Kingsman: The Secret Service

As a child, Gary "Eggsy" Price (Taron Egerton) was given a medal engraved with a phone number after the mysterious death of his father. This he can only call once to call in a favor of any kind. However, Eggsy doesn't make use of this until seventeen years later, when the school dropout is arrested by the police after a spectacular car theft. And indeed, shortly after the call, he is a free man again, picked up by the mysterious Harry Hart (Colin Firth). The latter turns out to be a tough gentleman spy who makes Eggsy an unexpected offer: Eggsy, who has had nothing but bad luck in life so far, can take part in a training course to become a spy in the independently operating secret service organization of the Kingsmen and thus follow in his father's footsteps. But the tests that the young man and the other recruits must undergo are extremely hard and dangerous, so that Eggsy hardly believes in a future with the Kingsmen. Yet they need a new top agent more urgently than ever before. Because ruthless billionaire Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is on the verge of implementing a diabolical plan to which much of humanity could fall victim...

Following Kick-Ass, director Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class) has once again adapted a graphic novel by Mark Millar for the screen with Kingsman: The Secret Service. For the cinema version of the comic series, which was published as a mini-series, Vaughn has picked the best elements of the original and turned them into a great agent comedy, which has a character all its own and is thus in many ways even superior to the comic book template. Alone the very drastic sequence in a church, which takes place in the comics relatively at the beginning, is much better realized in the film version. And also the brilliant finale, which is accompanied by the sounds of the hymn Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar, is clearly preferable to the one from the comics.

Even those who can not draw these direct comparisons, will be able to have great fun with this film - provided there is a soft spot for wicked humor in the style of Kick-Ass. Like Kick-Ass, Kingsman: The Secret Service is often not very politically correct but unrestrainedly brutal. The fact that the whole thing never drifts into a senseless orgy of violence, but still retains a lot of elegance, is not only thanks to the first-class production, but also the excellently selected cast. The absolute highlight is Oscar winner Colin Firth, who cuts a fine figure as the gentleman spy, especially in the action sequences. But the delightfully over-the-top Samuel L. Jackson is simply wonderful as the head villain - once you get used to his arguably put-on lisp.

In small but important roles, Mark Strong, Michael Caine and Mark Luke Skywalker Hamill, who also made a memorable guest appearance in the comics, shine. Alongside these seasoned acting greats, newcomer Taron Egerton more than holds his own convincingly. The Welshman's transformation from chavvy street hooligan to elegant world saviour is perfectly conveyed on screen. At the end he gets to pick up the reward for his convincing work in an amusingly bawdy scene that would make even James Bond green with envy.

The most famous secret agent in film history was of course clearly the godfather for the adventures of Eggsy and his mentor Harry Hart. The equipment in particular often brings back memories of the earlier Bond films and the designs of Ken Adam. And one gadget in particular that the Kingsmen are outfitted with is a direct reminiscence of early Bond (fans will immediately recognize what we're talking about here). That said, Kingsman: The Secret Service is neither a Bond parody, nor a pure knock-off of the successful series. Rather, the writers of the comic book template, as well as Matthew Vaughn, have created an homage to the entire genre that simultaneously manages to assert a place of its own within it. The film manages to do this by using many familiar elements, but varying them to such an extent that something unique and surprising emerges. Since parts of the body are cut off and heads explode (even if not in such a drastic way as you might think), the movie is certainly not for the faint-hearted. But if you enjoy elegantly staged agent action that only takes itself seriously enough to avoid drifting into flat silliness, you shouldn't miss this great fun. And if you already liked Kick-Ass, you're guaranteed to love Kingsman: The Secret Service. Absolutely worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp