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