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Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service
/ February 7, 2015
Rating: MA 15+
Release Date: February 5th, 2015
All I had to say was “Yes” when I saw the trailer for a film staring Colin Firth as mentor to a gorgeous English upstart on the road to secret service gentlemanliness: action, charm, and quite cheeky chuckles I.WAS.IN.
Said upstart is Taron Edgerton, starring as Gary “Eggsy” Unwin, a South London lad seemingly destined for jail, pulled out of obscurity by Harry Hart (Firth), colleague of Unwin’s spy father, who sees Unwin’s potential to follow in the family line. Blown away by Harts’ cool-as-a-cucumber precision fighting and all round manly excellence, Unwin climbs under his well-dressed wing, looking for the nearest pot of Brylcreem.
Now if you want ‘dapper’ and ‘gentlemen’ there are no better people to cast in Kingsman (unless you truly want to melt the hearts of ever viewer by adding Tom Hiddleston), but where the Brits surprise is in the way Kingsman deviates from the Bond course viewers are expecting, and enters the world of a Kick-Ass/Hot Fuzz hybrid. With stylised delivery and continuous fast-cut sequences of violence, the film offers an unexpected nod to graphic novels over traditional spy drama, undermining its charm with MA content; Firth’s weaponised umbrella skills are impressive, but I think he’s much more on-point when he reminds Eggsy that “Nobility doesn’t come from being superior to your fellow man, but from being superior to your former self.”
Kingsman also surprises with its political overtone, opening up blatant discussion about global warming, the sincerity of political motivations, and legitimacy of mass genocide. Largely articulated by the camp, and excentrically disturbed Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), his sentiments give conscientiousness to otherwise mindless violence, but aren’t enough to anchor the film in any kind of hopeful meaning.
If you can set aside the rapid violence, and overlook the MA language, Kingsman has a worthwhile story of redemptive transformation in Eggsy – the picture of a talented youth waiting for an example to follow and a mentor who’ll invest in them – it’s just a shame his road to gentlemanliness involves some fairly ‘un-gentlemenly’ things.
Kingman can also find points in its perceptive view of the judgemental church and its lack of ability to offer salvation when ‘sinners’ aren’t invited in, but the films brash attack may render its insight mute.
Whether Kingsman will suffer simply by being ‘unexpected’, or in fact mistreats an interesting script viewers will decide, but either way know Kingsman isn’t the home of Mr. Darcy and his 21st century son.
7/10
High point: Seeing good tailoring put to good use.
Low point: Realising your Grandma probably wasn’t the best friend to bring to this film.
Best digested with: Anything requiring silver service.
