Kingsman: The Secret Service

Released 29th January 2015, Kingsman: The Secret Service follows Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin as he joins Kingsman: a secret spy organisation based in merry old England. This film is, at its core, a parody of any most spy films ever released; whether it’s the nifty tech on offer or the unnecessary drink concoctions, this film takes every single opportunity to make fun of its genre. That said, the film manages to strike a balance between parody while also having sufficient drama and emotion with its selection of characters. Before I begin to talk about the characters however, one frustrating part of the film is its British stereotypes. While they are somewhat funny for a scene or two, the chavvy and pompous accents and idiolects are irritating and really suck you out of the film from time to time.

Taron Egerton brings life to the protagonist ‘Eggsy’. While he nearly falls into the heavy chav accent, he manages to strike a balance where he clearly has a traceable accent but does not aggravate the audience. Eggsy also succeeds as the audience surrogate in his commentary of the overt stereotypes of the spy genre. Sophie Cookson is rather good as Roxy, Eggsy’s only friend out of the Kingsman candidates as is Edward Holcraft as Charlie (albeit an overbearing snobbish accent for most of the runtime). Colin Firth and Mark Strong are particularly memorable as Harry Hart and Merlin, respectively. Whereas Merlin monitors the progress of the candidates, Harry fills the mentor role for Eggsy while also following the plot of the villain; Valentine. As perhaps the most memorable performance of the film, Samuel L. Jackson steals every second as the lisped eco-terrorist Valentine; much like Eggsy, he is extremely self-aware with the genre’s tropes and takes them in his stride.

The cast also encompasses Mark Hamill and Michael Caine; cast additions which clearly took a toll on the VFX budget. While some shots look really polished, most explosions are extremely noticeable as a visual effect alongside other shots here and there. That said, the amalgamation of neo-noir and grindhouse action makes for such exciting, stylised action that you can sometimes accept the dodgy effects. Finally, Henry Jackman’s soundtrack is fuelled with a fantastic energy with numerous leitmotifs across the narrative. Overall, Kingsman: The Secret Service is perhaps the most entertaining spy film ever made with its comedy, unique action and engaging characters.