"KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" (2015) Review

"KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" (2015) Review

Matthew Vaughn must be a major comic book fan. This is the second . . . no, third time in his career in which he has directed a film adaptation of a comic book series or story. This time, he directed an adaptation of Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar's 2012 comic book series, "The Secret Service".

"KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" told the story of a young man named Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, who becomes a recruit for a secret service organization called Kingsman. The story begins in 1997 when a team of Kingsman agents led by Harry Hart lead a raid to interrogate a terrorist in the Middle East. When their prisoner reveals an unpinned grenade, one of the Kingsman agents - who turns out to be Eggsy's father - sacrifices himself to save the others. Harry leaves a medal with a coded message to young Eggsy, in case the latter needs help. Seventeen years later, Eggsy, now a young unemployed adult living with his mother, an infant half-sister and an abusive stepfather; runs afoul of the police after he and his friends steal a car that belongs to one of his stepfather's personal thugs. When Eggsy contacts Harry, using the medal, the latter arranges his release and encourages the younger man to apply for a position at the Kingsman agency.

Meanwhile, one Professor James Arnold is kidnapped by henchmen who work for Internet billionaire Richmond Valentine. A Kingsman agent known as "Lancelot", tries to rescue Professor Arnold, but failes when Richmond's henchwoman, Gazelle, kills him. Valentine manages to convince Arnold, along with various heads of state and VIPs, to participate in a scheme that he hopes will save the planet Earth from humanity. While Harry keeps an eye on Eggsy's training, he also investigates Lancelot's death and its connection to Valentine.

Okay, I might as well say it. I enjoyed "KINGSMAN" THE SECRET SERVICE" very much. Hell, I loved it. Now, I cannot say that it is an original tale, considering that it is based upon a comic novel. But it is one of the most enjoyable comic book adaptations I have seen since . . . well, since last year's "CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER" and "GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY" Okay, it is simply a damn good movie. And I am amazed that 20th Century Fox did not release it for the summer season. It is worthy of a major summer release. But since the summer of 2015 might prove to be very competitive, I can understand why the studio decided to give it an early release.

I would not say that the plot for "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" is not particularly original. Then again, it might be. Yes, Richmond Valentine's plot to improve Earth for mankind proved to be very similar to plots I have recently encountered in two ABC series - "ONCE UPON A TIME" and "AGENT CARTER". But it was originally used in Millar and Gibbons' 2012 comic book series. So, one can accuse the show runners for the two ABC of plagiarism. In some ways, the plot for "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" reminded me of the plot for the 2014 movie, "DIVERGENT". Both movies started out featuring hardcore training sessions for the protagonists and ended with the characters of Eggsy Unwin and Tris Prior engaged in some serious action sequences. Yet Vaughn and co-screenwriter Jane Goldman did a better job of balancing Eggsy's training and his participation in the movie's final action sequence. This is due to the presence of Harry Hart, who served as this movie's other major protagonist. While audiences were allowed to watch full details of Eggsy's Kingsman training, they also got to see Harry's detailed investigation of Richmond Valentine before the former was included. Using both Harry and Eggsy as the protagonists, while they engaged in their own agenda throughout most of the film allowed Vaughn and Goldman to maintain a balance in the story.

Despite "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" being an action comedy scene, it not only featured excellent acting, but also some interesting dramatic and comedic moments. Among my favorites included Eggsy's introduction to the Kingsman organization, his conflicts with his abusive stepfather, Harry and Kingsman leader Chester King's conflict over the idea recruiting potential agents from the middle and lower classes, Valentine's recruitment of the world's elite into his plan and his first meeting with Harry over a McDonald's meal.

I talked a good deal about the movie's plot. But remember . . . "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" is also an action film based upon a comic book series. And this movie featured a good deal of memorable action scenes. My favorites included Lancelot's attempt to rescue Professor Arnold, two of the Kingsman training sessions featuring a water-filled room and a parachute jump, and Harry's encounter with thugs working for Eggsy's stepfather. My favorite sequence - and it is a long one - featured the remaining Kingsman operatives' attempt to stop Valentine's plot regarding the world's human population. Most final sequences in action movies these days tend to be ridiculously long and filled with mindless violence and explosions. Yes, the final action sequence for "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" has its share of violence and explosions. But I thought it was well shot and did not leave me feeling disoriented and slightly deaf. This sequence also featured one of the funniest character death scenes I have seen on film.

