Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

[Kromm]

Eggsy and Roxy as a romantic pair seemed inevitable, and I think it's still there if you read between the lines a little, but I'm glad they just let Roxy be a worthy Kingsman in her own right. While I think they could have done more with her little storyline, I liked the parachute jump being tied in to her mission at the end. But it was annoying that she was confined to cheerleading on the phone while Eggsy did all the hard work in Valentine's base.

I think that last bit is important. They REALLY sidelined the character in a disgraceful way. That could have been written SO much better.

This movie is extremely, extremely bloody and violent, but the violence is turned up to ten and choreographed to music and played for laughs.  

SOME of the uber-violence made sense. Other parts seemed gratuitous (didn't generate enough laughs, so they were just bloody). I think they got the balance wrong over-all.  It didn't QUITE ruin the movie, but it dented it a lot.

[ribboninthesky1]

I'm really late on seeing this, as I had zero interest in this film when it was released in theaters.  It was actually a co-worker who recently brought it up, and made me reconsider. I'm glad I did.   

 

After reading the thread, I realized that it was some of the quieter moments I found to be rather subversive and much appreciated.  Harry's scenes with Eggsy about being a gentleman were among my favorites. Also, the scenes where we learn more about Eggsy's background - his mother was a mess, and he was basically self-sabotaging by trying to take care of her (as Harry instructed him as a little boy all those years ago). The film definitely had some interesting commentary on class, and not just in the obvious scenes.   

 

Roxy was definitely sidelined, though to me, it was her actions and bravery that set everything else in motion for Valentine's defeat.  So yeah, she got no props (from the film's perspective), but she was definitely the unsung hero of the film for me. If there are any sequels, I don't expect much from her, either.  These kind of films, parody or not, will always be about the white male protagonist.   

 

Someone else mentioned this, but I also expected Eggsy to be obnoxious in the film.  I was surprised that he wasn't all that cocky, and when he was, it was almost always in reaction to being threatened or insulted. Kudos to the writing and Taron Egerton.  He made what could have been an insufferable character quite likable. He held his own again Colin Firth quite well. 

 

I was pretty "eh...really?" about the violence in the church scene while also deriving immense satisfaction in watching hateful bigots slaughtered. As already mentioned, Harry's line to the church member was brilliant.  Firth did well as an action guy, but that's also because he didn't do it much. There was the pub scene and the church, which were absurd and obviously had stunt men in certain shots. What made him badass to me wasn't the fighting, though, and I have no desire to see him morph into the posh version of Liam Neeson, action star.    

 

I found Valentine as a villain to be intriguing for reasons, but didn't care for Jackson's performance much.  The lisp was too distracting - I wish he had gone for some other kind of physical impediment.  Still, I admit that it worked for the showdown between Harry and Valentine at the tailor's shop. 

 

Mark Strong has always been a sexy beast to me, so I was glad that he wasn't a turncoat and also lived at the end. His "Uh-huh, this is mine" gun scene opposite Egerton toward the scene had me rolling.  Strong's demeanor and intonation was spot on.  I hope we see more of him if there are sequels.  

Edited January 9, 2016 by ribboninthesky1

[SeanC]

Roxy was definitely sidelined, though to me, it was her actions and bravery that set everything else in motion for Valentine's defeat.  So yeah, she got no props (from the film's perspective), but she was definitely the unsung hero of the film for me. If there are any sequels, I don't expect much from her, either.  These kind of films, parody or not, will always be about the white male protagonist.   

Vaughn noted on the Blu-ray extras that a lot of Roxy's stuff got cut for pacing reasons.  He's said he hopes to do more with the character.

[ribboninthesky1]

Here's hoping he keeps his word on that.

[frenchtoast]

Mark Strong has always been a sexy beast to me, so I was glad that he wasn't a turncoat and also lived at the end. His "Uh-huh, this is mine" gun scene opposite Egerton toward the scene had me rolling.  Strong's demeanor and intonation was spot on.  I hope we see more of him if there are sequels.

I loved Mark Strong in this movie--loved how he handled not just Eggsy but all the "recruits". He really played the leader so well--tough, fair, and pushing them to their best rather than shouting them down. But my favorite part, and I can't explain it, is when he was hacking into the Valentine's system and the computer prompt asks "Activate Security Implants" and he says, "Yes, please." Makes me crack up every time.

And I'm with you, ribbon the violence in the church scene was so cathartic, seeing those hateful bigots get decimated.

[Perfect Xero]

The only thing that I really didn't like about this movie was that being willing to kill the dog was part of the test. It didn't feel like it fit with the nature of the other tests.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I'm really late on seeing this, as I had zero interest in this film when it was released in theaters.  It was actually a co-worker who recently brought it up, and made me reconsider. I'm glad I did.   

 

After reading the thread, I realized that it was some of the quieter moments I found to be rather subversive and much appreciated.  Harry's scenes with Eggsy about being a gentleman were among my favorites. Also, the scenes where we learn more about Eggsy's background - his mother was a mess, and he was basically self-sabotaging by trying to take care of her (as Harry instructed him as a little boy all those years ago). The film definitely had some interesting commentary on class, and not just in the obvious scenes.   

