★★★
Director Matthew Vaughn continues to prove that he has a unique talent for adaptation. I haven't seen his debut film, Layer Cake, but his other four works have all been adapted from comic books. Or if you must be specific, Stardust was a novel first. Still, Vaughn has delivered some top rate action films in the past five years, and following X-Men: First Class, I was excited to see his latest work.
Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, played be newcomer Taron Egerton, lives in London with his mother and her boyfriend. He's caught in a spiral of minor crimes involving the gang his mother's lover leads. After stealing a car, he calls in a favor of Harry Hart (Colin Firth). After springing Eggsy from prison, Harry takes him to train to become one of the Kingsmen after the recent death of one of their agents.
On the other side of the globe, noteworthy humanitarian Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is meeting with politicians from around the globe to reduce the damage done to the earth by climate change. Also, if you didn't gather from a single scene where Jackson is on screen, he is the villain, and he speaks with a Mike Tyson lisp.
What follows is a collection of training montages where the Kingsman trainees are bumped off one by one in a series of exercises arranged by Merlin (Mark Strong). The narrative of the film is traditional heroes quest fare. There isn't a single missed step from where Eggsy leaves from home to the point where he rises above the opposition and saves the day from evil in the final act. Much like X-Men: First Class, the majority of the second act depicts the training of youth and their growing bond, and eventually how they fall apart, though it is through the completion of their training in Kingsman. This isn't to the films detriment, however. As familiar as it is, the formula is pleasing, and the characters are memorable.
Every performance from a primary or even the secondary cast is spectacular. Everyone on screen turns in their best from the first frame forward. Jackson is wonderful as Valentine, who oozes in the same way that a classic Bond villain would through their deeds as they slink their way to the end of their world dominating plans. Firth's Harry Hart is a gentleman in every motion, smooth and fluid in every one of the over the top action scenes, and likable to the very end. But most important, Egerton's turn as a disenfranchised youth turned debonair spy is a sign of a new talent that's coming up out of British television. There is a fantastic transformation from the swearing, beer swilling twenty-something at the start of the film to someone who mirrors his mentor, while still maintaining some aspects of his identity. The homage to Roger Moore era Bond films at the very end reminds us that he's still got that immaturity in his heart. I'd love to see a sequel to see where he goes from here.
The various spoofs and homages to classic spy movies and television shows add color to the film. From the Q Branch inspired gadgets to a hangar full of classic cars and aircraft, and even mention of a shoe phone straight out of Get Smart, Kingsman knows its inspirations, and doesn't try to hide them. A scene where Hart visits Valentine at his house is reminiscent of the Connery era Bond film, where the hero and the villain, wittily circling each other over dinner, knowing that they are destined to face each other later in the story. Pair this with a soundtrack that sounds more like it belongs in Austin Powers, and the tone is complete.
Except for in one instance which is a bit jarring. There is a scene where a character brawls with a large group of civilians, and the fighting is displayed with the same playful, over the top chaos of the rest of the film. However, when the fighting stops, there is a moment of regret. It comes across as half hearted, because Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd is blaring over the bloodbath. This is the only instance where it happens, and due to the setup, you will likely feel little guilt for laughing at the victims.
The cinematography and fight choreography are top notch. Despite quick edits, fast camera movement, and dozens of people on screen at any time during the fight scenes, it's easy to tell who is doing what, and where they are in the room at any time. It's reminiscent of Timur Bekmambetov's work on Night Watch, and Day Watch, sans the elaborate masking and unveiling of subtitles. The camera makes the best of every set in the film even when blood isn't being spilled. The old English settings, the pubs, the slums, they are all given sufficient space, and often containing some amusing touches in the background.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is a fun film, first and foremost. It's a bloody, messy film with a lot of charm and heart. It's style over substance, but the characters make it a lovely experience from beginning to end. Also, Mark Hamill is in a few scenes, and he's worth the price of admission for his few minutes of screen time.
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