Now . . . "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" is not perfect. I believe it has its flaws. First of all, there is one action sequence that I did not find particularly thrilling to watch. I am referring to the massacre at the Kentucky hate group headquarters in which Harry Hart participated against his will. My problem with this scene? It seemed to go on forever . . . as if Vaughn wanted to savor every moment of the violent conflict inside that Kentucky church just struck me as a bit too much. I also had a problem with the movie's use of the Lancelot character, portrayed by Jack Davenport. I had no problem with the latter's performance. But . . . I wish he had lasted a bit longer than he did. Davenport's time span in the movie reminded me of his limited screen appearance in the 2007 movie, "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END". Which left me feeling dissatisfied. I wanted to see more of the actor . . . in this film and in the previous one.

The performances featured in "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" proved to be first-rate. Hell, they were better than first-rate. The supporting cast - including Samantha Womack, Geoff Bell, Corey Johnson and Hanna Alström - provided some real, solid performances. But I was really impressed by Edward Holcroft's portrayal of Charlie, Eggsy's aristocratic main rival in the training program; Sophie Cookson as another one of Eggsy's fellow trainees, the winsome, yet tough-minded Roxy; and Jack Davenport's portrayal of Agent "Lancelot", which struck me as a cheeky take on the James Bond character. Mark Hamill also gave a brief, yet entertaining appearance as a British academic named James Arnold, whom Valentine manages to recruit into his scheme. I was surprised by Hamill's first-rate British accent. Michael Caine added a touch of class as the Kingsman agents' aristocratic leader, Chester King aka "Arthur". And Sofia Boutella was very impressive as Valentine's cool and very deadly henchwoman, Gazelle. I swear . . . Boutella's Gazelle could put any Bond henchman or woman to shame.

Mark Strong, a veteran of past Vaughn films, did a great job of portraying "Merlin", a senior Kingsman agent who serves as the agency's trainer and senior tech expert. I was especially impressed by how Strong managed to project a mixture of authority and cheeky sense of humor in his performance. One of the best things about "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" was Vaughn's choice to portray the Kingsman trainee, Gary "Eggsy" Unwin. Taron Egerton gave a star making performance as the energetic and intelligent Eggsy, who is hampered by his working-class background and impatience. I never thought a twenty-something actor with very little experience could hold his own with the likes of Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine and Samuel L. Jackson. But he did. Perfectly.

Colin Firth proved to be a surprisingly first-rate hero as Harry Hart, the veteran Kingsman agent who not only saw promise in Eggsy, but also the latter's father some seventeen years earlier. Firth is cool, witty, and authoritative. More importantly, he proved for the first time in his career that he could be a superb action hero . . . even in his early fifties. All the film historians in the world could argue over who might be the best Bond villain. As far as I am concerned, the winner of that little contest could never be as good as Samuel L. Jackson's portrayal of billionaire Richmond Valentine. He trounced them all. Not only was he one of the best (and scariest) on-screen villains I have seen in years, he was also very entertaining. Utilizing a lisp and projecting his character's aversion to violence and blood, Jackson gave what I believe was the best performance in the movie.

It is rare to find a first-rate action film that was not released during the usual summer season. It is rare, but not unknown. I do not know how "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" would have held up against the movies released for the summer of 2015. But regardless of its release date, it might prove to be one of my favorite movies of the year. Matthew Vaughn did a superb job as director of this adaptation of the 2012 comic series. And he was ably supported by Jane Goldman as co-screenwriter and a superb cast led by Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson and Taron Egerton.

"KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" (2015) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE", the 2015 adaptation of Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar's 2012 comic book, "The Secret Service". Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the movie starred Colin Firth, Taron Egerton and Samuel L. Jackson: 


"KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE" (2015) Photo Gallery

"TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" (2011) Review

"TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" (2011) Review

Between the late 1970s and early 1980s, author John le Carré wrote a series of popular novels called The Karla Trilogy that featured MI-6 officer George Smiley as the leading character.  At least two versions of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" had been made  The most recent is the 2011 movie in which Gary Oldman starred as Smiley.  

Set in 1973, "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" has George Smiley, who was recently forced to retire, recalled to hunt down a Soviet mole named "Gerald" in MI-6 (a.k.a. the "Circus"), the highest echelon of the Secret Intelligence Service.  The movie began with "Control" - the head of MI-6 - sending agent Jim Prideaux to Hungary to meet a Hungarian general who wishes to sell information. The operation is blown and the fleeing Prideaux is shot in the back by Hungarian intelligence. After the international incident that followed, Control and his right-hand man, Smiley were forced into retirement. Control, already ill, died soon afterwards.  When field agent Rikki Tarr learned through his affair with  the wife of a Moscow Centre intelligence officer in Turkey that the Soviets have a mole within the higher echelon of MI-6, Civil Service officer Oliver Lacon recalled Smiley from retirement to find the mole known as "Gerald".  Smiley discovered that Control suspected five senior intelligence officers:

