Quirky and cool, Kingsman quenches the thirst for a playful action entertainer after the Oscar flourishes at the box office. The interplay of etiquette and culture with copious violence and foul words generates an engaging tapestry which draws from the British spy movies of the ‘60s and also makes fun of them in a subversive manner.
Based on an illustrated novel, it is about an elite international intelligence agency where every spy or Kingsman works under a pseudonym. So we have Galahad (Colin Firth) who has to investigate a tycoon called Valentine (Samuel Jackson). Valentine is a modern day megalomaniac who is trying to control the humanity by showing the carrot of free internet and stick of global warming. There is a parallel track where Galahad has to find his successor through a rigorous process and he backs a plebeian boy Eggsy (Taron Egerton) for the job. Eggsy’s father had saved Galahad’s life and now he wants to pay back. Galahad’s senior Arthur (Michael Caine), who represents the elitist view, doesn’t believe in Galahad’s ways to democratise the agency and it gives an interesting layering to screenplay where Eggsy’s street smart ways help him clear a series of daunting tasks.
Colin Firth is the right choice to represent the pervasive Britishness of the scenery and together with Jackson doesn’t allow the shallowness of the comic book idea show up. The young Egerton has a tough ask to fill into his shoes and when he takes over Kingsman loses some of its conviction and the mental age of the script comes down.
However, Vaughn ensures that the pace doesn’t slow down and the risqué punch lines keep coming till the climax. Amidst all the flashy bits, Vaughn slips in the poignant relationship between Eggsy and his mother. It sounds clichéd in the beginning but doesn’t end that way. Add to it bouncy action choreography where Valentine’s henchwoman Gazelle (Sofia Boutella) with her bladed feet provide an interesting counterpoint to Galahad’s bullet proof umbrella and we have an engaging couple of hours.
The screenplay is interspersed with references to Bond films and Vaughn’s tribute to filmmakers who have excelled in this space. You can clearly see hints of Tarantino and Favreau’s irreverent style of dealing with the material.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Genre : Action comedy
Director : Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Sofia Boutella
Bottomline : An entertaining tribute to the gentlemen spies of yore.
