Kingsman: The Secret Service

Vaughn and Goldman wanted to show off how they are able to exploit the legacy of Bond movies, when in fact they pillaged their own store. This is their third recruitment-training film after Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class, though somewhat unfortunately crossed with a rather serious social drama. The stereotypical depiction of the working-class setting (pubs, brawls, domestic violence) lacks the exaggeration that characterises the rest of the film, which leads to the narrative having a disjointed tone and pace during the first two-thirds. At the same time, the protagonist’s education in “being a gentleman” (which here, as in the early Bond movies, contains a proper helping of chauvinism) is in conflict with the film’s egalitarian message – Eggsy can only become a Kingsman after he repudiates his lower-class origins (through his demeanour, wardrobe and speech). As the technophobic presentation of the villain illustrates, the film’s pseudo-anarchistic casing conceals a conservative heart. Vaughn may not have a clear idea about what he wants to convey with the film, but he lets us know with every scene how badly he wants to be cool or, more precisely, how badly he wants to please teenage boys who devour comic books and play video games. Cartoonishly exaggerated violence, action scenes with video-game aesthetics, low-brow jokes and appalling sexism (call me a bore, but I don’t find the offer of anal sex from a woman who has spent recent days locked up in a cell to be funny, but simply offensive; the only active female character in the narrative is pacified by being shot into space at the end of the film). The pretence of adulthood is limited to superficial discussions about Bond movies and self-reflexive lines such as “this isn’t that kind of movie”, though of course it is exactly “that kind of movie” at its core. Denial of its own clichéd nature has become a new cliché. First Class, which didn’t need to so blatantly draw attention to its Bondian stylisation, thus remains Vaughn’s most Bond-esque film. None of this would be a reason to dismiss Kingsman if the first half of the film didn’t suffer from a lack of dynamics and suspense in the unreasonably divided narrative, and if SO MANY scenes didn’t suffer from being absolutely gratuitous. Vaughn doesn’t know when to stop. He is unable to recognise when a scene has exhausted its potential and transitioned into another “look how cool I am” exhibition of hackneyed visual ideas and mediocre digital tricks. In its attempt to be entertaining at all costs and without any regard for good taste, Kingsman is amusing here and there with its coarseness, but it’s mostly just tiresome. 70% (16.02.2015)

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a film that so accurately reflected teenage mentality. In some of its details, Kingsman is excellent and breathtaking, in others, I found it awful. Overall, I had fun with it, thought rather reluctantly. Many people value its attempt at being constantly entertaining, tough, controversial, fierce and refreshing, but, unlike with Kick-Ass, for instance, Vaughn here doesn’t keep a measure on things and in some places he falls into a cesspool of a category I can call spoilt brat. That’s what bothers me the most about a film that’s supposed to be about gentlemanhood. The brutal violence against bystanders is here portrayed and presented as cool fun. That not only goes against my moral principles, but also brings up another internal conflict: how are we supposed root for the heroes to thwart the villain’s plan, if it is only when villain wins that we can get another serving of eye-candy brutal action, as in the church (which is the most talked about, not only here)? And what skills of the candidates was the last task of the admission process supposed to reveal? The ability to follow even the most stupid orders without question? Thanks very much for that. Maybe if I was a bigger fan of the old Bond films, my feelings towards Kingsman would be more positive. Or probably not. (20.02.2015)

Manners, not clothes, make a gentleman. Even though Vaughn works visually outside all pigeonholes (the church massacre is something so unholy I'm surprised American churches aren’t screaming loudly) and sprinkles adolescent quips with the mischievousness of a 16-year-old class brat, which is then perfectly matched by the dream cast, obviously he and Goldman got embarrassed by superficial Bond jokes. You just end up wanting more happy meals and lines about "other movies"; four stars is actually a slight disappointment in the context of Vaughn's output, but he is still far ahead of his genre contemporaries. (04.03.2015)

Matthew Vaughn again shot an almost perfect entertainment which has everything a funny gangster movie needs. A villain with a lisp, portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson, macho agent Colin Firth or a really likeable muddler Taron Egerton. Add in a rather classic story, but with a truly excellent interpretation, which is most apparent in the rather brutal, but all the more fun action scene in the church. I don’t know if Matthew Vaughn is a genius, but he is one of the few directors whose films I keep revisiting and after watching them again I rate them even higher. After Stardust, this flick is the best he managed to entertain me with so far. And I hope it was not the last time. (02.06.2015)

