Rating: 6.5
To some, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” could be considered a high energy entertainment romp, but to others it might be a film that can’t quite make up its mind.
“Kingsman” is about Eggsy, a teenager with great potential played by Taron Egerton, but because of his troubled upbringing and flare for causing mischief, has found himself behind bars. After being unexpectedly bailed out and taken under the wing of a suave gentleman played by Colin Firth in a finely pressed suit, Eggsy finds himself caught up in the top secret dealings of a privatized spy organization.
Being a spy is dangerous work, and one of their top spy positions becomes open for reselection after dealings with a light-heartedly diabolical mastermind known as Valentine, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson, and his blade-legged assassin, Gazelle, played by Sofia Boutella. To fill the vacant spot and become a gentleman spy, Eggsy and a group of other young hopefuls find themselves in a boot-camp to hone their skills and test their mental toughness.
What needs to be addressed first, is that “Kingsman” is entertaining. The characters are well-rounded and the humor is quick, harsh and witty. With the quick wit and semi-memorable lisp, Valentine is almost more likeable than the rest of the characters. Audiences will probably find themselves laughing at many of his lines and violent antics — despite their better judgment.
Even Boutella’s Gazelle is pretty memorable due to her high flying action scenes and her trademark razor blade legs. Another cool aspect “Kingsman” has going for itself is the stylization of scenes and camera work. The action violence can be especially bloody and over-the-top, yet the choreographed movements captured at zoomed and unique camera angles make the scenes almost seem like a dance.
Something else that could be taken as a positive from “Kingsman,” is some of the political satire this film provides in a few of its scenes. The film doesn’t hesitate to take jabs at political figures and celebrity figures around the world, including President Barack Obama. It was somewhat refreshing to see that no particular public figure was ever explicitly mentioned or shown, but the idea of them was conveyed and done so subtly at that. In one scene, there is a clear depiction of Obama, as Valentine makes a deal with him privately in the oval office, yet you only see the back of his head, which was cleverly done.
“Kingsman” falls short with its plot. Some may argue that the idea behind this movie was to have something stylish and entertaining that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that may be true. Something that can’t be ignored, however, is the fact that the feel of the movie itself is incredibly mixed. Half of “Kingsman” feels like a young-adult novel adaptation and the other half feels like a Quentin Tarantino project. Through many of Eggsy’s trials through boot-camp, the film almost takes on a “Hunger Games” type of feel, while the other half of the movie has a weird mix between an Austin Powers and a James Bond film.
Walking away from the theater, it could be very possible to perceive that the viewer just saw two different movies. Something that would have been nice to see, is some more consistency toward the feel of the story, and not so much on the action and stunt-work. This is a balance that Director Matthew Vaughn has done quite well with his previous projects, such as “X-Men: First Class” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” but didn’t necessarily maintain for “Kingsman.”
Another aspect of “Kingsman” that’s not so great is the blatant plug for McDonalds. Product placement is never considered to be a good idea, unless you’re making fun of it like in “Wayne’s World.” The involvement of a commercialized product in the middle of a scene can take the viewer out of it as the characters discuss the enriching flavors and quality of a fast-food chain. Understandably, the scene where Valentine sits down to McDonalds is a joke, however when it consistently is in frame and discussed, it comes off as less about the scene being less about a plot and more about a sponsorship. Is this critique nitpicking? Maybe, but really good movies can usually get away with not having blatant product placement.
Overall, “Kingsman” is an entertaining, if not somewhat confusing ride and should be enjoyed mostly by young-adult audiences. If viewers are looking for something that has over-the-top action and witty one-liners, then Kingsman should provide quite nicely. If viewers are looking for a film with a bit more substance and story, skipping this film might not be such a terrible idea.