Kingsman: The Secret Service

Cruelly insane fun, in my eyes even a notch better than Kick-Ass, mainly thanks to the likable main character and the fact that everyone is likable here, including the bad guys. Kingsman is a movie whose creators (and characters) were pining for funny spy flicks, so they just figured they'd make another one. They were inspired by the original Bond films, the Agent Flint films, maybe even the Mission: Impossible series and this is what was created. Two hours of hilarious bloody silliness, where all the agents wear the glasses once made famous by Michael Caine, where Colin Firth is an incredible badass, although you would never say that to him, where everything makes sense, no matter how goofy it is, and where the viewer is constantly surprised by something. Matthew Vaughn was clearly in his element when he was conceiving and filming Kingsman, and it's clear that unlike X-Men: First Class, he didn't have his hands tied in the least bit, so he could run amok. Sensational, sensational. He made one of the few films that I immediately want to watch again as soon as it's over.___P.S. My only complaint is about the princess's catchphrase, which is quoted enthusiastically by perhaps half of the comments here, but which did not amuse me one bit. (31/10/2015)

I don't yet know whether, given future trends, we should rejoice or rather mourn as the long-untouchable cinematic mood of the UK becomes increasingly blended with Hollywood enthusiasm, but as long as the result is at least half as nonchalant in its precisely measured performances and diabolical in its irresistibly entertaining action as Kingsman, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. Matthew Vaughn knows very well what he’s doing, he knows where he wants to take the viewer, and the story as a whole, with all the jokes, is built to satisfy the part of the audience that expects a pure parody of the formally diverse but exclusively British career of a certain James Bond (Colin Firth in a perfectly fitting suit and karate-style pose could replace Daniel Craig in the famous role in no time), as well as the rest of us, who hunger for the insane yet exaggerated details and individual action passages, and the concept of a criminal conspiracy whose mastermind is a rich nigga with a penchant for burgers who doesn't go far for fuck (and he's American, of course – specifically, one who plays nigga just about everywhere). And it all works really well, and, though the first half doesn't bring anything new and the originality stagnates, the ending crowned with the most humorous villain liquidation since Hot Fuzz to the sounds of “Give It Up” by KC&Sunshine Band brought me to a state of ecstasy. In addition to Firth and Jackson, thumbs up to the likeable Egerton, and Mark Strong, who here looks almost like Stanley Tucci. And the biggest praise, of course, for Matthey Vaughn. 80% (19/06/2015)

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a film that so accurately reflected teenage mentality. In some of its details, Kingsman is excellent and breathtaking, in others, I found it awful. Overall, I had fun with it, thought rather reluctantly. Many people value its attempt at being constantly entertaining, tough, controversial, fierce and refreshing, but, unlike with Kick-Ass, for instance, Vaughn here doesn’t keep a measure on things and in some places he falls into a cesspool of a category I can call spoilt brat. That’s what bothers me the most about a film that’s supposed to be about gentlemanhood. The brutal violence against bystanders is here portrayed and presented as cool fun. That not only goes against my moral principles, but also brings up another internal conflict: how are we supposed root for the heroes to thwart the villain’s plan, if it is only when villain wins that we can get another serving of eye-candy brutal action, as in the church (which is the most talked about, not only here)? And what skills of the candidates was the last task of the admission process supposed to reveal? The ability to follow even the most stupid orders without question? Thanks very much for that. Maybe if I was a bigger fan of the old Bond films, my feelings towards Kingsman would be more positive. Or probably not. (20/02/2015)

Manners, not clothes, make a gentleman. Even though Vaughn works visually outside all pigeonholes (the church massacre is something so unholy I'm surprised American churches aren’t screaming loudly) and sprinkles adolescent quips with the mischievousness of a 16-year-old class brat, which is then perfectly matched by the dream cast, obviously he and Goldman got embarrassed by superficial Bond jokes. You just end up wanting more happy meals and lines about "other movies"; four stars is actually a slight disappointment in the context of Vaughn's output, but he is still far ahead of his genre contemporaries. (04/03/2015)

Vaughn’s enthusiasm really wants make us belileve that it offers something more than the usual. But in the end, it is just as schematic and far-fetched as all other similar films. However, what speaks in favor of Kingsman is the feeling of a British gentleman, the progressive action scenes (the church!) and the boldly playful jokes and lines. But it's still single-use entertainment and I don't feel like watching it again. (10/03/2015)