Kingsman: The Secret Service

It's got a solid story with strong acting and a great cast. It has good humour, plenty of violence, bad language, stunning cinematography and perfect pacing. I was very pleasantly surprised with this movie; I avoided it at the time of release as I dismissed it, under the opinion that I wouldn't enjoy it. However, it was impossible to avoid the glowing reviews, so I went into watching this movie intrigued if it would live up to its reputation.

First off, the casting and character selection is very impressive, Colin Firth in particular shows us again his splendid acting abilities. He is the perfect choice for the role he played, in my opinion. The lead character, who the story focuses around - Eggsy (played by Taron Egerton), does a good job playing his character, although I personally found him very irritating. He plays a young chavvy youth, making the transition from street kid to secret agent. He brings the urban language, attitude and temperament to the service which is very out of place but necessary for the story. Samuel L Jackson plays the bad guy very well. The quirkiness and style portrayed is fun to see and fits the style of the movie well. Michael Caine, Mark Strong and all the other supporting cast don't feel out of place (if not a little stereotypical from some of them), they still do a notable job.

It is refreshing to see a movie of this genre so well made with a strong cast, not hold back when it comes to violence. The violence in the movie is one of the most inspiring aspects, it isn't over the top and you never feel like it has gone 'too far' but it is certainly more graphic than your average mainstream movie of this genre. There is a church scene in particular which stands out for me, it has a perfectly choreographed, one camera shot, fluid moving scene which is simply perfect. It's violent, with some surprisingly fresh martial arts and a cool choice of music to go with it!

Kingsman: The Secret Service is different to your usual run of the mill spy movie. It's hard to explain until you watch it, but it's got a certain spin on it, it's quirky, funny and makes many references to other spy movies and how this is a parody. Not in the sense of Austin Powers but it does make tongue in cheek references to James Bond, with some striking similarities. It has style, a fun and quirk edge and it is beautifully made with a plausible run time of just under 2 hours. Believe the hype and give this movie a watch. It's definitely worth your time!

8/10

P.S. The outrage that seems to have swept the internet over the very last scene (so much so, that some versions of this movie have the scene removed) is nothing short of ridiculous. It's political correctness gone mad.

Having really enjoyed/loved 'X Men: First Class' and 'Kick Ass' and being someone who likes a lot of the actors, 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' did seem really intriguing.

There was the intrepidation of whether it would balance the violence and humour well, whether the violence would feel too much or whether the humour would leave a bad taste in the mouth. Finally watching it, 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' was surprisingly brilliant. It sends up the spy genre (primarily James Bond), very like 'Kick Ass did with comic books, and does so brilliantly.

'Kingsman: The Secret Service' is stylishly and audaciously made, with slick visual effects, very imaginative camera work and editing in the action scenes that gives the film an almost operatic grandeur (like in the fight scene in the church), very cool gadgets, richly coloured lighting and audacious production design. The soundtrack is very groovy and catchy, but is careful not to be overbearing, it is far from one-note too and fits with everything going on very well.

Vaughn does a fine job directing here. Not just achieving the right balance of humour and violence (injecting much needed fun into a genre that has become increasingly serious over the years) and keeping the story absorbing and the characters interesting, but standing out in particular were how he properly allows the audience to properly take in what is happening in the action, without jumping around incoherently or being static, and the huge amount of work that he even puts into the little things like with the opening credits.

The film's script is deliciously irreverent, sometimes raunchy, unrelentingly vulgar and very witty, with a plethora of laugh-out-loud funny to hilarious moments. While the action is grim and unflinching (some of it is not for the faintest of hearts) but nail-biting and surprisingly dynamic, the fight scene in the church especially standing out. The story is very clever and absorbing, with incredibly energetic pacing without being too hectic or rushed. The film does deal with the twist well, it could easily have been out-of-place, clichéd or overly silly but it's actually a lot of fun with a touch of humanity injected.

'Kingsman: The Secret Service' contains some very memorable characters, including a hench-woman with legs that can kill. It's very well acted too, three of the standouts being Colin Firth, cast against type but doing a phenomenal job (also doing incredibly well in the action), Taron Egerton as an immensely likable main lead and Samuel L. Jackson (though his performance has divided reviewers it seems and understandably), who is clearly having the time of his life as lisping megalomaniac villain Valentine. That is not to dispute Michael Caine, who is more than dependable as a somewhat ambiguous sort of character, and Mark Strong who has a knack of making even weak material interesting, or Sophie Cookson, very fetching though in a slightly underwritten role, and Sofia Boutella who nobody wants to mess with.

If there is something that lets 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' down it is the ending with the anal sex. This was the one part of the film that to me came over as really unnecessary and tasteless, also seeming very out of place compared to the rest of the material and it is introduced randomly. The infamous Princess line is pretty offensively perverse as well.

All in all, though, a surprisingly brilliant send up that does nearly everything right. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Kingsman is a secret spy organization not connected to any government working in the shadows with no rewards and no fame. Arthur (Michael Caine) is the head of the organization. Harry Hart (Colin Firth) is Galahad. He recruits Eggsy (Taron Egerton) who's father once saved his life. Super billionaire villain Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) has vicious hench-woman Gazelle and a devastating plan.

It's fun, ultra-violent and expertly made. Matthew Vaughn delivers a sharp product. This is more fun than most Bond movies. The action is better than many superhero movies. The church scene is a piece of art. Colin Firth really delivers the needed class. I like Jackson's villain with a speech impediment. It's a fun exciting compelling action adventure from start to finish.

#Kingsman: The Secret Service is a gentlemen secret spy-society that saves the world from a villain with the help of new recruits ... Don't let this summary fool you, the movie fantastic! It got applause at the end of the preview; for me first time ever in a cinema.

Great lines, never laughed this much: Bond with a wink and fresh edge. Plus super shot "martial art" action that should make the Matrix jealous. The action has its true Shakespearian/GoTh moments and all supported by cool tech-stuff. Great aspect in this movie is the music, an extra comic dimension. When you see the movie you'll know what I mean. Next too all the clever fun and furious action, it touches on petty crime poverty and home violence. Matthew Vaugh captures the grimness yet doesn't loose it's lightness ... and I like the message: "a gentlemen is not born, a gentle(wo)men is someone who chooses to be one."

The young gang, like Sophie Cookson, held up well and Taron Egerton established his position in the gang of giants. Colin Firth's aloofness was crowned with a kick-ass bite, Samuel Jackson brings his role back to old fashion comedy, strongly supported by Mark Strong and Michael Caine. It is a big 9,5 - this movie just nailed it.

Stylish, brutal and hilarious. 'Kingsman' is an extremely quintessentially British flick full of over-the-top yet hilarious comedy, brutal violence and a quirky image of England. Since James Bond's debut in 1962, a number of films have attempted to reinvent the genre, with films like 'Johnny English', 'Get Smart', 'This Means War' and many more, however, none have come close to displaying the perfect blend like 'Kingsman' has. Matthew Vaughn has become renowned for taking on action-comedy projects, for instance 'Kick-Ass' (which is still stronger than this but only just), and along the way has kept that feel-good British aspect to it that makes our greatest secret agent (James Bond) such an icon. All-in-all 'Kingsman' is a brilliant, well-executed film.