A school boy's dream, yet why so shy? Scott Gentry reviews Matthew Vaughn's deliriously entertaining spy spoof, "Kingsman: The Secret Service".

"Kingsman: The Secret Service" (15)
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn.
Starring: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Hamill, Soufia Boutella and Mark Strong.
Rated: '15' for containing strong bloody violence, and strong language.
Running time: 129 minutes.
Released in UK cinemas from the 29th of January, 2015.

When a Matthew Vaughn film opens confidently with the classic Dire Straits hit, "Money for Nothing", and a testosterone fuelled shoot-out in a middle-eastern country, surely you're on to a winning piece of cheeky and absurd filmmaking? Well, it's partly correct. This film is the epitome of OTT, and Vaughn's latest offering may have captured the silliness of the graphic novel it is based on (written by the comic-book mastermind Mark Millar), added in his signature style (lots of blood!) and reinvented my perception of Colin Firth (no longer the well-mannered man in a tuxedo’), but is there really anything to set "Kingsman" apart from the "Kick Ass" crowd? Alas, no.

Having given up on his life ambitions, Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin (Taron Egerton) wastes his life hanging around with his friends, partying and drinking, with no clear goal in sight. At home, the family live in poverty and his mum and stepdad constantly argue, leading to upsetting scenes of domestic abuse, which Gary wishes to stop, but cannot. Upon one drink-fuelled evening however, Gary and his friends steal the car of his stepdad’s close friend, subsequently crash, and despite his friends successfully escape, Gary is arrested by the police. With no help from his immediate family, Gary remembers a promise made to him by a shadowy co-worker of his deceased father’s, calls a number, and is mysteriously released. Soon after, he is approached by Harry Hart (Colin Firth), a suave gentleman who reveals to Gary that he wishes him to be recruited into a privately funded spy organisation, named Kingsman, based upon his promising, yet unrefined skills, just as a global threat occurs from a cold-blooded genius, named Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) emerges...

It was quite unfortunate to find that a novel (which I personally love) with such potential for onscreen blockbuster carnage has been ravaged of all its unique attributes, as Mark Millar's piece has been adapted and placed into the 'playing it safe' category of blockbuster cinema. After the negative reception to the violence found in "Kick Ass" (famed critic Roger Ebert found the film to be highly offensive and "morally reprehensible"), it seems that Vaughn and his co-writer Jane Goldman have responded with a less shocking approach to their screen adaptation, despite the horrifically violent nature of the novel, but I can understand why. 

They're worried of losing their audience. But it's been proven in many instances that '18' rated films can recover their budget and expand upon their box-office hauls over time ("Gone Girl", a prime example), despite their adult material.  But here, Vaughn's afraid to go grittier, and for a high-flying Spy film, it isn't filled with enough action to truly live up to its double-o high-jinks. Whatever would the sensors say if it was adapted straight from Millar's novel? Well, upon classification from the BBFC, "Kingsman" received an '18' rating, but has since been re-cut to a '15', in order to get the maximum amount of audience members into cinemas. It's disconcerting to know that studios are far more interested in the box office returns, rather than the creative aspects of filmmaking, and they should honestly consider taking higher risks. It's an age-old argument I know, but why not be bold?

The novel's characters reflected a sense of realism and were frequently placed into dark situations which challenged them, whereas "Kingsman" contains unbelievable action set pieces, and relatively thin characters, apart from the two leads. Ultimately, Vaughn and Goldman have attempted to cash in on their previous success, and failed, as they have essentially replicated their winning formula, but have manipulated it into a completely over-the-top piece with no real purpose. And surely if their goal was to pick at the Spy genre, it's pointless, as we've seen it all before in the form of "Get Smart", all the way to the depths of Eddie Murphy's "I Spy". But, "Kingsman" is enjoyable fun for many reasons: it's regularly offensive, frequently hilarious and features one of the most exciting shootouts of recent cinema history, set to the tune of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird".

The piece is mindless fun, sure to enrapture testosterone-filled teenagers as well as perhaps some action-hungry adults, and it’s all down to the script (co—written by Vaughn and Goldman). It’s pleasantly self-aware, citing cheeky references to the spy genre at any given chance, from Jack Bauer all the way to Jason Bourne, containing slices of dialogue which are frequently hilarious, creating many enjoyable scenes clearly influenced by their idols. But there are problems. The representation of women in the piece stands out considerably in my mind, as the pair have bothered to create two strong-willed female characters, but at the next moment, other women are underdeveloped and used for sexual innuendos. It isn’t so much offensive, just disappointing. 

Perhaps the most enjoyable feature of Vaughn's adaptation is his all-star cast. Jackson is perfect as the stereotypical villain, a tech whiz with a hatred for blood (plus an ingenious lisp) as it makes him feel rather queasy, leading to some rather hilarious scenes shared with his bodyguard, Gazelle (Sofia Boutella), a talented paraplegic with no remorse for acts of brutal violence, frequently and inventively beheading and maiming her opponents. Firth provides a charming performance ingeniously taking pot-shots at the polite Englishman (often to the confusion of his adversaries), and has never been so funny, gleefully shooting his way through mass amounts of villains, whilst also remembering his manners (they make a man). 

Firth is particularly entertaining alongside his young co-star Egerton, especially in the earlier scenes in which Firth's seasoned Spy attempts to teach his protégé the ways of becoming a gentleman, with priceless results. Egerton himself acts solidly in a promising debut with style, bound to surprise once again in Brian Helgeland's upcoming biopic of the Kray twins, starring Tom Hardy. Alongside the talented leads there are many entertaining performances from the supporting cast, most notably from Mark Hamill, Michael Caine and Mark Strong, all of whom delight in their roles, especially Hamill, who after a long hiatus from live-action films returns in a small, yet pivotal role, as an eccentric university professor.

Once again there is clean, sleek and stylish direction from Vaughn (who has recently become a capable director of action sequences). Although, the action sequences are generally fast-paced, and Vaughn has created many of the frenetic sequences in a manner which is too fast to even begin to register the unfolding chaos playing out on the screen. It’s obviously an artistic choice which somehow fits in with the story, but these sequences often become exhausting. The CGI is also another hitch, as the film strives to include ridiculously over-the-top scenes of action which aren’t possible to shoot without the use of CGI, removing the sense of realism from the film, and damaging the film’s USP, that it’s a realistic film. 

Verdict

Essentially preposterous and overly childish, yet “Kingsman” is a gleefully entertaining romp, perfect for a Friday night at the cinema, requiring very little thought. But will we remember it in just over a year? Most probably not. 

6 Stars out of 10

Written by Scott Gentry. 

Film/TV Rating Key

1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.

3-4 stars out of ten = Average.

5-6 stars out of ten = Good.

7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.

9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.

Trailer

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