Movie Review – Kingsman: The Secret Service

Fun and Frolic

Probably one of the most fun filled movie which I’ve watched in recent times. And as I had no idea about it and it took me out of blue, it was even more terrific. Films like these are the reason that you watch cinema for. With ample amount of action, sarcasm and a convoluted storyline, it makes for a terrific watch. Especially if you had watched it in theatres, your joy would have knew no bounds.

The movie has a ‘Tropic Thunder’ kind of opening and reveals what kind of film it was going to be, right from the word go. So you can’t be mistaken for what you’re in for. But with time, it gets a slightly serious tone and it confuses you. It doesn’t last long though. As it’s not a regional film for me, the opening was even more interesting for me. When a professor is kidnapped and someone fights everyone in the room and delivers a punch dialogue about saving him, we tend to believe that he’s the hero but he gets killed in the same scene. That was a beauty. Because if I had either known about the cast or had known who were the big stars, the surprise factor wouldn’t have happened.

Harry Hart (Colin Firth) gives a medal engraved with an emergency assistance number to his agent’s son Eggsy (Taron Egerton). They both make a great mentor – kid combo. Especially Eggsy, an utterly charming individual. Plus the fact that it’s a reveal of an underground organization for the first half of the movie, makes it an interesting watch. It’s like those superhero’s first part where he gets to know about his powers. No matter how many films come and go, that part would always remain interesting. It’s the same here too.

As it’s an English film, obviously the place looks beautiful, everyone is a gentleman, except for the maverick psychopathic villain Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson). How cool does that tailor shop look, even without knowing anything about it. They celebrate their drinks and every time you see a frame with someone with alcohol in hand, it looks like picture perfect moment. Any of it could be made into a poster for either the drink, the suit or the shoes. It looks like a front page GQ ad.

The surprise factor of the movie was its suddenness. One major twist which I didn’t expect was the death of Harry. Just like Valentine says, “Well, it’s not one of those movies”. It really wasn’t. We don’t get much time to lament on the death of Harry. Plus we get another shock when Eggsy doesn’t get selected as Galahad. The final task felt like he did the right thing by not shooting the done. We’d have expected him to have got the title for able to empathize with a living being and give importance to any life. But again it’s not one of those movies so he doesn’t get the job. Anyways it doesn’t matter in the end as he comes out as true savior.

Another good thing about the movie was the friendship of Eggsy and Roxanne “Roxy” Morton (Sophie Cookson). It looked like they both would be a couple but Eggsy had other ideas. The climax wasn’t a total win-win as Valentine gets to his party sometime. The satellite scene was quite hilarious. With such stylish action sequences and a highly entertaining screenplay, it’s a movie worth its mettle.