Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

[Mark R. Leeper]

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)

CAPSULE: Matthew Vaughn directs, co-produces, and
co-authors a script about a super-special branch of
the British Secret Service. Sending up the James
Bond films and nodding to films as diverse as INVADERS
FROM MARS and THE SHINING, the film has a solid sense
of fun. Colin Firth plays a superspy who recruits the
wayward son of the agent who saved his life. Firth
trains the boy and then together they face off against
a high-tech super-villain, Samuel L. Jackson affecting
a childish lisp. The story makes little sense but
moves fast enough that the viewer hardly notice. This
film is astonishing and fun. What could have come off
as a bunch of cheap shots poking fun just add to the
class of the production. Rating: high +2 (-4 to +4)
or 8/10

When the James Bond films were getting popular they were satirized
in the "Flint" movies: OUR MAN FLINT (1966) and IN LIKE FLINT
(1967). That almost seems redundant since the Bond films satirized
themselves. Unimaginatively, Flint was an agent who just was an
expert on any subject he needed, far beyond the capabilities of
mortals like you and me. And the film industry forty-nine years
later is still challenging Bond by creating super-agents. The
latest and very likely the most creative is the preternaturally
smooth Harry Hart (played by Colin Firth), agent of the British
super-Secret Service. The film is the spectacularly exaggerated
spy spoof KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE.

The film opens with Harry Hart, superspy, slipping up and nearly
getting killed, but for the help of another agent who saves Hart
but gets killed in the process. Years later the heroic agent's son
is going wrong in brushes with the law. At the same time the
Secret Service is looking for promising material to mold into new
secret agents. Hart wants to kill two birds with one stone,
bringing the troublesome boy into the organization. Hence this boy
with the thick English accent gets his chance to prove himself and
become s spy. Taron Egerton plays Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin, about to
enter the bewildering world of the secret agents.

Doing a tongue-in-cheek satire is really a dangerous business.
There are any number of satirical films, frequently filled with
graduates of "Saturday Night Live", that go on for long stretches
without ever earning a chuckle. This film has genuine original
material and situations some of which work. Toward the end there
are some astonishing ideas. The approach is more comic book than
James Bond, but it does not talk down to the viewer. This film not
only has allusions to Bond films, but if you look and listen you
can find pieces of QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, THE SHINING, THE MAN
FROM U.N.C.L.E., THE BREAKFAST CLUB, 24, PRETTY WOMAN, and others.
The dapper British agent with impeccable suit, tie, and brolly may
have come from THE AVENGERS or as far back as Ralph Richardson as
Major Hammond in Q PLANES (1939). There is also a clear visual
reference to Oscar Pistorius.

Problems with script include too easy a visual test to find who are
the villains but it is inexplicably only too rarely used. And
there is the standard problem that guns seem to have an
inexhaustible source of rounds without the user reloading. There
is also a puzzle involving parachutes that I believe could have
been solved more easily (and safely).

Actually the first little surprise of the film is the banner for
the production company Marv. Marv's banner at the beginning of the
film can only be read by people not colorblind. There is a rather
egregious product placement for a fast food chain.

Familiars in the cast include Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine,
Jack Davenport, Tom Bell, and even Mark Hamill. And these days
what is a spy film without Mark Strong of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER
SPY, ZERO DARK THIRTY, and THE IMITATION GAME? George Richmond is
responsible for cinematography with some breathtaking natural
visuals and other times he seems to capture a 3-D effect, though
the film was not released in 3-D.

This film is really an original, the first of its kind. See it
before a dozen imitators come along. I rate KINGSMAN: THE SECRET
SERVICE a high +2 on the -4 to +4 scale or 8/10.

Film Credits: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2802144/combined>

What others are saying:
<http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kingsman_the_secret_service/>


Mark R. Leeper
Copyright 2015 Mark R. Leeper