Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong and Michael Caine
Screenplay by Jame Goldman and Matthew Vaughn
Based the comic book by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Rated R (graphic, bloody violence, profanity, sex and sexual references, racial slurs)
Someone is finally doing Tarantino better than Tarantino.
Matthew Vaughn, director of Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick Ass, and X-Men: First Class serves up a spy movie that is easily the most skillfully executed R-rated action comedy -thriller since Inglorious Basterds, and features a spectacular and intricately choreographed fight sequence that rivals the "Crazy 88" sequence in Kill Bill. If Vaughn does not get a solid place on the A list after this, there is no justice. In terms of pure skill, this is one of the impressive pieces of filmmaking I've seen in quite a while.
But be warned, it's the most R-rated movie I have seen in a while, and if the movie has a failing, it is
is that it either lacks a sense of when it pushes the boundaries of taste too far, or is simply a bit too smug about reveling in it's ability to do so.
Based upon the comic book by Mark Millar (Wanted), the movie begins in 1997. While on a mission in the Middle East, secret agent Harry Hart (Firth) is unable to prevent the death of one of his fellow agents. Feeling guilt, he personally delivers a bravery medal to the man's widow and young son, saying that if they ever need help they should call the phone number on the back of the medal and deliver a coded message.
17 years later the boy, Eggsy (Taron Egerton), is now jobless and in his early 20's. When he gets into trouble with the police after stealing and joy riding a car, he remembers the medal and calls the number on the back. He is quickly released and met outside the police station by Harry, who introduces him to the world of the secret agency that he and Eggsy's late father work for: the Kingsmen. Meanwhile, Reginald Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), an eccentric billionaire, is meeting with world leader to discuss a bold new scheme.
Another Kingsman agent, Lancelot, who was inducted during the mission shown in the opening, is killed on a mission to find the missing scientist James Arnold, creating a vacancy for a new agent. Harry proposes Eggsy as a candidate and together with other young hopefuls, including a girl named Roxy, he is enrolled on the training program designed to weed out the unsuitable until only one candidate remains. The training is overseen by Merlin (Mark Strong), a senior Kingsman.
In addition to the top notch direction, Egerton makes a huge impression, showing an abundance of presence and charisma, and this role is a delightful change of pace for Firth, who is surprisingly good in the fight sequences. Jackson is very funny, even if his character seems like Mr. Glass mixed with his villain from The Spirit, mixed with Bill Gates and Steve Urkel.
But the violence level is really unbelievable, and while it is kept very cartoonish most of the time, it occasionally becomes unexpectedly disturbing, particularly in a sequence involve a small child in peril, and there is certain element of taking jokes that have already reached the "very tacky but funny" point and pushing them even further. In that sense the movie is like an amusement park ride: you feel thrilled and sickened at the same time, and you manage to leave feeling like you have had a great fun and been assaulted at the same time.
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