I always get a massive adrenaline rush when I watch a great movie, but the one I experienced with Kingsman: The Secret Service was truly off the chart! At the end of 2 hours, I was so high I practically floated home. IMDB rating given: 10/10.
I became a fan of director Matthew Vaughn's work after the incredibly violent yet superbly executed Kick-Ass, which turned lead Aaron Johnson into a Hollywood star ( interesting convoluted connection to Fifty Shades Of Grey, helmed by Johnson's wife, haha ). After that breakthrough came X-Men: First Class, which was much less aggressive, more successful at the box office but equally enjoyable in its own way.
If I'm not wrong, Vaughn passed on the opportunity to direct an X-Men sequel, opting instead to pour his heart and soul ( plus his own money ) into Kingsman. It's a ballsy move but one I'm very grateful for, because I can no longer imagine life without this magnificent film.
Rid your mind of James Bond. That man is a wimp compared to Harry Hart / Galahad, played impeccably by Colin Firth. In an interview with Empire magazine, Firth revealed that he has never received any offer to play the British spy. But after seeing him in Kingsman, no-one will ever comprehend why he didn't make the cut.
Firth, after all, is known for playing gentlemanly characters - Mr. Darcy, King George VI, you get the idea. I don't recall him demonstrating any on-screen violence, much less move beyond the pace of a saunter. So it's no wonder my jaw hit the ground when he started bashing, shooting and stabbing people with deadly skill and great relish. It was actually shocking, but only for a split second, before the pleasure centre in my brain - whatever that's called - was activated and everything started to get saturated in a rosy hue. Okay, I'm exaggerating. But he looked damn amazing slicing his opponents open!
Vaughn already demonstrated his affinity for extreme depictions of bloodshed in Kick-Ass ( utilizing the very young Hit Girl in a disturbing yet strangely artistic way ), and does more of the same in Kingsman. This time, however, there's no concern regarding age limits ( many of the main characters in Kick-Ass were kids ). And the choreography is freaking awesome! I'm trying to figure out how much of the stunt work was performed by the actors themselves, and it's to Vaughn's credit for (a) making it quite impossible to tell, and (b) making the actors look bloody fabulous doing them.
In this day of massive blockbusters and Marvel superhero franchises, Vaughn shows he's a force to be reckoned with, delivering scenes that are thrilling and almost balletic in nature. I notice a penchant for slow motion, which can sometimes irritate, but here, it only enhances his artistry.
Casting unknown Taron Egerton is a stroke of genius. But hey, Vaughn is known to have a sharp eye for young talent - i.e. Aaron Johnson. I admit to feeling extremely guilty - EXTREMELY - about finding Egerton incredibly hot. The only way I will ever eliminate these feelings is by having a bilateral oophorectomy. Short of that, I'll just have to wait for menopause. :)
Not since Aaron Johnson have I been this excited about a new young male star. Like Johnson, Egerton looks deceptively docile and one-dimensional on the surface, but later turns out to be ferocious and quite complex. But the money shots are definitely the ones with Egerton wielding deadly weapons. That final showdown at the villain's lair, with Eggsy the killing machine pulverizing an army of guards before an eye-popping confrontation with Gazelle ( aka the gal with giant knife blades for legs ), had me practically jumping out of my seat! Unbelievable stuff!
The source material - Mark Millar's comic book series - is key. Millar also wrote Kick-Ass and Wanted ( another super-violent tale adapted into a 2008 Hollywood film starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman ), and after a while, you'll see the similarities. An underdog in the form of a downtrodden young man, a mentor who trains him to become a ruthless killer, and a memorable bad guy. In every one of these stories, the protagonist is vital, as is the actor chosen to play him. Egerton is as perfect a fit as anyone can hope for. Only 25 and already showing immense potential: handsome in a non-threatening way, rugged and athletic so he can handle the action without difficulty.
But aside from that, he needs the all-important X factor: charisma, charm, and something intangible which makes him stand out, even in the company of greats like Firth, Michael Caine and Samuel L. Jackson. Egerton achieves this effortlessly, even throwing in a flair for comedy. A true gem of a discovery. I look forward to his future projects with bated breath!
Plus a Kingsman sequel, of course. As many as possible. :)
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