Review: Kingsman

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By: Chris Chiu

What do you get when you cross the action of a James Bond film with the humour of The A-Team, and the recklessness of This is the End? Answer: A helluva good time.

For many, James Bond has long been the gold standard of what a spy should be. Whether it was the suaveness of Sean Connery, or the ruggedness of Daniel Craig, Bond has always been the template, until now. However, with the release of Kingsman: The Secret Service, viewers are given a convincing case for why Bond could be dethroned.

Based upon the comic book by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, Kingsman is the story of Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a young adult living in one of London’s rougher districts. Eggsy’s unfortunate involvement in a carjacking and an incurred debt causes Eggsy’s life of petty crime to coincide with the lavish world of the Kingsman Secret Service. With the help of his mentor (Colin Firth), he transforms from a delinquent to a member of Kingsman, a collective of elite spies. From there, Eggsy is thrown into an adventure filled with humour, action, and self-discovery, all while he fights to save the world from a genocide-obsessed megalomaniac played by Samuel L. Jackson.

Kingsman brings together an eclectic mix of veteran and novice actors, resulting in a compelling final product. In particular, newcomer Taron Egerton’s chemistry with his co-stars is evident, especially Colin Firth and Sophie Cookson, further adding to the appeal. In contrast however, scenes with Samuel L. Jackson’s character often left me annoyed. While it’s clear the movie set out to be light-hearted and quirky, the eccentricities of Jackson only made him less convincing.

Still, the strengths of Kingsman outweigh its flaws. Specifically, the cinematography of Matthew Vaughn, the maestro behind X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass, lent his signature fun and edgy style to the film. All the tiny details of the film, including the costume and set design, all congregate to create a stunning visual for viewers

What makes Kingsman stand out from other spy films is it never takes itself too seriously. Unlike a Bond movie, where the directors strive for realism, Kingsman is much more like abstract art. This allows for some over-the-top scenes—including a thousand-man brawl in a church—to not feel out of place in the film.

The result is a whimsical spy movie for this generation—one that carries itself with a lot more panache than your average spy flick, and maybe even a little more swagger than Mr. Bond himself.

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