Twentieth Century Fox presents, in association with MARV, a Cloudy Production, a Matthew Vaughn Film, KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, starring Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton and Michael Caine.

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

Review by dalia di giacomo + production notes

http://www.fox.de/kingsman-the-secret-service

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE is produced by Matthew Vaughn, David Reid, and Adam Bohling.

The screenplay is by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic book “The Secret Service,” by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. 
The film is directed by Matthew Vaughn.

Charme and mayhem.

What a nice, crazy movie!  Surreal and real, hilarious, adventurous yet with a kind of solid moral background. It is a  tipical "based on a comic book "-movie, but with a great gear, also because is directed by  matthew Vaughn (X-Men First Class). A top-secret independent spy organization, called Kingsman recruits a young school dropout Gary , puts him in a training program and transforms him in a wise, impeccable, smart agent. The message of the movie is engagement , competition, motivation, change, opportunity. A social outcast can become a well-mannered person

When the father of five-year-old Gary “Eggsy” Unwin sacrifices his life during a classified military exercise, his family is a phone number they may use only once, should they need a favor of any kind. Many years later Eggsy (TARON EGERTON) is just a school dropout living in his mother’s flat. When arrested for joyriding, Eggsy calls that number hoping to be released from jail, and indeed is rescued by Harry Hart (COLIN FIRTH), an impeccable spy who owes Eggsy’s father his life. Harry feels responsible for the death of Eggsy’s father, and that he owes the man a debt. When a Kingsman agent is killed, the organization looks for a new recruit. Harry offers Eggsy the opportunity to turn his life;  but Eggsy must make it through  many competitive tests that each  new Kingsman agent must pass. Meanwhile, Harry must solve mysterious disappearances of several prominent academics, scientists and entertainers, and hunt the villain Richmond Valentine (SAMUEL L JACKSON), a tech billionaire whose desire to save the earth at any cost has led him to prepare a strategy with devastating consequences.

Kingsman is an elite organization of operatives working outside of the government. Martial in style, they are an altruistic unit that gets things done. “They’re the good guys,” says Colin Firth, who plays Harry, whose Kingsman name is Galahad, named after the Arthurian legend. “We’re living in an age in which we’re very suspicious of our institutions and our governments. Whatever trust we’ve once had has been undermined, so I think it’s interesting to explore the idea that there is an organization with pure motives. One not compromised by the politics and bureaucracy of these institutions. The Kingsmen are the modern-day Knights of the Round Table.” 

In this movie old fashion and modern fit together, as well the possible with the impossible. The gentleman spy is elegant with the suit, the gadgetry built into the umbrella... yet is also futuristic. The movie is enjoyable with moments of superhero actions and a villain who seem very hard to be defeated. Valentine thinks that the global population has swelled to uncontrollable levels, so it requires culling. His deadly plan is to produce SIM cards that he will distribute freely around the world, and which will stimulate aggression and reduce inhibition. Eggsy will be very involved in this struggle, that will change his life forever. “Eggsy is a tough role to pull off,” notes Vaughn. “He is a street kid who becomes a gentleman. He must be credible at portraying both, while also being likeable, which isn’t easy. But Taron’s done it with real aplomb.”   Explains writer Millar: “I ‘borrowed’ the idea from a professor I met from Glasgow University. He had explained to me that if the Reptilian complex at the very base of the human brain was activated, we would be extremely territorial and aggressive, and ultimately destroy each other. There’s a radio frequency that drives everyone nuts.” One of the film’s many standout action sequences is a big fight set inside a church: true mayhem.

Go and see this movie and have a nice evening  , with Bond-esque British charme and umbrella.

8,7/10

Review by dalia di giacomo

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