The gentleman-image returns to spy-movies

Rating: 9/10 (4 August 2015)

Yesterday evening I had the opportunity to finally sit down and watch this movie, which I had already heard many positive things about.
Firstly, if you are looking for a serious and realistic spy-movie filled with heightened moral points, I suggest you go see something else. However, if you are ready to accept some breaks of realism and some hard language, this movie is a gem in its genre. The humor is cheeky without being ridiculous (which for me is in fine keeping with these Kingsmen being gentlemen). The main character's development throughout the story was, for me, also believable and Colin Firth's performance as secret agent was spot-on. In its entirety, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" has many of those clichés involving the anti-hero becoming super-hero, but the thing that makes this movie stand out, is its "return to the roots while reinventing them"-ability. In its hay-day, James Bond was a perfect portrayal of this gentleman-spy who always knew what to say and who was always a step smarter than the next guy. However, in recent years (for me) James Bond has become more "rough", in the sense that he rarely wears suits anymore and has become more of a soldier than a gentleman-spy. Not saying the movies aren't still good, but many of those elegant gentleman-moments has gone away. Therefore, it is lovely to be reminded that the gentleman-approach to the spy-genre is still achievable and possible. It is lovely to watch a movie again, which is packed with superior one-liners and gadgets disguised as everyday-items.
The movie gets 9 stars from me, because I was entertained throughout it all, entranced by the action, stunned by the cinematography and because it returns to many of the origins, from which spy-movies came, while also throwing some modernity into the mix along with a clever eye for use of clichés - and also knowing when to break them.
So - before you go see the new "Spectre" and agree with yourself that this is how spy-movies should be, give this one a try :-)