Matthewseits ist dies ein bisschen wie ein Sucker-Punch, denn es klingen hier exakt diejenigen Saiten an, die ein verlegener und überreifer Bond-Fan gemäß seines post-nerdigen Charakters lieben muss (bekannte Superspy-Refrains, die mit einer Mischung an Ironie und Fanboy-Liebe gespielt werden). Wenn wir damit beginnen, diese Welt zu ernst nehmen, werden wir ihren verborgenen Konservatismus sowie ihre aristokratische Gekünsteltheit verurteilen (genau so wie einige britische Kritiker), doch worauf beruht denn JBs (die einzig wahre) Welt denn sonst, wenn nicht auf der Rückkehr zum Block, Kamin, Mahagoni und teuren Alkohol? Kingsman: The Secret Service ist eine amüsante Paraphrasierung der Genreregeln, ihrer Reflexionen, Verzerrungen sowie Auferstehungen in all ihrer Pracht und Würde. Ein Junge bekommt hier einen soliden Anzug, die Aristokratie genießt diverse Praktiken, die Zuschauer genießen wiederum Matthews verrückte kinetische Aktionen, nahtlose Übergänge von einer von Szene zu Szene sowie passende Sprüche ... Obendrauf gibt´s da eine Portion ehrlichen sozialen Dramas, und schon haben wir´s geschafft. Das leicht distanzierte Ich erwidert da lediglich, dass Vaughns Neigung zur ultimativen "Coolness" um jeden Preis hier bereits an den Rande einer Selbstparodie oder emotionalen Erpressung gerät. Jedoch hier auf Entfernung zu spielen werde ich nicht. Kingsman: The Secret Service hat mich amüsiert, weil er mich einfach hat amüsieren müssen. Es ist eben so eine Art von Film ... [80%] (04.02.2015)

Kick-Ass made in a style of classic Bond movies. And it is done so consistently and one to one (again, it is genre conscious as much as subversive, furious, with a considerable portion of meta exaggeration, it emphasizes being cool in all circumstances and the resembles in clearly seen also in the course, the type of roles, allusions, etc.) that is clearly to its detriment, because the Vaughn/Millar duo are undoubtedly capable of doing more than just copying themselves. However, if (and as long as) it is such a thoroughly likeable incorrect fun, who would mind it? PS: Too bad the official subtitles, which are not very imaginative are not very good. At least Valentine's speech impediment directly calls for a playful approach. (05.02.2015)

Absoluter Hammer und definitiv eine der größten Überraschungen der letzten Jahre für mich! Tolle Sprüche, sympathische Charaktere und eine bis ins Detail ausgefeilte Action. Die Szene des wahnsinnigen Massakers in der Kirche wird dieses Jahr schwer zu toppen sein. P.S. Wer zu spät kommt, bestraft sich selbst. Grüße an Daja :) (05.02.2015)

Some films are able to make me angry, and fortunately, Kingsman did not succeed in that, even though the film missed the mark for me by a mile. I simply expected this outcome in advance. Kingsman is essentially James Bond for teenagers in a comedic form. The entire James Bond series is outside the scope of my interests and I haven't been a teenager for several decades. It's not my cup of tea, just like a Justin Bieber or Katy Perry concert. The film's humor doesn't work for me about 95% of the time, just like the catchphrases, and in some cases, I cringe when I hear them. The action scenes are filmed in a terrifying way - too fast, chaotic, and stupid, just like the plot of the film. Of course, it's a blockbuster that can offer entertainment and effects, so from my perspective, there is at least some satisfaction. And the presence of proven top British actors is also not to be dismissed. That all amounts to 2 stars. Compared to this creation, Live Free or Die Hard, for example, is genius in terms of the screenplay. Kingsman can be considered a perfect, and I mean perfect, adolescent film and the high percentages of popularity clearly indicate who makes up the majority of movie viewers. Overall impression: 35%. Yes, I agree that in a certain respect, Kingsman represents the future of the film industry. Unfortunately. (08.03.2015)

Vaughn is a fountain of ideas. A supercharged ride with so many moments of genius that you find it hard to catch your breath and your diaphragm just vibrates. I look forward to watching it again... I watched it again and raise my rating to five. It’s flawless. (27.02.2015)

