The Kingsman: Secret Service, based on a comic book series, is not your typical action movie.
Colin Firth plays Henry Hart, aka Galahad. A gentleman, a tailor, an English spy. In a mishap during a Middle-Eastern assignment, a fellow spy dies. Plagued with guilt, he visits his friend’s widow (played by Samantha Womack) and son Gary Eggsy (newby Taron Egerton).
Firth shows Egerton a collection of super cool spy weapons.
Gary “Eggsy” is a streetwise teen, who is constantly finding himself in trouble. After stealing a car and crashing it into a police car, he finds himself in need of help, and unknowingly calls on Hart for assistance.
Hart sees Eggsy’s potential, and invites him to participate in a program to join the Kingman. Eggsy must prove himself worthy through a series a test with others who have trained their whole lives for such a career.
Although rough around the edges, he certainly has what it takes, and proves it time and time again. Honor, quick-thinking, teamwork and kick-ass fighting skills, all wrapped up nicely in a really handsome suit. (He also ironically looks like a young Firth.)
Egerton with his spy suit and glasses.
While in training with his peers, the Kingsman discover the evil plans of a rich celebrity Richmond Valentine, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Valentine has a hero-complex and feels that although his plan to save the Earth from climate change will kill millions of people, it is the best plan as it will leave some of the human race to continue caring for the planet. (If the only thing you end up enjoying out this movie is Jackson’s lisp, it is still worth the $6 to go see it.)
Valentine creates a very intricate plan, which I won’t tell you so you can be surprised, and one-by-one (sometimes over dinners of McDonald’s Big Macs and champagne) convinces most of the world’s politicians, leaders, and the rich to join him in his endeavor to save the planet.
Hart goes on a secret mission to delve more into the plans of Valentine, and is killed in the line of duty. Although Eggsy failed the program by coming in second to Roxy (played by Sophie Cookson), he appears at the headquarters ready to fill Hart’s position armed with all the knowledge Hart shared with him about Valentine. He is chosen to fill Hart’s seat at the Round Table as Galahad, after a plot twist you don’t see coming until it’s already happening.
The Kingsman, down to three members, decide to take their chances to infiltrate Valentine’s safehold, and put a stop to his plan before he releases his electro-biological weapon on humankind. Eggsy is discovered by an bitter ex-peer dismissed from the mansion after losing a test, who promptly informs Valentine who Eggsy is. Cornered at near death, Eggsy remembers a very important fact, and relays the information to Merlin through their spy glasses, who hacks into Valentine’s system to defeat him in the most creative way possible.
This movie is overflowing with English humor, Irish beer, suspense, geeky technology and attractive people in snappy clothes. Not once in the 129 minutes of this Matthew Vaughn movie did I think it was too over the top. This isn’t a Tom Cruise movie (although to be honest, I enjoyed “Edge of Tomorrow”) or a Daniel Craig James Bond flick that you find yourself saying “Ohmaigawd, that is IMPOSSIBLE! That could NEVER HAPPEN because you know, GRAVITY! Who wrote this fight scene?!” over and over again. Yes, afterwards you’re going to wonder why the Kingsmen were willing to sacrifice a bunch of people to save a bunch of people, when that is all Valentine thought he was doing, and over dessert you will ask the people you went with, “So, what happened to the pug?” but with all the special CGI effects, it is a great choice to see on the big screen, and the spy inside you will love seeing all the innovative ways to use an umbrella.
Head to Brenden this week to see it!
My rating: 5 out of 5
