With an overly ridiculous action movie plot and wonderful ensemble cast this film is not to be missed!
KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.
This is the first movie that I’ve really enjoyed in a long time. It’s an action comedy that has heart and attempts to convey a political message. One of the many great things about the film is its superb cast. Colin Firth plays a spy who’s really a combination of James Bond and John Steed. Firth’s comic timing is superb, but during his character’s action sequences his stunt double’s face is shown in a couple of instances and he really looks nothing like Firth. Samuel L. Jackson plays the villain of the piece and while his performance is strong for comedic effect he added a lisp to the character’s speech, but this was neither funny nor consistent throughout the film.
Michael Caine, as always was superb and worked brilliantly with what little he had. Newcomer Taron Egerton was fantastic as leading character “Eggsy” and certainly was not intimidated by the talent he was working with. One of the biggest surprise standouts for me in this movie was Mark Strong. He played the technical genius of the film, but some of his scenes were the strongest and funniest of the film!
The cinematography of the movie is clever and the camera never cuts away from the more violent scenes – meaning at times the film is quite graphic, but in a comedic fashion.
Overall the film has a farfetched storyline, but an excellent cast. Those looking for an enjoyable action comedy will love this film!
3.5 Stars
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Screening courtesy of Palace Nova Cinemas