KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

REVIEWS NO-ONE ASKED FOR

by Ashton Brown

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE dir Matthew Vaughn

THE FILM SAMUEL L JACKSON ALMOST RUINED

Now I am not anti-Samuel L Jackson. I like Pulp Fiction as much as the rest of you. But over the past few years (10 years to be fair) I have noticed his ability to either bring down a film or signpost a bad film. I usually avoid a film if he is the draw card, or notice that I can usually tell how average a film will be if he's in it before watching it (Robocop 2014 - even Gary Oldman couldn't save this bad boy). However the cast consisting of the exceptional Colin Firth and the very predictable but wholly enjoyable Michael Caine - plus recommendations from friends and family - led me to sit on the couch on a Friday night to see what this film was all about.

Going in, I always assumed that Kingsman was a 'M' rated family film. I guess that this preconception was somewhat related to the fact that I knew it was about a young 20s type chap who becomes a secret agent. This film very quickly became more Hot Fuzz than Agent Cody Banks - much to my delight (no offence Frankie).

Kingsman: The Secret Service is incredibly British. Not necessarily to it's detriment - if anything this is what give it it's charm. With clear references to Bond (both score wise and in general tone) and slick action sequences, it is well worth watching if you can ignore some ridiculous plot holes and weak writing moments. The action is so slickly directed that, one sequence set in a church in particular, is completely mesmerising and beautiful in it's composition, direction and cinematography. Gorgeously stylistic action sequences, in fact, are what sets this film above others of it's type. At times I found myself frustrated with some appalling plot decisions but when these proved to be misdirection I stopped yelling at the TV and enjoyed having been fooled. Given the access to technology in the film, a certain moment involving balloons felt more like a chance for drama than sitting comfortably in the world the film had created but I was able to laugh it off and still enjoy the rest of the climatic moments that the film offered.

Back to Samuel L Jackson. Jackson is so abhorrently weak in this film that during the first half it almost felt like two different films - the sequences with him felt like some camp Ali G spin off and the sequences without felt like this extremely British film that used humour as effectively as it did action. When the two story lines finally met I couldn't help but feel cheated out of a real villain instead of a lisp and some Snakes on a Plane type acting.

Other than a weak ending that only Bond fans wouldn't cringe at, and my clear dislike of Jackson in the villains chair, overall the film was an enjoyable journey with some gorgeous directional choices, a superb score (a clear tribute to spy/bond films in the composition) and an overall slickness to a film that is well worth watching if you are home on a rainy day.

3 out of 5.