disappointing

Rating: 6/10 (1 January 2016)

Having just staggered through Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, I perhaps saw "Kingsman: The Secret Service" at the wrong time. My sisters especially are big fans of Colin Firth so I rented this.
The story is about a teen from London (Taron Egerton) called "Eggsy" who is chosen to interview as a professional spy for a secret group called the Kingsmen. They eliminate applicants during the "interview" -- which is actually a series of treacherous attacks, etc. -- until there is one left standing.
"Kingsman" is reminiscent of The Avengers on TV and 007. It has some very funny scenes, particularly toward the end, and clever dialogue throughout.
The violence was very cartoon-like, but I still didn't like it and found it too much and too graphic. I admit I'm not a big fan of violence, but I'll put up with it for something like "The Godfather" - -- not for this.
Lots of explosions and clever spy devices, with good performances by Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, and Egerton. Look for Mark Hamill -- see if you can find him without knowing which character he plays.