Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) Review

I've decided that I wanted to start reviewing movies. Not only will it reach out to others who share the same opinions, or maybe have opposing views, but as I'm hoping to someday become a part of the industry, I wanted to document what interested me about certain films.

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) follows a young man's transition from street punk to spy after being recruited by the secret agency. After undergoing a rigorous training program, Eggsy finds himself facing a global threat and leads the charge to stop a psychotic billionaire from destroying the world.

After I'd seen the first teaser, Kingsman (2014) skyrocketed to the top of my list of films to see. Apart from the inclusion of a talented cast, it looked fun, and I was especially thrilled to see it actually had a story. That, alone, set it apart from so many action movies with only explosions as references for their greatness. But because of my terrible luck, I was beginning to fear the film itself wouldn't hold up to its trailer. I won't mention the names of the movies that gave me false hope, but know that these are the experiences that immediately came to mind. Therefore, I arrived at the theater with low expectations, silently hoping to be proven wrong. At the end of that train of thought, I tried to remind myself that it could go in either direction and I had to open myself up to the possibilities. I am relieved to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the film, as it had gone above and beyond my expectations. This adventure is worth revisiting.

While I haven't read the comic this film was based off of (and thus, have no clue whether this was true to the original plot or not), the array of cast members had me rooting for its success. Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Jack Davenport play three (for lack of a better word) badass secret agents while still maintaining the perfect level of class. One of my favorite scenes in the entire film involves Firth as he...well, for the sake of preserving the virgin eyes of those who haven't seen Kingsman (2014) yet, I won't reveal any details. But I can assure you, it is a scene that is spectacular in its attention to detail and fluidity.

Much of the cast, I realized, brought fresh faces to the silver screen––or at least, actors I personally have not seen before: Taron Eggerton as Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin, the street-kid-turned-classy-secret-agent, Sophie Cookson as Roxy, one of the organization's most promising candidates, in my opinion, and Sofia Boutella as Gazelle, a villain I ended up loving to death not only for their originality, but also for their flare. I know I haven't named every single actor in the film, but these are the few that left a considerable impression on me, and I am excited to see what other projects lie in store for them.

Let's recall the fight scenes I mentioned before. I loved them. Absolutely loved them. It was apparent from the start that the film definitely possessed a style all its own, and I can't imagine how long it must have taken to perfect these scenes. They were fast-paced and epically framed. And coupled with the music? Total adrenaline overload. You may recognize the tune playing at the commencement of my favorite sequence. I'll give you a hint: it's one of the greatest rock songs of all time. Have I stirred your curiosity?

The cast and crew clearly worked hard on this film, and I'm sure they had a blast doing it. I highly recommend this movie to anyone looking for a comedic, nail-biting, action-adventure.

To Dave Gibbons and Mark Miller, the original writers of The Secret Service, I hope to see more from you. And to Vaughn and Jane Goldman, excellent work on your screenplay adaptation. I'll be waiting for the sequel.