Kingsman: The Secret Service Review

Today, I celebrated Valentine's Day by going to the movies alone. Woo hoo! Okay, maybe this may not be the ideal Valentines Day, but I guess I'll take it. Besides, if I had a girlfriend she might take me to Fifty Shades of Gray, and if what I heard about it is true, then I guess this is an good alternative.

Kingsman: The Secret Service is about a young man in London, who meets a man played by Colin Firth, who is part of a top secret espionage organization called The Kingsmen. He decides to join the Kingsmen, with Firth mentoring him. He must now prove that he is worthy, and come on board to stop a brilliant internet billionaire, played by Samuel L Jackson, who is part of an initially unknown terrorist plot.

One part of the movie that best sums it up is a brief conversation between Firth's and Jackson's characters. Jackson asks Firth if he likes spy movies, and he responds by saying that he used to, but nowadays they have become too serious. They spend a short time reminiscing about the older spy movies, with gadgets and over the top villains. Evidently, the creators of this movie felt the same way, because this film is a throwback to those movies.

This movie is over the top and ridiculous, satirizing most early James Bond films. It features the high tech gadgets, and violent fight sequences. The villain is also the stereotypical James Bond villain, minus the accent (though he has a speech impediment). He has a henchman with swords for legs, which is not much more ridiculous than many James Bond villains' henchmen. And when the evil plan is known, well let's just say the henchman becomes the most believable aspect of the villain.

This was a really fun time. It has plenty of humor, and great action. There is some violence in it; just a warning for those who are squeamish. It is a great tribute to early Bond films, that left me laughing at plenty of points, and entertained throughout. If you are a fan of blockbusters, then this should tie you over until summer.

4,5 out of 5 stars