*Smiley 
*Percy Alleline (new MI-6 chief)
*Bill Haydon (one of Alleline's deputies)
*Roy Bland (another Alleline deputy and the only one from a working-class      
  background)
*Toby Esterhase (Alleline's Hungarian-born deputy, recruited by Smiley)

I have never seen the 1979 television version of le Carré's 1974 novel, which starred Alec Guinness.  In fact, I have never been inclined to watch it.  Until now.  My interest in seeing the television adaptation has a lot  to do with my appreciation of this new film version.  I enjoyed it very much.  I did not love it.  After all, it did not make my Ten Favorite Movies of 2011 list.  It nearly did, but . . . not quite.

Why did "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" fail to make my favorite 2011 movies list?  Overall, Tomas Alfredson did an excellent job in translating le Carré's story to the screen.  However . . . the pacing was slow.  In fact, it crawled at the speed of a snail.  It was so slow that in the end, I fell asleep some fifteen to twenty minutes before the movie ending, missing the very moment when Smiley exposed "Gerald" at the safe.  However, I did wake up in time to learn the identity of "Gerald" and the tragic consequences of that revelation.  I have one more problem with the film.  Benedict Cumberbatch portrayed Peter Guillam, a former division head recruited to assist Smiley in the latter's mole hunt.  There was a brief scene featuring "DOWNTON ABBEY" regular, Laura Carmichael, in which Guillam revealed his homosexuality.  Cumberbatch did an excellent job in conveying this revelation with very little dialogue and a great deal of facial expressions.  And yet . . . this revelation seemed to have very little or no bearing, whatsoever, in the movie's main plot.  Even Smiley's marital problems ended up being relevant to the main narrative.  End in the end, I found the revelation of Guillam's sexuality a wasted opportunity.

But there is a great deal to admire about "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY".  One, it is a fascinating tale about one of the time-honored plot lines used in more espionage - namely the mole hunt.  I suppose one could credit le Carré for creating such a first-rate story.  But I have seen too many mediocre or bad adaptations of excellent novels to solely credit le Carré for this movie.  It would not have worked without great direction from Alfredson; or Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan's superb script.  I found Maria Djurkovic's production designs for the film rather interesting.  She injected an austere and slightly cold aura into her designs for 1973 London that suited the movie perfectly.  And she was ably assisted by cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, and art designers Tom Brown and Zsuzsa Kismarty-Lechner.

The heart and soul of "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" was its cast led by Gary Oldman, as George Smiley.  The cast almost seemed to be a who's who of British actors living in the United Kingdom.  Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Ciarán Hinds and David Dencik portrayed the four men suspects being investigated by Smiley.  All four did an excellent and kept the audience on their toes on who might be "Gerald".  However, I do have one minor complaint.  Hinds' character, Roy Bland, seemed to have received less screen time than the other three.  Very little screen time, as a matter of fact.  Mark Strong gave one of the movie's better performances as the MI-6 agent, Jim Prideaux, who was betrayed by "Gerald" and eventually forced to leave "the Circus" following his return to Britain.

Both Simon McBurney and Kathy Burke gave solid performances as Civil Service officer Oliver Lecon and former MI-6 analyst Connie Sachs.  However, Roger Lloyd-Pack seemed to be a bit wasted as another of Smiley's assistants, Mendel.  I have already commented on Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as Peter Guillam.  However, I must admit that I found his 1970s hairstyle to look a bit artificial.  I can also say the same about the blond "locks" Tom Hardy used for his role as MI-6 agent Rikki Tarr.  Fortunately, there was a good deal to admire about the actor's emotional, yet controlled performance as Tarr.  I really enjoyed John Hurt's portrayal of Smiley's former superior, the gregarious Control.  I thought it was one of his more colorful roles in recent years.

However, the man of the hour is Gary Oldman and his portrayal of MI-6 officer, George Smiley.  Many found the selection of Oldman to portray Smiley a rather curious one.  The actor has built a reputation for portraying characters a lot more extroverted than the mild-mannered Smiley.  His minimalist performance in "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" took a great deal of people by surprise.  So much so that Oldman ended up earning an Academy Award nomination for his performance.  And he deserved it, as far as I am concerned.  I consider George Smiley to be one of Oldman's best screen performances during his 30 odd years in movies.  In fact, I suspect that the actor has made George Smiley his own, just as much as Alec Guinness did over thirty years ago.

