Based on a comic book, Kingsman: The Secret Service embodies a classic spy film with a few modern day twists. Without giving too much away, the most basic plot description is that it tells the story of an urban teenager’s recruitment into a secret spy agency. This action-packed thriller includes everything you could’ve possibly imagined when you were a child about being a spy- high-tech gadgets, the lavish transport, and concealed lairs. Whilst some may interpret the stereotypical representation of a spy movie with the somewhat predictable good versus evil theme as cringey or cheesy, if you embrace that the film is an exaggerated, tongue-in-cheek version of the genre then it really is a good one to watch!
If you were worried that the film portrayed a kid’s film: fear not! The film is not aimed at children. It is packed with adult-humour and it is very deserving of its certificate (15). It is full of one-liners and amusing scenes which may be absolutely ridiculous, but if the world of heroes and villains aren’t presented as glamorous, out of the ordinary and the complete opposite from our own daily lives, it wouldn’t be as entertaining to watch. In this sense, the film really appeals to those who may still view espionage through the eyes of a child.
I have no knowledge about acting whatsoever but as far as I can see, acting as a hero or villain seems like pretty good fun. There are some seriously big stars featuring in this film including Colin Firth, Michael Caine and Samuel L. Jackson. If you associate Firth with his roles in films such as The King’s Speech, for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor, then his performance in this should be entertaining. Firth’s character provides a twist to his usual sort of character. Young actor Taron Egerton, who plays the teen selected for recruitment into the spy agency, is also well suited to the role.
To give you an idea of what to expect, the director of Kingsman: The Secret Service is Matthew Vaughn who also directed Kick-Ass. Similarly to Kick-Ass, this film also gives a different spin to what you’d normally expect from a film about the fight between good and evil. If you’ve seen Kick- Ass this should give you a measure of what some of the fight scenes are like: violent, gory and bloody. Therefore, if an action-packed movie with bloodthirsty fight scenes is not your cup of tea, then this film is probably not for you.
However, if you’re into comedy and you like action then this film is definitely worth your while!