Epitomizes the Definition of the Term, "A Total Blast"

Rating: 9/10 (7 March 2015)

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)
Rating: 4.4/5 stars
Stylish, subversive, and above all fun, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" finds Director Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass", "X-Men: First Class") reinventing the rules of spy films with gleeful abandon. Yes it's completely bonkers, totally wacky, unabashedly over-the-top, and at times even indulgently campy, but it's also, downright, one of the most no-holds-barred, entertaining action-comedy romps you're bound experience in years. More importantly, it's a celebration of the fun-filled, lost art of political incorrectness.
Based upon the acclaimed graphic novel by exalted comic book writer Mark Millar ("Kick-Ass") and illustrator Dave Gibbons, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. Basically you need to imagine a Sean Connery James Bond movie with the potty dialect of "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" and the action from "The Raid" franchise. But there are numerous deviations from the source material - albeit of the extremely rare kind where the adaptation offers a refreshing take on your something you're already familiar with and immensely fond of - to the point where one could deduce that on day one of filming, the creators must have thrown away the moral compass and taken a group vow to splatter our sensibilities with stylish, gratuitous violence and one "wait, what...?" moment after another.
At its heart, "Kingsman" is just as much a parody of James Bond and his spy genre cousins as the "Austin Powers" franchise. Admittedly, it's not a full-on spoof like "Austin Powers", but this action- comedy is very aware of the clichéd world in which it operates. Eventually, it's an entertaining, endearing, delightful ode to spy flicks from the 1960s - a rowdy, amusing romp - spoofing the James Bond concept of dapper gentlemen involved in international intrigue. Still though "Kingsman" is a loving homage to spy movies, it has just enough gravitas to stand as a memorable film in its own right.
Much of the credit for this crackling adaptation from Millar's popular graphic novel goes to Director Matthew Vaughn, who, by now, has done more than enough to hold his own among the likes of Tarantino, Kurossawa, Spielberg, John McTiernan, and Eastwood as one of the best in the business when it comes to helming action movies. He keeps the action coming and astutely juggles numerous topics to deliver a vibrantly entertaining good time. Providing a sedate detour from the grizzly violence and insanely diabolical plot are the witty one- liners that range from eliciting chuckles to uproarious guffaws.
Assisting Vaughn in delivering a seamlessly fun package is the top- notch cast. Oscar winners Firth and Caine add action star and sly backstabber to their resume with spirited aplomb. Firth's performance in particular is nothing short of a revelation; not in a million years one could've imagined that one day this serious, dramatic actor would clean house armed with nothing but his wit, charm, and a bulletproof umbrella. Jackson, clearly had a blast playing a megalomaniac, and camps it up in hilarious fashion. Newcomer Taron Egerton fares solidly as Eggsy, becoming the story's driving force, and evolves into a junior version of Firth, complete with tie, 1960s-style spectacles, and the aforementioned umbrella.
This isn't for the politically correct or the faint of heart. But, if you're on its groovy, twisted wavelength, it's a stoned blast. A smarter spoof than "Austin Powers" devoid of the over-seriousness of the "Bond" movies, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is a stylishly assembled, crazy action-comedy, and a much-needed fresh take on spy movies.