Brash, inventive and highly entertaining.

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2015)

After successfully dipping his toe in mainstream-friendly fare with X-Men: First Class, exuberant filmmaker Matthew Vaughn returns to non-PC mode with a subversive and sardonic flick that does for the spy genre what Kick-Ass did for the superhero genre. Attempting to deliver a genuinely great espionage flick whilst simultaneously parodying the genre it belongs to, the key to victory for Kingsman is its impeccable balancing of tones. Although Vaughn's arrogant gusto – displayed from the opening shot as we zoom up to an exploding Middle Eastern mansion – is a major contributor to the high level of entertainment on offer, the praise must be shared with regular screen writing collaborator Jane Goldman. The pair not only dish up witty, foul-mouthed banter and regular, cheeky movie references, but they also unleash gleefully irreverent commentary on subjects ranging from Westboro Church-style religious extremism to the ridiculous behaviour of the one-percenters. Even the action is hilarious. Vaughn designs his set pieces with equal parts flair and brutality; the violence is cartoonish yet graphic, the choreography is over-the-top yet exhilarating and a church-set rampage is one of the most downright awesome action sequences of recent times. The contrasts don't stop there either. Colin Firth is calm, cool and collected as gentleman spy Harry Hart and Mark Strong is unflappably controlled as fellow agent Merlin, whilst at the other end of the spectrum British youngster Taron Egerton is brash and self-assured as Firth's apprentice Eggsy and Samuel L. Jackson is in colourful lampooning form as megalomaniac Valentine. There are a few flaws that will irk those who don't appreciate Vaughn's cocksure direction, but with such inventive ultra-violent action, a rip-roaring soundtrack and adult humour aplenty, Kingsman is a big-screen delight.