Fantastic Fun, A Reinvention Of The Spy Film Game For A Modern Age

Rating: 8/10 (5 February 2015)

As a fan of the comic, I will say this, Kingsman actually manages to trump it's source material in many ways. Taking what we know about Spy films: the gadgets, the villain, the prestige, even the action, Kingsman gives us street level flair here by essentially reinventing the Bond formula and kicking it in the teeth. It's an exciting, action packed, and fun film that conforms to Matthew Vaughn's stylish take on the comic book film. Eggsy is a smart, talented young man living with his mom and her boyfriend in London with a penchant for trouble. With his dad having died when he was a child, Eggsy has lived a rough life dodging the law and local thugs. But when an old associate of his father's enters his life, he's given the opportunity to put his talents to good use and become part of an elite group of spies.
What a blast. From beginning to end, this movie is entertaining. And this is mostly thanks to the actors rounded up here. Colin Firth brings his usual wonderful skills as an actor, but it's his combat skills that make him so entertaining. Essentially the old fashioned James Bond of the film, Firth is as suave as ever, but he also commits violence that goes unparalleled in the film. This is most demonstrated in one of the film's biggest set pieces, taking place at a southern church which was briefly shown in the trailer. He steals the show, but the surrounding performances are just as great. Taron Egerton, a stranger to the States, is excellent as Eggsy. While this could have been a character who came off as thuggish and criminal, Eggsy is actually quite sympathetic from early in the film. He's clearly smart and a guy who wants to protect his mom and see her have a better life. However, like so many these days, he feels burdened by his lot in life and it has turned him into a less than stellar citizen. His transformation from a troubled kid to a master spy is incredibly entertaining and combines the charm and sophistication of the typical spy film with the rough edge of a street level action film. Sam Jackson brings the ham as an unusual villain, Mark Strong plays one of the most entertaining characters in the film as the youngsters spy trainer, and Michael Caine appears as the head of Kingsman, bringing his usual mix of seasoned professionalism and sense of fun.
As for the film itself, Matthew Vaughn does as good a job here as his previous comic book adaptations. He continues to demonstrate how to make a film fun, exciting, and hip without it being overly cheesy or appear to be trying too hard. He seems almost a perfect match up for Mark Millar's work, as he is able to almost perfectly convey Millar's mixture of rough edge, sense of fun, and intriguing bend of known tropes. In terms of breaking down a genre, this is similar to Kick Ass in that sense. The action is as superb as you would expect and we're always allowed to see it, with a lack of dizzying close ups and shaky cam, which is thankful. The climax is especially rousing and exciting, with plenty of varied action bits, from gun fights to a dual between Sofia Boutella's deadly, prosthetic leg wearing assassin and Eggsy.
It's something of a surprise to find this film playing in a month usually reserved for films studios have little faith in. This is summer blockbuster material and fantastic entertainment.