Kingsman: The Secret Service – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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Overview

A veteran decides to pay back an old colleague by taking his son under his wing, in the hopes he could become the man his father couldn’t stay.

Trigger Warning(s): Flinch worthy violence

Review (with Spoilers) – Below

Characters & Story

For more than 20 years Harry Hart (Colin Firth) has been a Kingsmen, and often he would advocate for those without a silver spoon to join the society which has existed for more than a 100 years. His latest candidate he put up is Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (Taron Egerton) who is the son of a fallen comrade who died saving Harry’s life. So, to repay him, and save him from wasting his own potential, he puts him through testing.

All the while, Billionaire Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is looking into the pollution issue. Something him and his assistant Gazelle (Sofia Boutella) are working to solve through a human genocide. Leading to Harry, and the rest of the Kingsmen, to go after this eccentric billionaire whose intentions maybe good, but his methods horrendous.

Praise

Almost 24 hours later and perhaps the main thing I remember from this is the action, which was probably a little less graphic than The Equalizer, and the comedy which wasn’t heavy. For example, Jackson’s character has a lisp and just hearing him talk with it is strangely more comical than it really should be. Though Jackson’s comedic talents don’t end there, for truly he makes a good spy movie villain with the guy being eccentric. For, among his many eccentrics, his desire not to see blood, for it makes him queasy, is one of the most odd things. As for Firth, he too is funny, and with him playing a very sort of cold Bond type, naturally his comedic talents are with a sort of charm, or a prelude to him whooping someone’s ass.

Now, as for the rest of the cast and the story, perhaps one of the main things I liked about this film is the villain was Black, his henchwoman was Hispanic, and I loved that she kicked ass. For something I never understood in movies like this was why are there never henchwomen, much less someone in Gazelle’s position? Though the diversity factor doesn’t end there, for while there are no Asians in the film, there is also a woman on the side of the Kingsmen. Said character is Roxy (Sophie Cookson) and what I liked about her is not only did she prove capable of being alongside the fellow trainees, but she didn’t become Eggsy’s love interest, no matter how close she and Eggsy became. Which was great to me since it helped bring additional rarely seen factors to this film.

Criticism

With that said, though, Eggsy did feel a bit generic. If only in the sense that he was your generic fit white boy who gets plucked out of his situation and shown a better life. Which is only a part of the criticism for it made first meeting Eggsy sort of an eye-rolling experience. However, Egerton grows on you. I wouldn’t say this is a breakout role for him, though. He just plays his part, works well with the rest of the cast, and keeps the film going.

Overall: Worth Seeing

To see this movie I had to go into the blistering cold, after work mind you, and hope the screening wasn’t full. And I can genuinely say it was worth all the possibility of me going to New York City for nothing. For while I may only watch this one more time for quotes, I do think that the majority of people who would go see this would enjoy it. There is good action, it’s funny without trying too hard, and while the diversity isn’t international, at the very least there are two talented women, one villain one hero, and a Black villain who is quite interesting. Add in a decent enough story to keep you entertained for 2 hours and hopefully you’ll understand why I’m labeling this Worth Seeing.

Collected Quote(s) – Coming Soon (Apparently I didn’t add them back to the original post)