Movie Review - Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service **** (R) Years of reviewing has taught me to expect little from big-budget movies that hit the theaters in January - March. They tend to be the dregs of the industry left over from the rush to get their good stuff into theaters before New Year’s Eve for awards eligibility. That makes exceptions like this even more of a treat. Of all the spoofs of James Bond and other superspy films, this is not only the most recent, but probably the funniest and splashiest since Austin Powers plied these waters.

The eponymous organization is a top secret group of elegantly-tailored gents who could pass for members of the House of Lords while kicking ass like Jason Bourne. They transcend borders, but are more British in most respects than the Royal Family, led by Sir Michael Caine and Colin Firth. Such guardians require a megavillain, and get a superbly evil and campy one in Samuel L. Jackson, complete with his outrageous plan for a new world order. His way. He’s also backed by one of the genre’s most cleverly-crafted henchpersons (Sofia Boutella), who makes memorable predecessors like Oddjob and Jaws from the early 007 adventures seem like second-stringers.

The Kingsmen lose a couple of members while discovering Jackson’s plot, forcing a recruitment and training effort. That brings in our troubled young protagonist from the lower classes (Taron Egerton, who looks like he could be Matt Damon’s kid brother) to try for the roster. What follows covers all the bases of comedy, action and large-scale f/x with generous doses of social and political satire.

Matthew Vaughn deftly deploys his experience from action and comedy features as director and co-writer of this comic-book adaptation. The film runs just over two hours, which is long for such fare, but doesn’t seem excessive. Always a good sign. In fact, this one builds to a couple of truly first-rate action sequences - one particularly hilarious; the others primed for adrenaline production. This may not be a great movie, but it’s a wonderful and welcome winter escape, with some stunning, perhaps award-worthy, computer-generated elements. (2/13/15)