"KINGSMAN: The Secret Service" Review Stylish Spies for Valentine's Day
February 13, 2015
Kingsman:
The Secret Service
This past
Tuesday, I had the pleasure of catching an advance screening of Kingsman:
The Secret Service. Thanks for the free passes Collider.com! I'm glad that I was able to see this movie as the winner of a giveaway because, honestly, I'm not sure that I would have seen it otherwise.
Matthew
Vaughn’s movie adaptation of Mark Millar and Dave Gibbon’s comic-book series “The
Secret Service” is stylish, full of violent spectacle, crude, and kind of fun. The
film doesn’t take itself too seriously and neither did I.
The fun
begins at the film’s opening when an explosion causes falling debris, which plummet
to the ground and transform into the opening credits. Colin Firth (The Kings Speech)
who is known for his dramatic roles undergoes a transformation from stiff
nobleman to athletic action star in this film and it’s believable. In Kingsman:
The Secret Service, Firth plays Harry (code name: Galahad) a member of a secret international
spy organization that operates out of a Savile Row tailor shop. It's fitting as these sophisticated gentlemen are always well dressed in their bespoke suits.
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| Twentieth Century Fox |
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| Twentieth Century Fox |
Kingsman pays homage to traditional spy thrillers like James Bond but adds its own twist. The film is full of high-end tailored suits, fight sequences, gadgets, and even a megalomaniac villain. Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), the villain, is an eccentric tech billionaire that has passion for climate control, hates blood, and dresses like Russell Simmons. He is always accompanied by his henchwoman, Gazelle (Sofia Boutella), whose razor-sharp prostheses prove deadly to those who cross Valentine. Although Kingsman: The Secret Service is styled after spy classics, the film also gives a nod to Star Wars with Mark Hamill playing climatologist Professor Arnold and Eggsy realizing his true potential as a super-spy only after his friend and mentor Harry is murdered as he watches helplessly.
Kingsman kept me entertained and even made me laugh out loud several times but it has issues. One scene in particular made me quite uncomfortable. In the scene, Harry visits a Kentucky church that is linked to Valentine's evil plan. The church is led by a hate spewing pastor who is subsequently killed along with his misguided flock when a rage-induced massacre ensues initiated by cell phone SIM cards developed by Valentine that emit waves that increase aggression and eliminate inhibition. Harry skillfully kills the churchgoers with any and every means at his disposal. I'm not exactly sure what Vaughn was trying to say in this scene but I think I missed the message.
Genre: Action/Thriller
Grade: 3 1/2 stars
Will you be seeing Kingsman on Valentine's Day? What do you think about the movie? Leave a comment below.
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