Kingsman: The Secret Service. A Review

Take 2 parts James Bond, 1 part Kick-Ass, a dash of X-Men First Class, and just a sprinkling of Austin Powers, and you have Kingsman: The Secret Service - a recipe for a highly entertaining film from the chefs Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman. 

   Kingsman follows troubled youth Eggsy (Taron Egerton) as he is mentored by suave super-spy Harry Hart (Colin Firth), and given an opportunity to become a member of the Kingsmen - a clandestine spy agency. As Eggsy joins a group of upper-class Kingsmen candidates to undergo intense training at the hands of Merlin (Mark Strong), Hart investigates a dastardly plot involving billionaire philanthropist Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson). 

   Young Eggsy is told that the art of being a gentleman is being comfortable in your own skin, and Egerton rises to the challenge. He has good comic timing, a  ability to deliver sentiment where needed, and is an immensely likeable hero. He was the unknown for me going into the film, troubled youths and streetwise kids can be irritating when the script gives them a screenwriters best guess at what streetwise and troubled sounds like, however Egerton gives a convincing performance and totally won me over. The other young stars of the film are somewhat more two-dimensional, with Sophie Cookson as rival candidate/ love interest Roxy, and Edward Holcroft as smug and slimy public schoolboy Charlie. They do their best and give credible performances, and when Cookson is given more to do she proves herself capable, however they are only ever supporting characters.

   The big draw for Kingsman is Colin Firth, who is having the time of his life playing debonair agent Harry Hart, codename: Galahad. Of course there was never any doubt about Firth’s acting credentials and screen presence, the only question was could he convince as the action hero? The friend I saw the film with told me at least twice that Firth is a D.I.L.F - so I think that counts as a yes! As with many a spy film, the villain is almost as important as the hero, enter the ubiquitous Samuel L. Jackson as Valentine - a tech genius with some extreme views on climate change. At first I thought Jackson was cast primarily to sell the film to an American audience less familiar with Kingsman’s British leads, and as Jackson effects a cartoonish lisp and chews scenery these fears seemed well founded. However, there is a moment about half way through where Jackson reminds us that he really is an excellent actor, and from that point on I was sold on him as villain.

   Director Matthew Vaughn and writer Jane Goldman have previously collaborated on Stardust, Kick-Ass, and X-Men: First Class. This pedigree is obvious in Kingsman, a film with style, wit, and a handful of surprises. While never less than entertaining, the film loses some momentum in the middle with a protracted training montage reminiscent of a similar one in Vaughn and Goldman’s X-Men film - in fact I think they use the same mansion. It is necessary for the character development of Eggsy, and worth it for a few set-pieces and a classy line from Mark Strong, however it could have been cut down somewhat. Cinematographer George Richmond does a good job invoking the comic book origins of Kingsman, with some shots looking like panels lifted from the page. This stylish production design extends to the costume and props, after this film I was desperate for a bespoke suit and a bulletproof umbrella.

   Kingsman has courted controversy for two scenes, I will avoid spoilers but if you want to know nothing then skip this paragraph. Still here? The first scene that has upset some is a fight scene taking place in a Church. The action is violent, the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) acknowledges however that is is “highly stylised” and “distanced from more brutal and realistic portrayals of violence”. It is not just the violence however, but the fact that it is delivered in a context that seems like a deliberate attack by the writers on certain extreme sects of the Christian Church. People’s politics are their own, for me the section was not alarmingly offensive or out of tone with the rest of the film, and is frankly quite well shot. 

   The major controversy of the film come from a joke at the very end of the film, a joke which in absolute honesty made me cringe. I cringed not because of the nature of the joke, but because I knew it would ruin the film for some, which is a massive shame. The joke has been accused, not without cause, of being misogynisitic and inappropriate. I have heard some criticism arguing that it is a puerile joke and a prime example of “lad culture” which has no place in our cinemas in 2015. My take is that Matthew Vaughn is a smart guy, he loves to surprise his audience and subvert genre expectations, the joke is an obvious satire of the old James Bond double entendres, and in the past Vaughn has done more than a lot of directors to portray women equally. With all that said, Vaughn made the wrong decision and the joke should have been cut. Whatever the intentions or thought process behind it, at some point before the films release someone should have realised the joke was of detriment to the film, and to be frank not that funny. 

   Kingsman: The Secret Service is some of the most fun I’ve had at a cinema in a while,

it is a superbly stylish film with cracking action and some big laughs. As a celebration of the spy genre that accepts the silliness that brings while injecting a big dose of cool, Kingsman succeeds in  being one of the most entertaining films currently in cinemas. 

WHO: It has to be Colin Firth, kicking ass without a hair out of place.

WHAT: The style, Savile Row suits, and spy gadgets. 

WHY: To remind you why you wanted to be a spy when you were ten years old.

WHEN: You’re tired of Oscar talk and want a film with no awards hope but a ton of fun!