Vaughn’s enthusiasm really wants make us belileve that it offers something more than the usual. But in the end, it is just as schematic and far-fetched as all other similar films. However, what speaks in favor of Kingsman is the feeling of a British gentleman, the progressive action scenes (the church!) and the boldly playful jokes and lines. But it's still single-use entertainment and I don't feel like watching it again. (10.03.2015)

Ein furchtbar verrückter Spaß, der aus meiner Sicht sogar noch ein bisschen besser als Kick-Ass ist. Dazu trägt vor allem der sympathische Hauptheld bei. Und eigentlich auch die Tatsache, dass hier jeder sympathisch ist, sogar die Schufte. Kingsman: The Secret Service ist ein Film, dessen Autoren (und Figuren) witzige Spionageblockbuster vermisst haben. Deshalb haben sie sich entschieden, einen weiteren zu machen. Sie haben sich von Original-James-Bond-Filmen, Filmen mit dem Agenten Flint und vielleicht auch von Mission Impossible - In geheimer Mission inspiriert. Und es ist dieser Film entstanden. Zwei Stunden wird auf eine witzige und blutige Art und Weise herumgeblödelt. Alle Agenten tragen Brillen, die einst Michael Caine berühmt gemacht hat. Colin Firth ist knallhart, obwohl man so etwas mit ihm nie verbinden würde. Alles macht Sinn, egal wie verrückt es ist. Und das Publikum wird ständig überrascht. Als sich Matthew Vaughn Kingsman: The Secret Service ausgedacht hat und als er ihn gedreht hat, war er eindeutig in seinem Element. Man sieht, dass ihm im Unterschied zu X-Men: Erste Entscheidung die Hände nicht gebunden waren, sodass er sich austoben konnte. Sensationell, sensationell. Kingsman: The Secret Service gehört zu den wenigen Filmen, bei denen ich Lust habe, sie gleich nochmal zu sehen. PS: Mein einziger Vorbehalt betrifft den Spruch der Prinzessin, den hier viele Rezensionen begeistert zitieren. Mir kam er aber überhaupt nicht lustig vor. (31.10.2015)

I don't yet know whether, given future trends, we should rejoice or rather mourn as the long-untouchable cinematic mood of the UK becomes increasingly blended with Hollywood enthusiasm, but as long as the result is at least half as nonchalant in its precisely measured performances and diabolical in its irresistibly entertaining action as Kingsman, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. Matthew Vaughn knows very well what he’s doing, he knows where he wants to take the viewer, and the story as a whole, with all the jokes, is built to satisfy the part of the audience that expects a pure parody of the formally diverse but exclusively British career of a certain James Bond (Colin Firth in a perfectly fitting suit and karate-style pose could replace Daniel Craig in the famous role in no time), as well as the rest of us, who hunger for the insane yet exaggerated details and individual action passages, and the concept of a criminal conspiracy whose mastermind is a rich nigga with a penchant for burgers who doesn't go far for fuck (and he's American, of course – specifically, one who plays nigga just about everywhere). And it all works really well, and, though the first half doesn't bring anything new and the originality stagnates, the ending crowned with the most humorous villain liquidation since Hot Fuzz to the sounds of “Give It Up” by KC&Sunshine Band brought me to a state of ecstasy. In addition to Firth and Jackson, thumbs up to the likeable Egerton, and Mark Strong, who here looks almost like Stanley Tucci. And the biggest praise, of course, for Matthey Vaughn. 80% (19.06.2015)

Ja doch, es hat Spaß gemacht und war gute Unterhaltung, doch ich musste dem erst allmählich auf den Geschmack kommen. Bei mir funktioniert immer ein Verweis auf König Artus und seine Tafelrunde, hier hat mich also Kingsman sogleich gewonnen. Colin Firth spielt toll, wann, was und worin auch immer. Und es hat mich auch gefreut, irgendwann Mark Strong in einer durchweg positiven Rolle zu sehen, und von denen hat er wirklich extrem wenige auf seinem Konto. Matthew Vaughn, diese Art von Unterhaltung kannst du ruhige weiter anbieten, ein breites Publikum wird es dir danken. (23.08.2015)

I was really looking forward to this movie and maybe I was a little disappointed, but that's just because my expectations were too high. On the other hand, Colin Firth completely surpassed my expectations because his scene in the church is absolutely brilliant, but she also stands out throughout the entire film. The story has a charm, it has a great drive, it's sometimes quite gritty and simply cool. If this is how a modern spy film should look like, I am very satisfied. (28.02.2015)