It is awards season and amidst all the tortured geniuses and psychopathic jazz teachers, there is Nicholas Cage driving around with his skull on fire. Well, that was wishful thinking but there is the next best thing — a super revisionist take on James Bond complete with colourful, megalomaniac zillionaire and a totally scatty plan for world domination.
Kingsman were tailors to the rich and powerful in the days of yore. When the war wiped out a whole lot of heirs, the world was left with powerful men with money and a desire for peace. That is how Kingsman was set up as an international secret service without the bureaucracy of a regular agency.
When one of their agents, Lancelot is killed, the leader, Arthur asks the other knights to suggest a replacement. Galahad suggests Eggsy, a bright but aimless youth with whom Galahad shares a past. The candidates must pass a series of tough tests devised by Merlin as only one of them will be chosen to replace Lancelot.
Simultaneously, the world faces a threat of annihilation from a philanthropist billionaire who feels the only way to save the world is by pressing ctrl+alt+del to return to default settings, which involves turning most of the world’s population into raging, homicidal maniacs.
Kingsman is based on Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar’s comic book The Secret Service . It is a subtle, subversive ride through the world of the suave super spy. British director Matthew Vaughn is the man for the job having helmed wicked super hero movie Kick-Ass . The wonderful Colin Firth doesn’t have a hair or line out of place as Galahad while Taron Egerton is charming as Eggsy. A Bond movie is only as good as its villain and Samuel L. Jackson is marvellous as Richmond Valentine, suit, sneakers, lisp and all.
There is also Michael Caine as the snobbish Arthur and Sofia Boutella as Gazelle, the henchwoman. And Mark Hamill (remember Luke Skywalker?) plays James Arnold, a climate change scientist—I truly fear for the new Star Wars movie, J.J. Abrams notwithstanding.
Well, that is in a galaxy far, far away and while waiting for December 17, you could cheer Eggsy on as he saves the world, drinks the champagne and gets the princess, while not messing up his suit. Double Oh behave!
Kingsman: The Secret Service (English)
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton, Michael Caine
