Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

my bae in grey

I heard about this film at production stage and was immediately excited. Matthew Vaughn is a personal favourite of mine, and that has much to do with Layer Cake, Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class and Stardust. His scripts are always fun and full of references besides homages to great cult figures that influenced his childhood (consequently mine as well). The soundtracks themselves are stellar as well. He's just awesome, okay. I don't often gush over directors, but I do adore the stuff he's been churning out over the years, especially this one. I am sincerely hoping there's a franchise to be found here, as that would certainly be ironic.

Vaughn is a huge Bond nerd, and this film is a tribute to that besides other classical spy films that defined the 60's. He's even got Michael Caine in it (hello). It's obvious from the get-go, as the film is about a young man called Gary Eggsy Unwin (Taron Egerton) who soon gets roped into a spy agency called Kingsman with gentlemen agents - well dressed and excruciatingly polite in their violence. 

The one who convinces Eggsy to join is Harry Hart played by Colin Firth. Everyone knows that the two-time Mr Darcy isn't really an action man and is more known for playing with v-neck jumpers and making females faint with his dimples. Despite that, I was still convinced he would do an excellent job, and I wasn't wrong. We've also got Mark Strong who surprisingly enough isn't playing a complete utter badass or mean guy, but the man (still badass) behind the tech. 

It's the first time I've gone 'yay' loudly in a theatre, then hurriedly scolding myself. 

Eggsy however, isn't just going to be let in into the agency and will have to compete to replace one of the knights at the round table. He of course doesn't live up to expectations whatsoever, as he's not a posh knob head, nor does he do it the regular way either. You'd think this would just be another teen flick really, but isn't Spy kids no. 

Besides all of this, there's of course a nefarious and evil plot brewing with Samuel L Jackson behind it, of course. I do get a kick out of seeing him play the bad guy, since Unbreakable is a time back now. 

Anyway the film is a dose of good fun and ridiculousness, but the good kind. 

The reason it actually works is that it doesn't try to take itself too seriously, yet somehow manages that adequate balance, minus some utterly Roger Moore-esque scenes. I look forward to seeing other films with Eggsy donning the suit on whatever madcap adventure. 

It's the first time in a long time I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel. 

9/10