out strong with films like “Layer Cake” and “Stardust,” he never truly got the attention he deserved, however, until the 2010 film “Kick-Ass.” Based on the Mark Miller comic of the same name, it was one of the most vulgur, violent, and showed Vaughn's talent with how he handles comic book movies, which he proved again with “X-Men: First Class.” Now Vaughn has returned to his roots to by adapting ANOTHER Mark Miller comic, “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”

“Kingsman” tells the story of Eggsy, a rebellious kid who is bailed out of jail by Harry Hart, aka Galahad, who recruites him into becoming a Kingsman agent like his father did. Now Eggsy has to compete for the open spot, all the while the rest of Kingsman go up against Richmond Valentine, who plans to exterminate most of humanity. What I truly enjoyed about this film was how it was able to pay homage to the classic spy genre, but at the same time parody it with such grace. There isn't a dull moment in this film, nor was there a split second where I thought it wasn't interesting.

The performances in this film were all excellent. Colin Firth as Harry does a spectacular job at being a professional action spy, all while being proper about it, which was a great homage to Patrick Macnee's performance as John Steed in “The Avengers” tv show. And I got to say, the guy can really do action scenes pretty damn well, especially when he throws a mug of beer at a guy's head with a hook umbrella. If that's not badass, then I don't know what is. Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Richmond Valentine, also brings his a-game here. He's maniacal, but at the same time is very funny. And not in the typical, "oh I'm Sam Jackson screaming mothafucka," no, he's actually got a good sense of comedy to him. Just watch the film, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Taron Egerton who plays Eggsy in the film, at first might seem like a kid who you just want to punch for being so smug and irratating, but you sympathize with him for legit reasons. He's a kid who's dealt with some harsh reality, and had oppertunities for greatness, but turned them down for the good of his family. I really love it when films manage to take characters who should have been annoying and turn them into very likable people. Sophia Cookson, who makes her film debut here, plays Roxy, Eggsy's friend during training, and she really brings out a bit of spark to the film. She's snarky, helpful, and always ready for anything. One thing I loved about Eggsy and Roxy's relationship is that they stay friends, like it should be. They're pretty much equals, but they never get romantic about it in any way possible. Kudos to the people behind this, because I would have been upset if they did that. Other cast members such as Mark Strong as Merlin, Michael Caine as Chester King aka Arthur, Sofia Boutella as Valentine's henchwoman, Gazelle, and even Mark Hamill in a cameo, do a great job here.

The action scenes are just spectacular to watch. While it may seem a little fast for some people, it didn't seem to bother me, because I saw everything perfectly clear, even when I was in the front row. At first, I thought it was going to be toned down to a PG-13 when I first saw the previews, but I was wrong. This film is a hard R, and it takes full advantage of that whenever it can. Not only that, but the comedy is what also cements it in very nicely. It ranges from visual jokes, to quick and witty dialogue, and throwing a few refrences to “James Bond,” “The Bourne series,” and shows like “24,” “Get Smart,” and “The Avengers.”

Overall, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” was a great deal of fun to watch. I mean, after seeing the film at a preview screening, taking pictures with the actual props from the movie, getting a free poster, and seeing it two more times in theaters, it's most likely I'll be buying the Blu-Ray in June. With the announcement of a sequel being in the works, I'm hoping that Matthew Vaughn does return to direct. I mean, after “Kick-Ass 2,” he owes us big time.


Rating: 10/10

Mad Max: Fury Road (BEST ACTION MOVIE OF THE DECADE!)

 In 1979, writer/director George Miller had given us the post-apocalyptic action film, “Mad Max.” The film tells of the titular character, who sets out on a vengeful mission to hunt down a menacing biker gang, after they beaten and murdered his wife, and how he's slowly drifting into insanity because of his thirst for revenge. For a film made back in the earliest days of action films, it still holds up to this day. The acting is fairly good, the direction is classic, and the action scenes are still really good. Not only that, but it stands as the film that brought Mel Gibson into popularity, later working on films such as “Lethal Weapon” and “Braveheart,” the latter of which would get him two Oscars.

