Justen Smith, Staff Writer
A love letter to spy movies of old, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” drips with style. “Kingsman: The Secret Service” is an action-comedy directed by Matthew Vaughn, the maker of “Kickass.”
The plot involves a street-smart young man named Eggsy (Taron Egerton) being trained in a military-style regimen for a British organization. They fancy themselves as modern Knights of the Round Table and the main part of their schtick is that their image and strength is derived from their status as gentlemen.
Galahad (Colin Firth) recruits Eggsy half as a debt to his late-father, to whom Galahad owes a life debt, and half as a testament to the idea that anyone, regardless of class, can be a gentleman.
Sam Jackson plays a hilariously flighty business man that is squeamish to violence while simultaneously attempting genocide. This is not a film that takes itself seriously, plain and simple. A cross between old James Bond and Kill Bill, it is drenched with a self-aware campiness that is an absolute joy to behold. There’s a set piece scene somewhere toward the halfway mark that, without spoiling anything, is completely preposterous and makes little sense even within the constraints of the established plot. But it is amazing to watch, and the movie knows this.
The characters constantly make references to old movies and tropes of the spy genre and it put a smile on my face every single time. Every action scene is intelligently shot, well choreographed, and cartoonishly violent. It all just fits. Some of the plot becomes a little contrived toward the end to fit some of the more flashy action scenes, but regardless, Kingsman is an absolute blast and I would totally recommend it.
