Kingsman: The Secret Service – ****

Kingsman: The Secret Service, based upon a comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn, is a thrilling, campy ride through the dark and mysterious world of espionage. It is a fun look at how would-be James & Jane Bonds would be recruited into the spy game. ‘Eggsy’ (Taron Eggerton) is a typical, London hooligan, from the working class and who’s had a rough life as a teenager. His stepfather’s a jerk, mother’s an alcoholic, and is constantly harassed by the local gangster’s kid. Nothing seems to be going right until he gets into a bar fight with said punk lands him into lockup.

Then his savior swoops in to bail him out, in the form of Harry Heart (Colin Firth), codename “Galahad”, tailor extraordinaire. Of course, nothing is ever as it seems, and the tailor is more than just a tailor. This instantly reminds one of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”, although I’m not sure if that’s a deliberate reference or not. Regardless, young Eggsy is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime after he agrees to meet with Harry at his tailor shop. Not before long, Eggsy realizes that Harry does not just specialize in impeccable suits, but is actually an agent for an independent espionage service that has existed for decades, and is not beholden to the bureaucracy that state-funded agencies are subject to, known as Kingsman.

And as they follow the model set down by King Arthur, all agents are given codenames based on members of the Knights of the Round Table. When one knight falls, a replacement knight (agent) is selected through a recruitment process, hence giving Eggsy the opportunity to apply to be a Kingsman, after a legendary agent is slain in the opening scene. Harry explains a bit about them before revealing what’s really behind the racks of suits in the shop.

Still not convinced, though, Eggsy doesn’t finally commit until Harry demonstrates his skill set on the gangster’s clan in the pub. And boy, does Colin Firth get it done, and armed only with an umbrella and bar glass! He gives Liam Neeson a run for his money. The fight scenes are nothing short of impressive, with over-the-top violence. Now, many may complain that it’s too cheesy or whatnot, but they probably fail to understand that it is in fact based on a comic, as mentioned initially.

Once the training gets underway, however, is where the real fun begins. Eggsy meets his rival candidates in the racks, and commence with a series of training exercises that test their mettle and creativity under pressure. The most exhilirating scenes are, of course, the aerial sequences, just as with a certain Bond franchise. Speaking of which, there are a plethora of tongue-in-cheek references to 007 and other famous agents, and makes a startling comparison between them.

Harry is dangerously attacked, however, and Eggsy must save him before the megalomaniac, Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson in a hilarious role), can take over the world with his devious plans. Helping him along the way is his colleague, Roxy (Sophie Cookson), and Harry’s handler, Merlin (Mark Strong). With time always against them, Eggsy and Roxy must work together to save the world! Kingsman is an enjoyable film once you get past the corniness and just enjoy it for what it is: a better than average, winter popcorn flick.