 

Roxy was definitely sidelined, though to me, it was her actions and bravery that set everything else in motion for Valentine's defeat.  So yeah, she got no props (from the film's perspective), but she was definitely the unsung hero of the film for me. If there are any sequels, I don't expect much from her, either.  These kind of films, parody or not, will always be about the white male protagonist.   

 

Someone else mentioned this, but I also expected Eggsy to be obnoxious in the film.  I was surprised that he wasn't all that cocky, and when he was, it was almost always in reaction to being threatened or insulted. Kudos to the writing and Taron Egerton.  He made what could have been an insufferable character quite likable. He held his own again Colin Firth quite well. 

 

Re the bolded part - the thing is, despite being the protagonist, Eggsy was a bit obnoxious to me. He snots at Harry about rich tossers while bemoaning his lot in life, but it was his choice to steal Dean's car, which could have landed him in jail had he not had that medal/phone number in the first place. And it was his choice later to steal Harry's car, when the guy was apparently the first person in a long time to try giving him a hand up. His mother couldn't do it due to circumstances beyond her control, and God knows Dean was useless. It isn't until Merlin activates his parachute once he's safely on the ground, griping about how him being ":expendable" is why he didn't get a 'chute, that he actually starts to get it. White male or not, he had choices, and up until he meets Harry he was mostly making the wrong ones.

 

As for Roxy, I think her being out of the main action was okay. Her job was to disable the satellites, which would prevent Valentine's signal from being broadcast, and Eggsy's task was to keep Valentine's hand away from the computer once they figured it out about the biometric setup. I don't think its an insult to the character that she wasn't in the thick of things, particularly since then she'd have had to face Gazelle* in the penultimate showdown.

 

*I read the graphic novel this is based on, and originally Gazelle was male and black. It was Algeria-born Sofia Boutella's first real role in a movie, although she's got a couple of things in the works now. I just thought that was really interesting.

[BooBear]

*I read the graphic novel this is based on, and originally Gazelle was male and black. It was Algeria-born Sofia Boutella's first real role in a movie, although she's got a couple of things in the works now. I just thought that was really interesting.

 

My massive take away from this role was the idea of someone being so kick arse with no legs. It kind of makes me happy to see for all those people who might not have legs and stumble into a movie like this. Obviously not real but still a different portrayal. I honestly kind of want a spin of movie on her character and how she came to be (not reading the comic).

[SeanC]

Taron Egerton just tweeted about wardrobe fittings for the sequel, so evidently they're close to starting on it.

[supposebly]

Watching the trailer for the new one, I'm reminded of what bothered me about the first one. Tone whiplash.

It seemed like a fun, lighthearted send-up of all kinds of spy and action movie tropes and then it turned into something rather serious in the church scene. It didn't feel fun anymore.

Apart from Samuel Jackson's whatever-the-hell-that-was, I couldn't go back to the fun part anymore, so it all fell apart after that.

Which brings me to what occurred to me today: The trailer was so much better than the actual movie. I'm wondering if that's going to be the case with the second one too.

[kiddo82]

On July 20, 2017 at 1:58 PM, supposebly said:

Watching the trailer for the new one, I'm reminded of what bothered me about the first one. Tone whiplash.

It seemed like a fun, lighthearted send-up of all kinds of spy and action movie tropes and then it turned into something rather serious in the church scene. It didn't feel fun anymore.

Apart from Samuel Jackson's whatever-the-hell-that-was, I couldn't go back to the fun part anymore, so it all fell apart after that.

Which brings me to what occurred to me today: The trailer was so much better than the actual movie. I'm wondering if that's going to be the case with the second one too.

I feel that about the church scene.  I just watched this for the first time the other day.  I remember having no pressing interest in it when it came out but I've seen the trailer for the new one about four or five times this summer (and I feel like I've been humming My Way all summer) and I thought it looked pretty kick ass so I DVR'd the original off FX.  I liked it, and maybe it's more fun in the theater, but I agree that the church violence was quite a tonal shift from what preceded it.  Even seeing Commodore Norrington  Jack Davenport's character get bisected by a weaponized prosthesis (then the dark humor of seeing his corpse stapled back together) was kinda cartoony but the church scene took it to a real place.  It was actually kinda of unsettling.  I guess we're not supposed to feel so bad because the folks that died in the melee were all admittedly awful people but I still don't want to watch that, at least not in a movie that's supposed to be a fun/spy/action movie.  It just didn't feel like it fit.  Having said that, I did like the movie and thought Mark Strong stole the show.  I definitely plan on seeing the sequel.

