Kingsmen Secret Service Review

Kingsmen: Secret Service combines the best ridiculous bits of the old James Bond films with the dynamic and engaging plot-lines of newer spy films like the Bourne Identity series.

Starring Taron Egerton as Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin, and Colin Firth as Harry Hart with the villain, Valentine played by Samuel L. Jackson, it tells the story of Eggsy as he trains to become a Kingsman, a spy, mentored by spy Harry Hart and his ultimate attempts to save the world.

The soundtrack sounds reminiscent of many Bond soundtracks and the sound design team seemed to delight in pairing upbeat, peppy songs with scenes of carnage and murder but this effect does not distract and rather makes the scenes seem worse when paired with such happy music. Such as the final fight scene between Eggsy, and the main hench-woman Gazelle, to KC and the Sunshines Bands “Give it up“.

The film has pragmatic characters with believable character development but still manages to entertain and surprise. Although there is character development in the protagonist, he retains his underlying personality and the story is more about him enhancing his already present positive attributes. As opposed to becoming better by changing everything about himself.

Kingsmen has a great balance of action and humor, it is a very genre savvy film as it recognizes and consciously avoid classic tropes. Such as the refusal to have the ‘Bond One-liner’ and the characters saying that ‘this isn’t that kind of film’.

The final scene, which I will not describe for fear of spoiling it, manages to make a gory scene both entertaining and gruesome, which for those of us who enjoy a little gore are sure to enjoy. This is unsurprising when you realise that the director Matthew Vaughn was also a producer for the 2010 hit Kick-Ass.

All in all, I would recommend seeing this film. Although it is not the most intellectual film it is a load of fun.

Text by Karolina Firman

Photo attribution: Gage Skidmore