Delivers over-the-top fun, the way that Bond used to.

Rating: 8/10 (26 January 2016)

When I heard that Miark Millar's comic, The Secret Service (with artist Dave Gibbons, of Watchmen fame), was being turned into a movie, I had a pretty good idea of what we wood get: a lot of vulgar language, over-the-top violence, and a decent plot. What surprised me was how much felt like a tribute to the glory years of James Bond, far more than anything from Eon and MGM. It revels in what made Bond great fun, while adding a modern spin. It also pokes fun at the often pompous, upper class world of Bond and espionage fiction (and reality) and doesn't take itself too seriously. It is vulgar and ridiculously violent, though the violence does tend to be more in service to the story than some of Millar's other work.
Mathew Vaughn direct; unsurprising, after Kick-Ass; but, as he showed in the early segments of X-Men: First Class, he gets spy-fi and delivers it well. He's not too overboard with the jump cuts and does let you soak up some of the screen, before throwing everything and the kitchen sink at you. I do wish he would slow things down a bit, here and there; but, it's a modern film world.
Colin Firth is the linchpin that holds the film together and presents us with a cross between James Bond and John Steed, either of whom he would have played wonderfully. In fact, I wish we had a time machine and take Vaughn and Firth back and redo The Avengers (the Ralph Finnes and Uma thurman one, not Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the rest). Michael Caine provides a nice tribute to the golden days, as Harry Palmer's glasses also seem to figure into the formula, while Caine gets to play the toff (though his accent slips in his last scene). Vaughn brings back Mark Strong to show why he is greatly under-appreciated in Hollywood (the man is a great actor and has been since at least Prime Suspect 3). Taron Egerton makes an excellent young Eggy, while Sophie Cookson is the capable, but self-doubting Roxy. On the bad guy's side we have Samuel L. Jackson, as a sort of Richard Branson crossed with Bill Gates and Russell Simmons, with a dash of megalomania. he is aided by his henchperson, Sophia Boutella, as Gazelle, the most memorable sidekick/assassin since Oddjob. All do a wonderful job.
This has just about everything I felt had been missing from Bond, for years (even before Daniel Craig and the serious tone): a great villain, plenty of action and intrigue, a sense of humor, and a sense of danger. Modern Bond has the danger and intrigue, but has lost the sense of humor and the sheer fun of a super-agent. There hasn't been a memorable Bond villain in years, yet Samuel L Jackson delivered a great gonzo billionaire, where Christopher Walken and Jonathan Pryce struggled.
I can quibble about a few things; some of the violence would be better left to the imagination and the language really doesn't add much; but, on the whole, those are minor criticisms. The characters are engaging, the plot is entrancing and the action is well staged and rarely gratuitous. This is pure cinematic fun, with a dose of brainpower. I can't wait for more.