'Kingsman': Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson better than 007
When Daniel Craig picked up the title of 007, the franchise stopped being so, well, fun. Sure, I'll still see each new "James Bond" flick that comes out, but they'll never feel the same without the campy villains, crazy gadgets and double entendres.
I was just coming to grips with the fact that, short of spoofs, I'd never again see a fun and thrilling espionage movie on par with classics like "Goldfinger" or "You Only Live Twice." Then came "Kingsman: The Secret Service."
THE FILM
A group of elite British spies is looking for new recruits, and they find one in Gary Unwin, also known as "Eggsy" (Taron Egerton). Harry Hart, alias "Galahad" (an amazing Colin Firth) plucks Eggsy from a life of crime and introduces him to the world of the gentleman spy.
But the Secret Service is up against a new foe in the form of tech genius Valentine (the ingeniously belisped Samuel L. Jackson), who will stop at nothing to save the world from itself.
Director Matthew Vaughn ("X-Men: First Class," "Kick-Ass") has become my hero. He's given us my favorite two superhero movies to date, and now I can say he's provided the world with an excellent spy movie that could, and should, launch a raunchier franchise to rival "James Bond."
THE EXTRAS
It's a shame there wasn't a director's commentary. But, in its absence, there's a whole lot of extra stuff that sheds some light on "Kingsman: The Secret Service."
Kingsman: The Secret Service Revealed
This is a multiple-chapter feature where Vaughn explains everything about "Kingsman" from the casting to the comic book (which, by the way, he helped create. Who knew?). But the most redeeming and satisfying part comes at the beginning where he laments the direction spy movies have gone in recent years.
Thank you, Matthew. Thank you.
Galleries
This is your run-of-the-mill collection of stills. Although, looking through all the props and gadgets was a lot of fun.
IS IT WORTH OWNING?
Yes. If you've ever been a fan of old-school spy movies with lots of action and humor, you'll add "Kingsman" to your collection. If I were you, I'd buy a few extra copies just to drive the point home that this needs to become a long-standing franchise.
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