KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE – The Review

Although Winter’s in its deadly frozen final gasps, down at the ole’ multiplex it’s “spy time”. Not pining for kinky billionaires? Well, then the fine folks at Fox films have an arresting alternative. It’s not the gritty undercover antics of Jason Bourne or TINKER, TAILOR’s men, although a member of the latter group stars here. Nor is it quite as grim as the latest entries in 007’s long franchise. Oddly, you might say this is both light and dark Bond. Its sense of humor almost verges on satire and parody, but it is a dark, almost black sense of humor. After all, this new flick is rated R and goes out of its way to earn that letter, almost wearing it as a badge of honor. So, let’s leave reality and seriousness out in the parking lot. Suit up and join those dangerous dapper dudes and dames of KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE.

The mayhem commences seventeen years ago as a helicopter blasts its way into a desert fortress. A bungled interrogation takes the life of one of these black-clad agents aboard it. One of them, Harry Hart AKA “Galahad” (Colin Firth) consoles his late partner’s angry widow back in London. He tries to give her a special medallion with a phone number inscribed as part of a promise of future help from his old squad. The distraught woman will have none of it, so the coin-size memento is left with her six year-old son. Flash forward to now, as one of Galahad’s partners, Lancelot (Jack Davenport) attempts to rescue a kidnapped scientist, played by an actor sure to delight geeks of all galaxies, but is thwarted by a deadly assassin with razor-sharp scythes for legs, Gazelle (Sofia Boutella), an aide for billionaire (oops so it does have something in common with that other movie opening today!) communications kingpin Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson). Over in the tough part of London, that young lad has grown into ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (Taron Egerton), who despises Mum’s lowlife, bullying beau while adoring his baby sis. After a pub altercation, Eggsy is pinched. Out of panic, Eggsy calls the number on the medallion he wears around his neck, and soon he’s released thanks to impeccably attired Galahad. Returning to the pub, Eddsy is amazed when the older gent easily dispatches a local gang bent on revenge. Later the young man decides to take Galahad up on the offer to join his late father’s profession. Down, down below a posh tailor shop, Eggsy is welcomed to the secret HQ of the Kingsman, a private undercover group led by elder agent ‘Arthur’ (Michael Caine). Eggsy is placed in the recruit training program headed by tech expert/trainer ‘Merlin’ (Mark Strong). While he’s put through his paces, Galahad works on a way to stop Valentine’s radical solution to end global warming, a plan that could eliminate most of the planet’s populace.

The film’s sense of high spirits is led by the irksomely handsome and utterly charming Mr. Firth as the epitome of the gentleman spy. Looking like an off-spring of John Steed of TV’s “The Avengers” with stylish horn rim glasses replacing the bowler, Galahad is like his namesake, a knight not of shining armor, but of expertly woven cloth, which hides all manner of disabling doo-dads. Firth injects just the right tone of smooth sarcasm into every line. I’m hoping for a prequel that will show us how he attains his deadly elegance. Plus he has a lovely mentor/apprentice rapport with screen newcomer Egerton who possess a tough, focused swagger tinged with a bit of sweetness, reminding one of Michael J. Fox in his 80’s movie glory. The kid’s…compact, but his courage and heart more than make up for his stature. Caine adds some old school gravitas (can it really be half a century since he was Harry Palmer, bespectacled super-agent?) to the role of the big boss, while the always entertaining Mr.Strong scores great laughs as the gadget (many retro-inspired) guru and tough teacher coming off as  a bolder, balder take on Prof. Egon of the GHOSTBUSTERS. As for the baddies, Jackson puts an original spin on the secret megalomaniac with his odd, almost distracting, lisp (borrowed from a former boxing champ and current Cartoon Network star, no doubt) and an acute aversion to crimson (” I ‘thee blood, and I just hurl everywhere!”). He too is very funny, which makes his sudden deadly decisions more shocking. Much of his dirty work is accomplished by the exotic Boutella, who in her schoolgirl-like attire seems like a very distant cousin of “Go-Go” from KILL BILL. Kudos also to the energetic turn by Sophie Cookson as Eggsy’s training partner/best bud Roxy.

Director Matthew Vaughn, after a visit to the more gentile PG-13 Marvel universe in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, returns to the more bloody, violent world of LAYER CAKE and the first KICK ASS. These knights leave a mark and a body count. But there’s a sense of style in the chaos, shifting expertly between ultra-slow motion to precise accelatered speed. A set piece set inside a Kentucky church, an obvious parody of an infamous group prone to funeral protests, is a masterpiece of choreographed mass mayhem. Later, a tech siege produces a hilarious visceral fireworks-like spectacle. But thanks to the witty script by Vaughn and Jane Goldman adapting the graphic novel by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons (“The Watchmen”), the movie’s not just big bangs and broken bones. They take joy in flipping familiar spy flick tropes on their ears, often calling them out directly,  and in one instance to quite shocking effect. It’s full of unexpected twists and turns with a startlingly raunchy denouncement (thanks for not giving away the best jokes in the trailer, guys!). There’s superb art direction to match the fashions, lush location cinematography, and a rousing score from Henry Jackson and Matthew Margeson abetting some classics and pop standards. This is an engaging, entertaining tale of super-spies geared more for the adults. Here’s hoping for another adventurous lark with those sharp-dressed, often deadly, KINGSMEN.

4 Out of 5