[VCRTracking]

Holy crap, that church scene blew my mind(wink). Just on a technical level it's impressive and the choreography and camerawork. I didn't know what a badass Colin Firth could be but damn. They say they used "Freebird" because of the song's length but it was also perfect because it has that church organ and the scene is set in the South. Didn't feel sorry for anybody because they were bigots. I liked Eggsy a lot. Didn't think I would from the trailer. The scene where they were testing him in shooting the dog they gave him was tense. I liked Roxy too. I only saw a glimpse of her in the sequel in the movie but I hope she's in it a lot. A detail I liked was Michael Caine's character dying words spoken in a Cockney accent instead of a posh one he'd been speaking with. Tells you a lot about his character and that his prejudice against Eggsy was self loathing about his own background. That ending with all the heads exploding was so batshit I had to laugh.

Also loved that we got to see Luke Skywalker and Mace Windu share a scene!

Edited August 1, 2017 by VCRTracking

[SherriAnt]

On ‎2017‎-‎08‎-‎01 at 1:11 AM, VCRTracking said:

I didn't know what a badass Colin Firth could be but damn.

My main familiarity with him was in "What a Girl Wants" with Amanda Bynes, and in "Nanny McPhee" so seeing him kick ass was actually shocking! And he really did kick ass. 

[kiddo82]

I'm watching this again on FXX tonight and it made me laugh how after all the carnage at the church, Harry has only a few blood splatters on his cheek when he really should have been covered from head to toe.  Like, Taratino levels of bloody would have been appropriate.  Not a big deal, just something I noticed.  

[vavera4ka]

On ‎8‎/‎22‎/‎2017 at 4:04 PM, SherriAnt said:

My main familiarity with him was in "What a Girl Wants" with Amanda Bynes, and in "Nanny McPhee" so seeing him kick ass was actually shocking! And he really did kick ass. 

what? No Mr. Darcy? Blasphemy lol

[nicepebbles]

Saw this recently and loved it. I had seen the previews so long ago that I didn't have any expectations. I like James Bond movies and still loved how this money poked fun at them. I was pleasantly surprised by how fun the movie is even with levels of violence. It was ridiculous but it all worked. 

Agreed on the lack of hook up between Eggsy and Roxy and the awesomeness of Colin Firth and Mark Strong. 

Quote

Also, I was disappointed at the dog thing too.  Only a total sociopath could look JB in the eye and shoot him!!

At the time I couldn't believe that they would ask them to shoot their dogs and was proud of Eggsy for not doing it. Now, I'm like, he totally wasn't thinking. If I'm remembering correctly, at that point he knew their tests had a fail safe (train, parachute, can't remember if they knew whether or not the girl hadn't died when the room flooded). I'd like to think Roxy knew it was a blank because Roxy is a badass. 

Really looking forward to the sequel!

[Morrigan2575]

Non spoiler review, "good time no alcohol required"

ETA: might be slightly spoilery at one point, everything he talks about is in the trailers but, he sort of confirms something I figured but, wasn't certain of.

Spoiler

Eggys and Merlin are the only survivors of the attack on Kingsmen Headquarters. 

Edited September 18, 2017 by Morrigan2575

[ApathyMonger]

.

Edited September 20, 2017 by ApathyMonger
Wrong thread

[dusang]

On 9/18/2017 at 5:17 PM, Morrigan2575 said:

Non spoiler review, "good time no alcohol required"

ETA: might be slightly spoilery at one point, everything he talks about is in the trailers but, he sort of confirms something I figured but, wasn't certain of.

  Reveal hidden contents

Eggys and Merlin are the only survivors of the attack on Kingsmen Headquarters. 

 

 

19 minutes ago, ApathyMonger said:

Not as good as the first one, and far too long, but a lot of fun once it gets going.

SPOILERY THOUGHTS:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Roxy dying early on was obvious from the trailer, but I was still disappointed by it. I wish we'd at least gotten to see her on a mission before she died, instead of the pretty lame car chase we got at the start.

Firth's fine in the movie, but I'd rather they hadn't brought him back. I'd like to have seen Eggsy have to deal with being an agent in his own right, rather than falling back to being Harry's sidekick.

Halle Berry got ridiculously little to do. I was convinced she'd turn out to be a mole, if only because that would give her character a point. I know there was more with her and Strong that was cut out, which is a shame.

The whole mixup about the Kingsman and Statesman agencies not knowing each other and Tatum tying Eggsy and Merlin up could easily have been cut out. We know they're going to team up, just get on with it. The Harry amnesia stuff goes on too long too.

There were probably too many scenes with Moore being cartoonishly evil in the first half, but they work to set up all the stuff in the final showdown, so I wasn't too bothered. She's not nearly on the same level as SLJ in the first movie though.

I laughed at all the Elton John stuff.

Strong's death worked well for me. I'll miss him playing a good guy for once.

The most ridiculous aspect of the plot was, of course, that everyone was watching Fox News at all times, even Eggsy's working class mates in London.

 

 

There's a separate thread for Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

[ApathyMonger]

42 minutes ago, dusang said:

 

There's a separate thread for Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Ah, thanks. This was near the top so I assumed it was for the new movie.