Kingsman: Mr. Darcy goes berserk and we wonder what took him so long
Eyewear maketh man: Colin Firth and Taron Egerton in Kingsman.
Kingsman: The Secret Service, Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of the Mark Millar comics, is the most fun we’ve had at the movies this year so far, but then we enjoy onscreen violence because it saves us the mess of perpetrating our own. We are totally the market that thinks Scanners needed more cranial explosions.
Colin Firth is even better-tailored than usual as a member of a super-secret intelligence agency operating out of Savile Row, and Taron Egerton as his downmarket protege is adorable. Initially we were disturbed by the seeming right-wing reactionary thrust of the movie—that it falls to the upper classes to save the world—but this is turned upside-down before long.
Millar’s comics oeuvre resembles a hyperactive 11-year-old’s rewrites of superhero comics (Kick-Ass), and Kingsman is for those who wish the James Bond flicks had more violence. As in Wanted and the Ultimate Avengers, those in power are overthrown and hands that feed are inevitably bitten.
Firth is always charming, even when he’s committing mass murder, and the action sequences are clever and funny. In fact the movie is so kinetic, we regretted having seen it in 4DX because the moving chairs are redundant. Critics are up in arms over a scene in which a woman offers an agent sex if he saves the world—how is this different from every action movie? Oh, and eyeglasses. Rrrrrr, eyeglasses.
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February 23rd, 2015 at 12:11
Somebody should make a short film about an encounter between Galahad and Hit Girl. Accents and c*** words in one glorious mess of aerial attacks that will surely end up a stalemate. Plot twist: Since neither can win nor lose, the whole thing becomes a video game.
Matthew Vaughn (from io9.com):
“A lot of people are very upset that Colin might not be in the sequel but I’m coming up with ideas at the moment. If people buy tickets in America, I’ve got a feeling we’ll figure out a way for having Colin back. “
February 24th, 2015 at 00:08
great movie!
potential for the cbcp to do a presscon on it.
i hope they dont.
March 1st, 2015 at 18:27
Loved this movie! Just watched it today, and Taron is my new soulmate (kebs kung cougar ang arrive).
It’s really amusing how critics hone in on the sex joke but don’t mind the violence. Don’t get me wrong; like you, I loved the violence in this one. It just pains me to see that, as usual, the conservatives find the sex (which, really, wasn’t even there) offensive but the exploding heads and sliced-and-diced spies are fine. It’s also interesting to note this got an R16 rating while “sexy” movies get an R18 (or even an X).
Earlier today I read that the Westboro “Church” plan to picket Nimoy’s funeral. They should watch this movie and see exactly what happened to “South Glades Church.” Perfect commentary.