Kingsman is a spy-hero action-comedy, directed by Matthew Vaughn to a screenplay by Vaughn and Jane Goldman. It is based on The Secret Service comic book, created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar. Kingsman stars Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton and Michael Caine.
I confess that when the Kingsman’s previews were playing at theaters, months prior to the movie’s release, I was skeptic as to seeing it. Though the coming attractions were amusing, I did not fathom I would much enjoy this production. Yet, given the positive reviews the film received, I gave it a shot. Coming with very low expectations, Kingsman was a pleasant surprise. While following a pretty conventional plotline, it packs occasional surprises, witty moments, good acting and plenty of fun action scenes; even if some lean heavily towards the bloody side. Vaughn and Goldman wisely wrote into the script anecdotes that discern Kingsman from its parodic ancestor, James Bond. “It’s not that kind of movie,” is a line repeated in the film by some of its main characters. Still, despite the cleverness of the writing, and the choice of an outcast as the unlikely hero, Kingsman remains in form pulp fiction; nothing more, nothing less.
Vaughn said in an interview that he will consider directing a sequel if this first installment proves to be a success. I suspect such a production will soon be on its way. If you feel like tasting a summer movie regardless of the weather outside, Kingsman is a good choice.