It's sequel, “The Road Warrior,” manages to continue the story in a different light. Where as the first “Mad Max” took place in a world where society was starting to crumble, this film shows that society HAS crumbled. This time around, Max is caught in the middle of a war over the settlers who have gasoline and the marauders who want it, and has him regain his sense of purpose within the world. “The Road Warrior” is regarded by many as one of the best sequels ever made, and there's no doubt about that, taking what was good about the first film, and making it better.

The third movie, “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” however, is a bit of a different story. While it wasn't bad, it felt sort of tacked on, which is understandable, since it was originally going to be a futuristic version of “Lord of the Flies,” yet somehow got turned into a “Mad Max” film, featuring Tina Turner...for some reason.

A fourth film has been in talks and development and talks for decades, and some have debated on whether or not it was just a rumor spread around. However, early on in the decade, a fourth film was announced, with Tom Hardy from “The Dark Knight Rises” being cast as the new Max, and with George Miller returning as writer and director. The film had reached completion a while back, but had been put on hold because the studios said they wanted more, and thus had to do re-shoots and find a way to market the film properly.

So after thirty years since the last “Mad Max” film, how does the new one hold? Not only do I think this film is a worthy addition to the series, I'd go as far as to say that this quite possibly the best action film I have seen in this decade. The action scenes are choreographed so damn well, the stunts are awesome, the colors blend so well together, and there are two things that really make it stand out: it's all practical and it doesn't have any shaky cam...HALLELUYAH!! For once, we actually have an action film that truly embraces on the word action in the best way possible! Thank you, George Miller! Thank you for teaching us to have fun again!

Now let's talk about the casting. Tom Hardy as Max, I have to admit, does a really damn good job here. Looking at side-by-side photos of his and Mel Gibson's Max, you can see the similarities between the two, which seems fitting. But the big difference is that Hardy portrays his Max as 'man of few words' kind of guy, especially in the first act of the film where he has a mask muzzle on. One of the key things that make Tom Hardy one of the best actors of our generation is that he's able to convey emotion simply with his eyes than most actors can with their entire bodies. Now THAT'S a good actor! However, the real star of this film is Charlize Theron as Furiosa. The film is mostly on her story arc, as a warrior who tries to escape from the warlord she's been serving under, also making off with the women he's been sexually abusing, so their children don't end up like him. Furiosa is the real star of this film, and it does feel like Max is caught up in the middle of it. You might complain that it defeats the purpose of calling it a “Mad Max” movie, but then again “The Road Warrior” did something like that too, so there you have it.

Hugh Keays-Byrne, who played Toecutter in the first “Mad Max” film, is now the villain of “Fury Road,” Immortan Joe. At first, you'd think it was just fan service to have the villain from the first film as a new character, but Keays-Byrne makes us feel that this is something we haven't seen from the “Mad Max” series. He really does relish every moment he has in this performance, and boy, does he make it entertaining to watch. Nicholas Hoult as Nux, you know the guy in the previews who says “Oh what a day! WHAT A LOVELY DAY,” I have to say, really caught me off guard. Even when I knew that it was Nicholas Hoult in the movie, I never would have guessed that was him. I mean, he just BECAME this character, and much like Keays-Byrne, enjoys every minute of this performance. But I was actually touched by his performance too, as there are actually touching moments with him that do make him sympathetic, especially during the climax.

Overall, “Mad Max: Fury Road” was really damn fun! I loved the acting in the film, I thought the direction was spectacular, and the action scenes were so refreshing to the genre! If you have a chance to see any movie this summer, it should be “Mad Max: Fury Road!” Screw “Age of Ultron,” it's got NOTHING on this one! In the words of Tony Danza: “Go see the fucking movie!”

Rating: 10/10