In this more-serious take of those parodies, Colin Firth's classy Harry Hart takes on lower-class Taron Egerton (Eggsy) as a potential candidate to become a Kingsman - an espionage organisation dedicated to getting rid of any worldwide threats - after Eggsy's father sacrificed himself for Hart. With a treacherous training process to undergo, Eggsy must push past his urban background and the stereotypes to become part of the elite operation to take down the 'villainous' Richmond Valentine (Samuel L Jackson) and his formidable henchman Gazelle (Sofia Boutella), who believe that the best way to save the world is getting rid of "the virus" - humanity. There's also a minor subplot revolving around the upbringing Eggsy and his younger sister have had since his mother (Samantha Womack) entered a relationship with the abusive Geoff Bell, but is only present in a few instances. It is done rather well despite its short appearance, and does lead to a satisfying conclusion.
Whilst it could be argued that the student-mentor dynamic has been done to death, here it's given a new lease of life by having it also follow the Pretty Woman/My Fair Lady approach of turning a delinquent into a upper-class hero. It also helps that, unlike fellow teen spy film Stormbreaker, not only is there an actual sense of threat with each and every challenge the trainees face but also its cast is filled with an all-star cast. And when it comes to Valentine's plan, it's so bonkers that it's ingenious, leading to some great action sequences - particularly in a scene with the fictional equivalent of the Westboro Baptist Church which is presented as though it was a single shot. In fact, a number of the action sequences do, which helps sell that comic book-esque feel. Thanks to Vaughn's experience with the genre, you do feel like the source material is in safe hands, whilst being great fun for newer audiences thanks to its pure wit and slightly-gruesome imagery.
In one of his first major screenroles (he also had an appearance in Testament of Youth earlier this year), welsh newcomer Taron Egerton is a delight as the scruffy teen with an attitude, instantly winning audiences over as soon as he steals a car to hilarious consequences - it's a scene that would make Mater from Cars jealous. His character does break during the third act in a controversial scene which, whilst hilarious, is out of place in comparison to the rest of the film involving a kidnapped Scandinavian Princess (Hanna Alström), but aside from that there is consistent character growth and is fully likable throughout. As is Colin Firth, breaking away from his standard roles as historical or romantic figures to a role unexpected to be any good with him in place. His execution is spot on, and suits the character well. As fellow leads of the Kingsman secret service, you also have a on-par performance by Michael Caine alongside a great little part for Mark Strong as the tough but fair trainer Merlin, who truly shines in that third act. As for the fellow trainees, other newcomer Sophie Cookson is very good with what she gets whilst leaving plenty of room to grow in future sequels (oh please let there be sequels!), whilst her male company are rightfully bland and troublesome, particularly Edward Holcroft as main stooge Charlie.
Meanwhile, you get a hilarious performance by Samuel L Jackson as a billionaire villain who can't stand the sight of blood. You may think it’s a gimmick that gets old fast, but it never outstays its welcome, nor does his additional lisp. It may throw some out of the film, but it fits in all too well thanks to Jackson. Sofia Boutella is just as strong as she is agile, with each sequence involving her killer prosthetics limbs being both gross and engrossing whilst keeping her presence out there in each scene she's in. As far as antagonists go, these two are the oddest pair but all the more excellent. There is also a short but sweet guest appearance by Mark Hamill - whose real life persona was involved in the storyline from the original comic series - as a precursor to all the events that happen. It's a minimalist performance but it still has the right effect.
The film does have the unfortunate issue of needing additional work done on its special effects, as it's clear in a number of segments that a few more hours of rendering would be needed to polish them up. Whilst a majority of the action scenes work a charm, particularly Eggsy's 'get out of jail free' card during the third act (which could already be one of the funniest moments of 2015), other times are less enjoyable because the CGI is all too prominent. I had my fears during the trailers thanks to that Firth flip - which is rectified in the final film - and sadly they were true.
That being said, Kingsman: The Secret Service is a fast-paced action-packed romp filled with fun sequences and great performances. The CGI may be all over the place and it's possible that a number of the female characters were short-changed, but that doesn't stop high-quality entertainment. 8/10.
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