Colin Firth isn’t exactly well known for his action movie skills with the likes of Bridget Jones’ Baby and Love Actually in his hit list, but in the release of Kingsman: Secret Service back in 2015 he got a whole lot more kick ass, adding to the spy credentials he built up working on Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011). With some very impressive fight scenes and ice cold Secret Service gadgets that include a see-through, bullet proof umbrella stun gun, called The Gunrella, it was made a pretty big impact, paving the way for a sequel in 2017 called Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
It’s a bit like a cross between Attack The Block and Spectre, melding the disparate spheres of street crime and the British Intelligence Service to present a very approachable concept for the average kid on the street. It may not necessarily be a serious catalyst for change in tough neighbourhoods as such, but there’s clearly an element of this in the production of the film, which was directed by Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class). Check out the trailer below to see some of the Colin Firth fight moves for yourself.
Release date
The Kingsman: The Secret Service UK release date took place on the 29th January 2015, making it one of the first action movies to hit the cinemas in the first quarter of the year. The US release date for the British film was a couple of weeks later, going on general release in North America on the 12th February 2015.
The DVD and Blu-ray release date was on the 8th June 2015, with the film available first on digital download through iTunes on the 25th May 2015 in the UK. The film rental arrived on the same date as the DVD and Blu-ray release.
Storyline
The plot is a British Intelligence Service-infused zero-to-hero tale of a young man’s transition from petty criminal to action hero spy, swapping some terrible dress sense for a little more style in the process. Garry Unwin, AKA street gang member Eggsy, has been wasting his life away getting stuck in a life of street crime, but when Secret Serviceman Harry Hart shows up wanting to pay off a debt of gratitude he owes to Unwin’s father, his life is transformed into the high-octane action of life as a spy in training.
Hart enlists Eggsy as a recruit to be a part of the international private intelligence organisation, The Kingsman Agents, giving him a new purpose and direction in life, but as with all action movie storyline, things get pretty tough before the final credits roll. In this case, the fury comes in the form of self-made biotech billionaire called Valentine, who believes that mankind is the virus and he’s the cure. With the help of his spring-footed, slice-and-dice technician of pain Gazelle, he sets his sights firmly on global terror, giving Hart and Eggsy a lot of messed-up crazy to handle in the balance.
The plot is based on the comic book series, The Secret Service, which was written by Kick Ass co-creator Mark Miller and comic book artist Dave Gibbons. It’s the fourth Mark Miller comic to be made into a feature film, following on from the success of Wanted, Kick Ass and Kick Ass 2, and it’s looking likely to follow in the box office footsteps of its predecessors. With Kingsman: The Golden Circle also confirmed for 2017, his movie tally in now up to five.
Kingsman movie posters:
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Cast
Colin Firth (Bridget Jones’ Baby) takes on the role of Harry Hart with his typical smooth seriousness, combined with a newfound flair for Jackie Chan-like fight moves and Daniel Craig inspired stunts. His young protégé, Eggsy, is played by newcomer Taron Egerton (Eddie The Eagle), and they have a little old guard support in Michael Cain (Interstellar) as Sir Arthur Giles, and fellow Brit Mark Strong as Merlin, both senior figures in the Kingsman secret service.
Samuel L. Jackson (Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children) plays the geekishly nefarious Valentine and Sofia Boutella (The Mummy (2017)) takes on the vicious role of his attack soldier Gazelle. Sophie Cookson (Huntsman: The Winter’s War), another newcomer to the big screen, plays the movie’s female lead, Roxy, and there’s a cameo for Mark Hamill (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) in the cast for the film too.
Age rating
Kingsman: The Secret Service was given an age rating of 15 in the UK by the BBFC with strong bloody violence and strong language.
Production
Matthew Vaughn directed the movie, having also co-wrote the script with long-time collaborator Jane Goldman (AKA Jonathan Ross’ wife), who’s other credits include Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children. The film is being made by Vaughn’s production company Marv Films, which has previously been responsible for Layer Cake, Stardust, both Kick Ass movies and The Fantastic Four (2015) reboot, so there’s a fair bit of might behind the production.
Review
While the trailer works well to raise expectations with impressive fight sequences, decent special effects and unique ethos, there’s probably just a little too much silly for it to really impress. It’s got some big names in front and behind the cameras, which worked well to give Kingsman: The Secret Service a platform to go on to be a big release with a lot of box office pulling power. However, the more tongue-in-cheek elements of the spy thriller aren’t quite as sharp as they good be, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fun watch. It landed well enough to warrant a sequel, so the initial film clearly did enough to keep the movie executives happy, so this could go on to be a long standing series.
