Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Starring Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Synopsis:
The Kingsmen are a secret group of British spies who repeatedly saved the world while no one noticed.  During one mission, one of the Kingsmen is killed protecting the others, and Galahad (Colin Firth) feels especially responsible for the deadly mistake, so he reaches out to his colleague's widow and young son, offering help when they needed it.

Seventeen years later, the young son, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is grown up, unemployed and, although intelligent, seems to have his life reduced to petty crimes.  He's arrested and calls Galahad for help, and Galahad takes him under his wing to train him to be a new Kingsman after another member fell at the hands of Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson).

As Eggsy learns to be a true Kingsman, Galahad learns Valentine's deadly plans for offering free SIM cards to everyone in the world.  He sets out to stop Valentine, and in the process Eggsy must also use all the training he learned to defeat the criminal mastermind before his evil plan comes to fruition.

Review:
Seeing the previews for the film, I figured it would just be another "Bond" ripoff, one that couldn't even be compared to the super spy.  Then my friends started seeing the film and saying how amazing it was, and it piqued my interest so I decided to finally see it.

I wasn't disappointed.

From start to finish, the action was non-stop.  It was like a "Bond" film, only directed by Quentin Tarantino, my friend said.  I had to agree as the violence and gore were extremely over-the-top (one guy literally gets cut in half right down the middle, shown in glorious vivid visuals), but at points the violence was downright hilarious, with a great musical score to go along with it.

The action sequences are dazzling, shown as being filmed in one long continuous take with stunning cinematography and edge-of-your-seat fighting with dizzying camera angles that makes them so unique and prolific, some of the best I've ever seen on screen.

What I greatly appreciated about this film is that it's not afraid to make fun of itself, or the genre it represents.  References to Bond are throughout, both flat-out and subtle, especially in the villainous Valentine who, like with most Bond evildoers, has a flaw, which is his delicious lisp he speaks with, that makes him over-the-top and hilarious as well as treacherous and villainous.  Plus he really likes McDonald's.

There were some truly shocking moments in the film, stuff I didn't expect to see, which also added to the amazing feel of the film.  The acting itself is, of course, amazing with Oscar winners Firth and Caine, as well as the always eccentric Samuel L. Jackson, and even newcomer Taron Egerton gave a commanding performance.

Throw in some rousing social commentaries (climate change, decreasing the human population, and a great nod to the Westboro Baptist Church in a delightful sequence where Colin Firth gives the best line I've ever heard in any film ever), and "Kingsman" is one of the best spy films out there.

Summary:
Filled with satire, humor, non-stop action, blood and guts that any Bond film would die for, and an outstanding ensemble cast, "Kingsman" is a film that should not be missed, and well worth the wait!

My Rating: A+