Kingsman - The Secret Service

[cinemabon]

The idea is it's great to play a British spy. Director Matthew Vaughn (Stardust, X-Men - First Class) combines tongue-in-cheek spy-thriller with action movie to give us "Kingsman - The Secret Service" as more an update of Derek Flint than James Bond. Based on the comic book series "The Secret Service" written by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, the original story involved an uncle recruiting his nephew into the secret service with an homage to James Bond in all his forms. Vaughn took most of their ideas and along with fellow writer Jane Goldman (who also helped Vaughn pen Stardust, X-men and Bad Ass movies) created a different twist along the same theme. The film is an unexpected rush of action versus predictable moments of unlikely candidate being successful (i.e. Ender's Game and others); where we know the underdog is destined to be the winner. That said, the film is complete with a super-villain along the veins of SPECTRE but not going so far as to be cartoonish Dr. Evil. Samuel Jackson sounds almost benign at first in his quest to better the world, until he uncovers his fiendish plot to rule the world. All of this would be pedantic if not for some of the humanism from the main character, newcomer Taron Egerton who plays Eggsy, the young English ruffian from the streets. His change from rude eye poker to distinguished gentleman is even spoofed when in one scene, Colin Firth - his mentor, Harry Hart - says regarding the boy's transition; "It's like those movies. Did you ever see 'Point of No Return'?" Eggsy: "Oh, you mean like 'My Fair Lady?'"

The film opens in the Middle East when four agents have captured a terrorist and are interrogating him. During the questioning, the terrorist rips out a hidden grenade. Eggsy's dad falls on the grenade, saving Hart's life. Hart goes to his widow, offers his condolences and a caveat - "On the back of this medal is a number. Call it and I will help give you what you want or need." The wife spits in his face. Hart (also known as Agent Galahad) puts the medal around the neck of the son. Seventeen years later, caught in the middle of a gang war, the son gets in trouble. At the police station, he calls the number. Hart introduces himself and offers Eggsy a job. But Hart hasn't made the new job an easy one. Eggsy must compete with other candidates for the right to be the next new agent.

Between Jackson's rantings and ravings over being the next ruler of the world and Eggsy's trials, the film takes off when Eggsy finally self-motivated to succeed. The story becomes a romp of good-natured British spy humor that make Austin Powers seem like a series of fart jokes (which come to think of it, maybe it was). With a rousing score by Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson (whose X-men score worked perfectly); mind-blowing special effects ending (literally); and some incredible stunt work along with all that British wry humor, I found "Kingsman" one of the most entertaining films I'd seen in many, many months. Fun, brilliant, even unexpected at times, the ending is one for the books. For all those who loved Jason Bourne and James Bond, you're going to love "Kingsman" even more. Watch for the cameo of Mark Hamill. Highly recommended.

[Chris Knipp]

I added this to my FEB.-MARCH 2015 NEW YORK MOVIE JOURNAL watched to relax after the first three full days of festival screenings at Lincoln Center. I too liked strong newcomer Taron Egerton and the use of class issues. I liked that the crazy Valentine isn't (in his view anyway) out to wreck the world but to stop global warming by "culling" the population, "the only solution." Was Eggsy involved in a "gang war"? I missed that. Did you notice the candidates for the open Kingsman post are only seen being tested, rather than trained? A minor omission, no doubt, in a story that is not to be taken too seriously, though the film is entertaining as far as it goes -- mostly gimmickry, chases, and fights. To say we'll enjoy this better than the Bourne series seems wishful thinking: though this rated higher than FIFTY SHADES OF GRAY (its main competition) with critics, 13 points higher on Metacritic, it's still not in the green zone of movies worth recommending. And the trouble is that it recycles dated James Bond style without adding truly new characters or ideas as Vaughan's KICK-ASS or X-MEN: FIRST CLASS do. However it is saved by a snappy cast (Egerton, Caine, Firth, Jackson), a few amusing lines -- and all those gimmicks. This is fast food, as Valentine's serving of McDonald burgers to Firth underlines. Just that, fast food served in a mansion, a mansion made of marginally convincing CGI. This was relaxing though after nine new French films, some of which were very much of the festival-only variety, in the new Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. There were nine Rendez-Vous screenings this week, and there will be fourteen more next week.

[tabuno]

Cinemabon once again has the pulse of another movie, The Kingsman. I also felt that this movie captured the essence of both James Bond along with Derek Flint which made this movie a notch above most espionage movies in its entertaining distinction which we haven't experienced in a long time. The villain with a speech impediment is particularly intriguing as a uniquely, appealing character. This Kill Bill genre movie had class and action at the same time.