Kingsman: The Secret Service Review: Mary Poppins with an ASBO
Ever
since the very first trailer; where the director, Matthew Vaughn’s portfolio of
past movies, including such great blockbusters as Kick Ass and X Men: first
class, got me intrigued to click on the trailer for the fresh stylish aesthetic
coupled with the fast paced jaw breaking action to then get me hooked and made
me want to stay, I have been very interested and excited for this movie. Now
after a considerable delay to theatres, where the films existence sadly fell
out of many people’s minds, Kingsman is finally out, exploding onto the scene
with nothing but a conspicuous umbrella and expertly tailored suit, reminding
you of just how fun a globe trotting espionage flick can be.
Kingsman: The Secret Service follows Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a good hearted man trapped in a life of petty crime inLondon
As you can probably tell from the plot the movie has great scope with the whole world being in the cross hairs of this delusional genius, and that is one of the movies greatest strengths. This scope allows the movie to be taken in many different and interesting directions, never staying in one place for too long and effectively utilising the globe trotting aspect of the spy genre and giving us great locations that we all wished as a child to infiltrate as a young and budding spy. However within this great scope the movie never takes itself too seriously (as seen through some greatly placed songs), acknowledging fully its comic book routes and proudly standing out from the Bourne’s and Bond’s of the world, making this a more playful and exaggerated take on the life of a spy that is a blast to watch as not everything is taken with such weight as seen in movies such as Skyfall. There are also a plethora of comedic moments sprinkled throughout the film. Most of these great comedic moments come from the villain of the film, Valentine, as Samuel L. Jackson successfully channels the more extravagant Bond villains of old; creating a more elaborate villain with an actual engaging personality instead of the one note baddie he could have been.
This playful approach can definitely be seen in the wide range of characters that star in the movie. From the veteran Kingsman Galahad who executes tasks, sometimes literally, with such precision he can be seen to be more than human, to the quirky antagonists of the movie Valentine and Gazelle (Sofia Boutella). These bring back the great dynamic of gleeful mastermind and formidable femme fatal that with her unique special weapons creates thrilling and innovative set pieces. In-fact there is not a dull character ever placed on screen with each brimming with personality you either want to spend more time with or want to see get K.O’d by a member of the service, and rightfully so.
The interest cultivated for the characters is in great part to the excellent acting present on screen as they take characters that could easily be portrayed as their stereotypes, a chav fromLondon
Speaking of the uniquely Kingsman style of justice the action in this movie is a non-stop thrill ride of awesome. Each click of the trigger, each upper cut to the jaw can be felt throughout the pulse raising action set pieces of the film. The combat and pace of these scenes are fast, fluid and brutal as you see what’s hiding behind the unassuming guise of a Kingsman; such as Galahad who was especially impressive in these areas of the film as we see what the well spoken actor is really capable of. The sequences are also every well choreographed with none of the action being missed by awkward camera angles, but instead the camera is always tightly fixed on the Kingsman in question making you feel every motion of their chosen weapon, whether it be fist, gun or umbrella.
What makes the concept of this new spy-verse overall even more impressive is the amount of time and effort put into the lore behind it. The innovative history and inner workings of the secret service are not only well thought out but also well fleshed out within the movie itself. Making it a well grounded and intriguing organisation that while slightly fantastical does make sense; this can also be said of the plot that rarely falls into any spy clichés we have all come accustomed to. Possibly the greatest example of the films innovative and deep universe can be seen within the gadgets at the Kingsman’s disposal. Turning an umbrella into a lethal weapon of mass destruction and a pair of shoes into a hidden lifesaver the Kingsman have weapon ingenuity that would even leave Q impressed and smiling with glee.
A surprising feature of the film was the amount of peril that was felt throughout the film. Many of the thrillingly dangerous and death defying acts the characters are put through unexpectedly put me on the edge of my seat, wiling for their survival. This reaction is a great testament to the characters connection to the audience as it engrossed the audience and allowed them to feel genuine fear for their possible demises.
However one aspect of the film that sadly constantly broke that feeling of immersion was the sub par CGI used within the film. The films adventurous scope creates many thrilling set pieces that just weren’t properly realised in the film, never becoming believable as the over the top objective being completed just didn’t look real; with the CGI taking me completely out of the film each time it was used; ruining the stylish and sleek atmosphere the rest of the film so brilliantly builds.
Overall Kingsman: The Secret Service is a fresh and innovative look on the spy genre, taking it back to the over the top and playful days of a secret base being located in an iceberg with mind blowing and well put together action that will leave you uncontrollably smiling at just how cool the events unfolding in front of you are, with characters that are well acted and full of personality in a deep and fleshed out world that is a joy to explore.
