Let's get the 2015 releases underway, and first up is Kingsman: The Secret Service, directed by Matthew Vaughn, the man behind Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class.
Kingsman is directed by Matthew Vaughn and stars Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Mark Hamill, Mark Strong and Samuel L Jackson and is essentially an ultra violent, hyper stylised action movie masquerading as a spy, spoof type comedy. This movie has Matthew Vaughn's finger prints all over it, so if you're not a fan of stylised violence, blood and death, then I would steer clear if I were you!
I am a huge fan of Matthew Vaughn, I think he's one of the best British directors out there and his last two flicks I am very fond of. This time, Vaughn delivers a slick spy movie that celebrates the genre for all of its wacky absurdities while simultaneously poking fun at it. If you've seen Kick-Ass and you're a fan, then you'll be glad to know that the violent action sequences within Kingsman are taken straight from it. I personally love Kick-Ass, so I was having a great time when bodies were flying all over the place and the death toll just kept on rising. Vaughn directs these action sequences with motion and intensity, but they aren't for the faint hearted!
Taron Egerton plays likeable and relatable protagonist Eggsy in the movie and this really is a break out performance for him, because prior to this I have never seen him act in anything. He does a really good job at carrying the movie because he sells the action scenes and nails the humour which you come to love with his character.
Mark Strong plays a very good part in a supporting role, as does Colin Firth. Although Firth is excellent at selling his character's motivation, I never really bought him as an action star. Don't get me wrong, I still think the action sequences are one of the triumphs of this film its just I never really got behind the idea of Colin Firth shooting grannies in the face and shooting Christian fundamentalists through and umbrella. He's a great actor for sure, but a great action star? No...
On the plus side, Samuel L Jackson steals the film. His character plays a cheesy villain with a completely illogical and grandiose plan of purging the world, but every time he started talking I couldn't help but crack up laughing. His character may have the funniest lisp in film history, and at one point I stopped and I came to the conclusion that the dialogue written for him had the sole purpose of utilising as many "s" sounds as humanely possible.
Kingsman accomplishes some unpredictable moments and some moments of real tension, including a sky dive sequence which may actually be my single favourite scene in the entire flick. However, for me I had problems with the film's narrative, particularly in the first act and the third act. To me, the first act felt a little unfocused. It was rushed and simultaneously struggled to really gain momentum and take off until well past the half hour mark. The opening to the movie just felt a little bit choppy and by the numbers for me and played out pretty predictably.
And finally, the film's third act, the big action climax, is where I start to call bullshit on a lot of things. I'm not really one to talk about spoilers in my reviews unless I clearly state, and I'm going to stick to that. All you need to know is that during the film's third act a few illogical and random moments come and go with no real anticipation or build up. Characters will simply find themselves in a situation simply because the script says so. While I understand that for a movie like that you have to sit back and enjoy these things, things like this take me out of the film and slightly detract my enjoyment.
Other than that, I quite enjoyed watching Kingsman. It felt refreshing, and I was surprised that a film as good as this should appear as a January release. Its witty, charming whilst being in-your-face and violent, and was a surprisingly pleasant viewing experience:
Rating - B
2015's off to a good start!
Thanks for reading,
Matt
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