“Kingsman: The Secret Service” is
one of the movies that could be really bad or really good. Luckily,
it's the latter. I first caught a teaser last spring at WonderCon and then at a press conference with the stars last summer
at Comic-Con. I was immediately intrigued. The movie
looked unique and different. It's like the earlier James Bond movies, meet “Spy Kids,” but not quite. Especially with dramatic
actor Colin Firth (“The King's Speech”) as the lead, playing
against type, mixed with Marvel's go-to handler Samuel
L. Jackson (“The Avengers,” "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Thor"), and directed by the
director who directed one of the best superhero movies of all-time,
Matthew Vaughn (“X-Men: First Class”), it could be a bloody good movie. Indeed.
Firth is Harry Hart, a veteran
kingsman, is a member of an elite spy organization that operates outside
of the British government. Kingsman gets critical missions done effectively outside of
bureaucracy or politics. He comes to the aid of Eggsy (Taron
Egerton), a young man running in trouble with the law. Eggsy's
father was a kingsman, who died in the line of duty, saving Harry and
his fellow agents. Harry takes Eggsy under his wing, offering him a
spot as a trainee in the top secret spy training program. He sees a smart
young man full of potentials, who can do much more with his life.
The movie lightly touches on class divisions and how one can change
his life forward, even without having the privilege of being been
born with a silver spoon. Being a gentleman is a learned skill; down to the
tailored suit and Oxford shoes.
Valentine (Jackson), a megalomaniac
mastermind, is hellbent on world domination. Through biological
warfare, he intends to use mind-control technology to steer humans to
destroy one another, in order to rid of overpopulation and start anew
with the select few, such as the rich, celebrities, prominent
business and academic figures, dignitaries and politicians under his
control. The way he does this and how it all goes down is something that
must be seen to be believed. Gloriously preposterous, ultra-violently
fun.
The opening action scenes are
impressively eye-popping. The first is the snowy mountaintop cabin
massacre, introducing Valentine's henchwoman, Gazelle (Sofia
Boutella), cleanly slices a man in half with her metal blade feet.
The second is the bar scene, where Eggsy is getting an eyeful of his soon-to-be-mentor, a mild-mannered gentleman, Harry,
showing his expert fighting skills disarming several bullies, partly
using his umbrella, beer mug and darts. Later he demonstrates his
prowess again in a crazed mass-fight in a church.
From there, the movie continues to roll
fast, ferocious and uproarious. Eggsy meets the head
honcho of the spy training program, Arthur (Michael Caine, “The Dark Knight” trilogy), tech master, Merlin (Mark Strong,
“The Imitation Game”), and his fellow recruits. The
recruits are tested and pushed to the limit through a series of
thrillingly twisted sessions; immersed in water, exhilarating
skydive and air spinning, trapped on a train track, and finally
firing a bullet during a high stake moment. What makes these more effective is because a scene can start or appear innocuous and then you'd
realize it's part of the test. Those who do not pass are let go.
Eggsy and a fellow recruit prove
themselves to be more than capable when they're called on to stop
Valentine from fully realizing his evil plan and subsequently save
the world. It's a massive, explosive (literally) showdown not to be
missed.
Firth can add another notch to his
seasoned acting belt, as he joins the league of late-bloomer action
stars here. Egerton is a newcomer no more. He carries his own
weight, with a witty, nonchalant confidence and believable fighting chops.
Jackson looks like he's giving us self-aware winks with this role, a play that
shouldn't be taken seriously.
“Kingsman: The Secret Service” has substance, even as it's heavy
with style. It has a plot and twists, pays homage to the spy genre and brings back the fun. It's dynamically directed, sensationally choreographed and exemplarily executed. As a disclaimer, some of
the violent elements (and must be one of the highest body counts filmed) or crude language may be a bit much for the
sensitive or squeamish. It should be noted though that the violence
tends to be 'comic-book' style, so it's not close-to-reality gore,
which makes it much easier on eyes.
“Kingsman: The Secret Service” is
absurdly over-the-top, sleekly stylized, expansive and inventive, and
most importantly, outrageously fun. And come to think of it, it's
the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time.
http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/movie-review-kingsman-the-secret-service/
DVD: http://tinyurl.com/kingsmandvd
DVD: http://tinyurl.com/kingsmandvd