Kingsman: The Secret Service = 8/10
Visit http://thenerdingtonpost.com/ to also see my work and other cool articles.
And now you can see my articles on http://www.wildcube.co.uk/web/ along with a cool Internet radio station, playing music from the 80's to today.
Kingsman: The Secret Service follows Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a good hearted man trapped in a life of petty crime in
As you can probably tell from the plot the movie has great scope with the whole world being in the cross hairs of this delusional genius, and that is one of the movies greatest strengths. This scope allows the movie to be taken in many different and interesting directions, never staying in one place for too long and effectively utilising the globe trotting aspect of the spy genre and giving us great locations that we all wished as a child to infiltrate as a young and budding spy. However within this great scope the movie never takes itself too seriously (as seen through some greatly placed songs), acknowledging fully its comic book routes and proudly standing out from the Bourne’s and Bond’s of the world, making this a more playful and exaggerated take on the life of a spy that is a blast to watch as not everything is taken with such weight as seen in movies such as Skyfall. There are also a plethora of comedic moments sprinkled throughout the film. Most of these great comedic moments come from the villain of the film, Valentine, as Samuel L. Jackson successfully channels the more extravagant Bond villains of old; creating a more elaborate villain with an actual engaging personality instead of the one note baddie he could have been.
This playful approach can definitely be seen in the wide range of characters that star in the movie. From the veteran Kingsman Galahad who executes tasks, sometimes literally, with such precision he can be seen to be more than human, to the quirky antagonists of the movie Valentine and Gazelle (Sofia Boutella). These bring back the great dynamic of gleeful mastermind and formidable femme fatal that with her unique special weapons creates thrilling and innovative set pieces. In-fact there is not a dull character ever placed on screen with each brimming with personality you either want to spend more time with or want to see get K.O’d by a member of the service, and rightfully so.
The interest cultivated for the characters is in great part to the excellent acting present on screen as they take characters that could easily be portrayed as their stereotypes, a chav from
Speaking of the uniquely Kingsman style of justice the action in this movie is a non-stop thrill ride of awesome. Each click of the trigger, each upper cut to the jaw can be felt throughout the pulse raising action set pieces of the film. The combat and pace of these scenes are fast, fluid and brutal as you see what’s hiding behind the unassuming guise of a Kingsman; such as Galahad who was especially impressive in these areas of the film as we see what the well spoken actor is really capable of. The sequences are also every well choreographed with none of the action being missed by awkward camera angles, but instead the camera is always tightly fixed on the Kingsman in question making you feel every motion of their chosen weapon, whether it be fist, gun or umbrella.
What makes the concept of this new spy-verse overall even more impressive is the amount of time and effort put into the lore behind it. The innovative history and inner workings of the secret service are not only well thought out but also well fleshed out within the movie itself. Making it a well grounded and intriguing organisation that while slightly fantastical does make sense; this can also be said of the plot that rarely falls into any spy clichés we have all come accustomed to. Possibly the greatest example of the films innovative and deep universe can be seen within the gadgets at the Kingsman’s disposal. Turning an umbrella into a lethal weapon of mass destruction and a pair of shoes into a hidden lifesaver the Kingsman have weapon ingenuity that would even leave Q impressed and smiling with glee.
A surprising feature of the film was the amount of peril that was felt throughout the film. Many of the thrillingly dangerous and death defying acts the characters are put through unexpectedly put me on the edge of my seat, wiling for their survival. This reaction is a great testament to the characters connection to the audience as it engrossed the audience and allowed them to feel genuine fear for their possible demises.
However one aspect of the film that sadly constantly broke that feeling of immersion was the sub par CGI used within the film. The films adventurous scope creates many thrilling set pieces that just weren’t properly realised in the film, never becoming believable as the over the top objective being completed just didn’t look real; with the CGI taking me completely out of the film each time it was used; ruining the stylish and sleek atmosphere the rest of the film so brilliantly builds.
Overall Kingsman: The Secret Service is a fresh and innovative look on the spy genre, taking it back to the over the top and playful days of a secret base being located in an iceberg with mind blowing and well put together action that will leave you uncontrollably smiling at just how cool the events unfolding in front of you are, with characters that are well acted and full of personality in a deep and fleshed out world that is a joy to explore.
Kingsman: The Secret Service = 8/10
Visit http://thenerdingtonpost.com/ to also see my work and other cool articles.
And now you can see my articles on http://www.wildcube.co.uk/web/ along with a cool Internet radio station, playing music from the 80's to today.
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