Funny and violent, I had a great time with this one.

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2015)

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015) Rating: 4/5 I was hopeful, but a bit wary when I decided to go check out "Kingsman" but my fears were for naught. The movie has some flaws, but I found it to be an expertly made action movie that also hails back to a beloved era in James Bond-style spy films and features a lot of laughs. AS far as I'm concerned, that makes director Matthew Vaughn 2 for 2 (his previous film being "X-Men: First Class"). The plot here concerns an independent secret agency, the Kingsman; when one of the members of the secret organization is killed while out in the field, a replacement is required. Among the candidates is Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a thuggish young man who nevertheless has a lot of potential.
In the end, I'm giving this movie a 4/5 and I can tell you exactly who and what is to blame for that missing one star. "Based on the comic by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons". I've read a decent amount of the Millar's work, ranging from the excellent "Red Son", to the needlessly cruel and ludicrous, but admittedly kind of clever "Nemesis". I'd say overall that I'm not a huge fan of his writing because of his sense of humor, which always, for some reason throws in sexual references and acts that I find more awkward, or even disturbing than genuinely funny. Thankfully, when his work is adapted into a film, other cooks in the kitchen have the good sense to exorcise most of the awkward moments (did "Wanted" really need a scene in which Wesley rapes an A-list celebrity? No, it really didn't and thankfully that was completely absent from the film). However, I feel the need to mention this brand of humor because the film is mostly devoid of anything that rubbed me the wrong way... except for the second last scene in the movie which contains a sexual reference that I thought was plain terrible. It feels unfair to be so critical, but what would you rather watch? A race in which a runner stumbles at first but catches his feet and then ends up winning, or one in which the runner trips while ahead of everyone and then gets up in time to still finishes first? I'd rather see something improve over time than end on a truly awkward note. The good news is that other than a few moments here and there where the humor feels mean-spirited, the movie is a real joy to watch.
I think the highlight for me has to be the action sequences that pepper the story. In an age when so many pictures have fights that are chopped up so that can make even an old man look like a bad ass, presuming you can tell what is going on, I had been starving to see this kind of camera work. The shots are nice and long, the action sequences are creative not only in terms of the weapons and techniques used, but in the way the battles are set up. Those bone-crunching kicks and punches get you amped up to see more, and the movie delivers with a spectacular "final boss" battle. Even when it wasn't a fist or gun fight, the movie had me literally shaking in my seat. My legs got very jittery staring down falls that meant nearly certain death and timers counting down to Armageddon. The stunts here and the high stakes, it's exactly what I was hoping to find as I bought my movie ticket. I really did not expect to see some of the most satisfying action set pieces I've seen since "The Raid 2" in a February film.
The next praise I have for "Kingsman" is one that's very particular to me, but I think a lot of you, if you think about it will agree. I miss seeing crazy villains. Yeah I appreciate the villains we see in films nowadays, like the special effects extravaganza that was Electro in "Amazing Spider-Man II" or the morally complex Magneto in "X-Men: Days of Future Past", but I think back to some of my favorite bad guys from when I was a kid and you know who I picture? I picture the silly X-ians from "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero". What do they want? To take over the world and destroy anyone who doesn't kneel before them. How will they accomplish this? Realistic manipulating of governments and careful management of resources? No way! Crazy evil plots is what I want to see! In addition to being an action film so violent it becomes comedic and a genuine comedy, "Kingsman" is also a love letter to those old James Bond movies. The villains in this film rival the classics that I've come to love, like Oddjob, or Jaws, or even some of the one that are so imaginative they don't really make any sense, but sure are cool to see fight bad guys from comic books. When you don't know who you want to cheer for because the villains are so awesome you don't want to see them beaten, you know you have something special on your hands.
"Kingsman" is a fun action movie. It delivers the action you want to see, it has a story that balances out the zaniness of the classic bond films and the more modern plots we've become accustomed to, it's got a lot of big laughs and some memorable characters. It missteps right before the conclusion, but that's not enough to sink it completely. I enjoyed myself very much and hope to see more of this world in the future. (Theatrical version on the big screen, February 21, 2015)