Watch & Remark: Kingsman: The Secret Service

A Spy Movie to Mock All Spy Movies

Kingsman: The Secret Service, which opened in theaters February 2015, is a modern spy-movie with a basic comedy foundation that turns the tradition of Bond films on its head with slap-stick humor and shudder-inducing fight scenes. Following a young protagonist on his journey to become a spy for mother England, there are constant jokes, brilliant fights, and no shortage of British accents. Featuring the relatively unknown actor Taron Egerton in his breakout role, paired with the ever-classy Colin Firth and Samuel L. Jackson, the film brings together classic elements of training montages, explosions, and over-the-top spy work to deliver a two-hour long laugh-fest sure to please viewers. Written and directed by Matthew Vaughn, known for Kick-Ass and Stardust, viewers could expect no less than what was delivered: an action-packed and nigh unstoppable action/comedy star.

The piece is set in the UK and features a washed-up military dropout, Gary “Eggsy” Unwin, getting into some trouble and turning to a mysterious organization—one that caused the death of his father and a few years of daddy issues—for help. Eggsy leaves behind his mother and little sister, living on an estate and unfortunately in the hands of an abusive boyfriend, when the Kingsman pick him up. In doing so, Eggsy becomes embroiled within their organization, hand-chosen by Firth as Harry Hart, to be trained as a replacement for a fallen spy. Unlike traditional spy-films, Eggsy initially fails in his endeavor—making for a confusing break in the tension, that picks up again as larger things start broiling under the surface of Great Britain. The signature villain, played by Samuel L. Jackson, is a man with a plan and a lisp, and with the Kingsman organization itself compromised, it looks like it’s going to take the considerable skill of just a veteran tech man, a new Kingsman, and one drop-out to save the world.

The film itself is beautiful to watch. With carefully choreographed fight scenes, such as a bloodbath in a church that took an entire week to shoot and left a hearty impression on viewers, it may not be suitable for children, but it’s definitely a feast for the eyes and a masterful example of seamless camera angles. In just under four minutes, we see nearly 40 deaths, caused by Harry’s gun and a series of increasingly improbable improvised weapons. There is never a quiet moment on-screen, and every background shot tells you more about the story of a street kid to a gentleman. We first see Eggsy as a scrappy kid, dressed in dark colors, living in a grey apartment, drinking in a normal dark brown pub. But as he grows throughout the film, the posh side of Eggsy’s new life is seen through bright colors and snazzy suits as he makes the style his own, with enough pop to make you see Eggsy’s true colors: those of a Kingsman, dressed in vibrant oranges and velvets. This is a theme that they return to again and again, creating a fitting divide between Eggsy’s separate lives and showing his growth from a street punk to a gentleman spy. The stylish costuming in general trends towards slim suits, box-frame glasses, bulletproof umbrellas, and very specific ideas about shoes. Firth cuts a stunning dark shape in every frame, while Jackson pops in red. This all makes for a visually stunning piece, with every aspect on camera a pleasure to examine more deeply.

If I have a few complaints, don’t fault me. I love spy movies as much as the next person, and Kingsman serves the genre and its tropes well, but there are definitely several aspects that could have been improved upon. There is a running gag throughout the film referencing traditional Bond films and poking fun at every single aspect—and it’s a good gag, for the most part. However, the final scene comes across as crude and objectifying, without a redeemable quality or feature to relieve the audience from the slapstick sexual humor. Eggsy has just saved the world—and then immediately runs off to have sex with a princess held captive by Jackson, with an explicit view of her body. If Vaughn wanted to poke fun at old Bond films and subvert their formulaic sexism, there could have been a thorough reevaluation of just how many women were in the film, and what their roles were. This negative treatment of women extends even further in the film, which is why I make a point to mention it and to critique Vaughn’s choices. With only two women chosen to train for the open Kingsman spot, it makes it hard to take the organization full of white men seriously. And while one of the women is very successful, and in fact beats Eggsy out for the Kingsman spot, we see her reduced to just a few character plotlines: overcoming a major fear, and serving as a placeholder for a male character. And while they are full of spitfire and wit, they aren’t a well-rounded addition to the plot.

The villain’s sidekick was also a woman. Played by Sofia Boutella, the Algerian-French actress

This, however, introduces another problem: the people of color in the film all oppose the Kingsman, placing them squarely in the wrong. Jackson and Boutella play the role of the villains-who-are-not-villains. They want to save the planet from rapid climate change, but want to do so by eliminating the majority of earth’s population. By using this imagery, the film itself places its intentions in a bad starting position. The negative connotations tainted the interesting moral conundrum, and left a bad taste in my mouth. The Kingsman themselves were universally white, which was problematic in itself.

I did enjoy watching this movie a lot, and not just because I love cheesy spy films. It took a lot of casual tropes and turned them into a fun and visually stunning piece that left a distinct impression. If Kingsman and Vaughn could treat the women better, give them roles as more than slightly-capable spies or definitively capable lovers, and diversify its cast, the film could have been elevated and shown a better hand at the table. With all its impressive spy action and attention to hilarity, the film had a solid showing, and definitely deserves some more attention. As it stands, we’ll just have to wait and see how everything turns out in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, out in September 2017.

Other Highlights:

• Gazelle, the villain’s sidekick is a disabled woman, with both legs amputated below the knee, who uses her prosthetics as functional weapons, and kicks ass. In the opening scene, Gazelle uses her prosthetics to slice a man in half. Realistically implausible, yes, but it is entertainingly gruesome and an interesting showcase a disabled woman.

• The fact that each of the Kingsman is named after a knight of the Round Table was a cute touch. Even their tech man takes on the theme as “Merlin.” It was also ideal that once Roxie became a full agent, she still took on the name of Lancelot, rather than being renamed as Guinevere. I look forward to seeing what the American equivalent agents are named!

• There are two notable bar fights in the film, which mirror each other wonderfully. In the first, Harry is exhibiting the range of skills possessed by a Kingsman agent, including a masterful use of his bulletproof umbrella. At the end of the film, Eggsy mirrors Harry’s abilities, showing his growth and his newfound skills as a Kingsman, truly teaching others that “Manners maketh man.”