Does anyone really remember when spy movies were truly fun? The old Sean Connery Bond movies and even some of the later ones had a good time with some silly gadgets and over-the-top villains who had henchman with some sort of gimmick, like a bowler hat that could kill you or a robotic arm. Nowadays though, it's all changed. Bourne is a dark take on the genre and Bond is turning into a much more violent version of itself as well with Daniel Craig. It seemed like the old days were gone.
Director Matthew Vaughn is here to tell us that they're still here. And they are awesome.
"Kingsman: The Secret Service" is a throwback to the beloved old spy movies with gentlemen spies, megalomaniac villains, and convoluted action scenes. And it does all of this with an incredible sense of self-awareness and English upper-class. The story revolves around Harry Hart, codenamed Galahad, played brilliantly with Colin Firth, as he sets out to simultaneously stop tech-savvy villain Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), and recruit a new member to the Kingsman, an independent organisation devoted to stopping any international threats, after their previous member was killed (by getting cut in half by Sofia Boutella's henchwoman and her prosthetic legs), leading him to Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin (played by newcomer Taron Egerton). The story is an extremely enjoyable one featuring various references, both explicit and subtle, to the old Bonds and other similar movies. These range from Firth and Jackson acknowledging their roles as villain and hero respectively but also having a McDonalds for dinner when they meet for the first time.
When Colin Firth was cast as a gentleman spy, nobody had any doubts that he could pull off the kind and mannerly Englishman aspect (given that he basically lives that role everyday of his life) but there were concerns over how well he could do the action scenes. So his ability to knock out these scenes like they are nothing is probably the biggest surprise of the movie. One particular scene in a hate church where Firth's Galahad is subjected to the villain's aggression amplifier is the stand out scene in the movie. Firth is not the only good actor in the movie, however. It's great to see Samuel L. Jackson in a role that he's not done before as the villain of the piece, who can't stand the sight of blood and provides much of the humour in the movie. Newcomer Egerton also does an impressive job, bringing charisma to spare, and holding his own against British greats Michael Caine and Mark Strong. Expect to see him in more films in the future.
Based off of the comic book "The Secret Service" by Mark Miller, director Vaughn and his team of writers have produced an engrossing and impressively funny script, filled to the brim with action-packed scenes. The visual effects have been created in such a way that the action flows and is fast-paced, creating the hyper-violent feel of Vaughn's previous works like Kick-Ass. The soundtrack by Henry Jackson also adds to this, creating the feel of an old-time spy flick.
It's reassuring to know that Matthew Vaughn did not abandon X-Men: Days of Future Past for no good reason, and he has given us a great excuse to go to see another movie. It's not just another movie though, as we are treated to an ultra-violent, very funny, throwback to spy movies like Bond and Bourne. A rollercoaster of a movie with twists and turns along the way, "Kingman: The Secret Service" is a joy to watch and an impressive start to my 2015 movie year, proving that not all January movies are worthless.
Rating: 10/10
Original Release Date: 29th January 2015
Starring: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Sofia Boutella, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, Sophie Cookson, Jack Davenport, Mark Hamill
