Very Entertaining Movie.

Rating: 7/10 (17 June 2015)

Over the years I have seen many spy-thrillers. The more obvious being the James Bond films based upon the Ian Fleming novels. Each James Bond film has a unique maniacal villain with world domination as his main agenda.
This film is no different. Here we have internet billionaire Richmond Valentine(Samuel L. Jackson) who leads a paranoid and selfish existence. He believes the world is doomed by global warming - and the only solution is a worldwide cull. And so, he sets about his plans in gusto.
Then we have hero of the film, young Gary "Eggsy" Unwin(Taron Egerton) who leads a sad existence in the ghetto. The death of his father gives him an opportunity to join Kingsman, a secret intelligence agency that fights against terrorist threats.
In the film we have the typical gadgets or gizmo's that your average agent needs. We also have the kill sequences similar to the Bond movies, however with updated C.G.I. effects in all their glory. The main factor that makes the film work is that the script is well polished, the action and acting is thoroughly controlled, the cinematography and sound-effects are superb.
Some actors shine more than others, here we have Samuel Jackson and Colin Firth as one of the best. Mark Hamill has a small cameo as Professor James Arnold. I hardly recognized him at all. Just by looking at the end credits did I realize that he was in the film. Taron David Egerton makes a good leap from TV into mainstream Hollywood.
Matthew Vaughan has made some good films in the past like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000) and directing the films Layer Cake (2004), Stardust (2007), Kick-Ass (2010), X-Men: First Class (2011). He has some similarity in style with other directors like Chris Nolan and Paul W.S. Anderson.
Verdict: definitely a good way to pass one and a half hours. But I wouldn't watch the film again. Typical toilet paper film.
You may also like: The 39 Steps 1959, North By NorthWest 1959, Torn Curtain 1966, The Ipcress File 1965, The Odessa File 1974, Firefox (1982), The Fourth Protocol 1987, The Bourne Identity 1988, The Russia House (1990), If Looks Could Kill (released in the UK as Teen Agent) 1991, Mission Impossible 1996.
Thank you for reading this review. Live long and prosper.