Kingsman:The Secret Service (movie critique)

Kingsman:The Secret Service
Movie Poster

The Travelling Toe and friend journeyed to the local movie house and saw the movie "Kingsman:The Secret Service".  The movie directed by Matthew Vaughn, is based on the graphic novel "The Secret Service" by Mark Millar and David Gibbons.  

Matthew Vaughn

This movie has a touch of the old James Bond spy movies with all the cool weapons (such as rings that can give an enemy a shock,  cigarette lighters that are hand grenades, pens that deploy a bomb and bullet proof umbrellas).   

The movie centers around a British secret service organization based on names from King Arthur's round table knights.  The head of the Kingsman group is known as Arthur and is played by the damper Michael Caine.  Colin Firth, is Galahad and the Travelling Toe must admit that Colin does give a person heart palpitations as he is looking trim and fit and debonair in his impeccably tailored Saville Row double-breasted suits.  

Colin Firth

Michael Caine

The spy organization is looking to replace a recently "opened" position (and you will have to see how this happens yourself as The Travelling Toe will not spoil the shocking surprise).  The unlucky agent taken out, Lancelot, was played by Jack Davenport.  

Jack Davenport

To replenish their ranks, each Kingsman puts forth a candidate who enters the extreme competitive program.  Galahad, suggests a street-wise thug named Eggy, played by Taron Egerton.   The reason being that Galahad owes Eggy's late father a debt and sees this as an opportunity to help the young man out of street crime and into the elite agency.  As the competitive training continues, a twisted internet billionaire enacts a plot for global domination.  He plans to do this through culling out part of the earth's population by downloading software into electronic devices such cell phones and internet connections that make people turn on each other.  The evil genesis, Richmond Valentine,  is played by the ever hard working actor Samuel L Jackson, who plays the character with a funny lisp...and still not sure why.   Also The Travelling Toe wished he knew how to wear a hat...it was off angle on each shot.  

Taron Egerton

Samuel L Jackson

Mark Strong, a wonderful British actor, plays Merlin, who is the "Q" of the Kingsman and trains and schools the recruits as well as providing them with all those handy cool weapons.  

Mark Strong

One scene in the movie shows Galahad going to a church in Kentucky where the congregation is totally whacked out with hate for anyone else unlike them.   When Valentine queues the program on the satellite dish, the congregation does wild, attacking each other. Galahad with his trusty bullet proof umbrella and other assorted weapons takes them all out. Just a side comment, to ask the director why do the hate mongers have to be located in a southern church?  Obliviously it is OK to make fun and to stereotype those of us located in the South.....just asking.

The movie is fun and exciting but it does have a high body count, full of punches, roundhouse kicks, gun shots, bombs, knives and other assorted fighting techniques.

One last mention, Mark Hamill has a small role in the movie as well.  

Mark Hamill

This is one movie were the bad guys do lose their heads during Valentine's final solution.

The movie is rated "R" due to strong violence, strong language, and some sexual content.

The Travelling Toe gives it 2 middle toes up with a black bullet proof umbrella for protection.  


Disclaimer:  The Travelling Toe is not a profession movie critic and any opinions expressed are for entertainment purposes only.