As I had stated earlier, "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" is not perfect.  Its pacing is as slow as molasses.  I thought actor Ciarán Hinds and the plot revelation regarding Peter Gulliam's homosexuality was vastly underused.  But thanks to Tomas Alfredson's direction, Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan's Oscar nominated screenplay, and an excellent cast led by the superb Gary Oldman; the movie turned out to be a surprising treat and has ignited my interst in the world of George Smiley.

"TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" (2011) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY", the new adaptation of John le Carré's 1974 novel. Directed by Tomas Alfredson, the movie stars Gary Oldman as George Smiley: 


"TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" (2011) Photo Gallery

"THE KING'S SPEECH" (2010) Review

"THE KING’S SPEECH" (2010) Review

Inspirational movies have been the hallmark of Hollywood films over the decades. They especially became popular between the mid-1970s and the early 1990s. After the mid-90s, I never thought they would become popular again. But the recent release of the historical drama, ”THE KING’S SPEECH” proved me wrong.

Directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler, ”THE KING’S SPEECH” told the story of Great Britain’s King George VI’s difficulties with a speech impediment and his relationship with Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue, who helped him overcome his stutter. The movie opened with George VI (then Prince Albert, Duke of York) at the closing of the 1925 Empire Exhibition at Wembley Stadium, with his wife Elizabeth by his side. There he gives a stammering speech that visibly unsettles the thousands of listeners in the audience. After nine years of unsuccessfully finding a speech therapist that can help him, Elizabeth recruits Australian-born Lionel Logue to meet him. The two men eventually bond and Logue helps the Duke of York overcome the latter’s stammer during a series of crises that include the death of George V; his brother, King Edward VIII’s romance with American divorcee, Wallis Simpson; the abdication of Edward; the Duke of York’s ascension to the throne as George VI; his coronation and the start of World War II. Also during this period, both king and speech therapist become close friends.

What can I say about ”THE KING’S SPEECH”? I cannot deny that it was a heartwarming tale about the growing friendship of two men from disparate backgrounds. Seidler’s script was filled with wit, charm, warmth and pathos that filled the heart. The cast, lead by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, did great credit to the script. There have been complaints about the film’s historical accuracy from both the media and historians. And there is a good deal of the story that is historically inaccurate. George VI and Lionel Logue’s collaboration began as far back as 1926, not 1934. And the king was also pro-appeasement in the late 1930s. In fact, the majority of Britons during that period were pro-appeasement. What historians fail to realize is that appeasement was popular due to a lack of desire for another war against Germany. World War I had traumatized a generation that included George VI. One also has to remember that ”THE KING’S SPEECH” is a drama based upon historical fact, not a documentary. One would know by now that complete historical accuracy in a work of fiction is rare. It has been rare for as long as there have been fictional work based upon history. And to be honest, I do not believe that the movie’s fiddling with historical fact has not harmed the story.

One would think that I consider ”THE KING’S SPEECH” to be one of the best movies this year. Frankly, I find labeling what is ”the best” rather subjective. I did enjoy the movie and it made the list of my Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2010. However, I must admit that I do not consider it to be a particularly original film. One, it is one of those inspirational films that moviegoers tend to love – movies like ”SEABISCUIT”, ”CINDERELLA MAN” and the 1976 Oscar winner, ”ROCKY”. And if I must be brutally honest, there was nothing original about ”THE KING’S SPEECH” - even for an inspirational film. I already have a nickname for it - ’ROCKY in the Palace’. Another problem I have with the movie is that I was not that impressed by its visual style. I found Danny Cohen’s photography rather pedestrian. And Eve Stewart’s production designs and Judy Farr’s set decorations were very disappointing. Only the movie’s exterior shots prevented ”THE KING’S SPEECH” from becoming another filmed stage play. And the actual sets struck me as very dull. My hopes of a rich look at London and the rest of Great Britain during the 1920s and 30s fell short. I suppose I should not have been surprised by the movie’s uninspiring visual style. It only had a budget of $15 million dollars. I suspect the producers had very little money to work with.

With a few exceptions, the cast turned out to be first-rate. Colin Firth gave a superb and complex performance as the insecure sovereign with the speech impediment. I am not that surprised that he managed to earn nominations and win a good number of acting awards. Geoffrey Rush, who portrayed Lionel Logue, gave a first-rate performance filled with a great deal of sly humor. Also, he and Firth generated a strong screen chemistry. Helena Bonham-Carter was a charming and witty Duchess of York/Queen Elizabeth. However, I would have never considered her performance worth of any acting award nomination. She was simply portraying the “loyal wife” schtick. I was surprised to find Guy Pearce portraying the love obsessed and selfish Edward VIII. And I must he was very subtle and effective in revealing the man’s less admirable traits. The movie also benefitted solid performances from the likes of Michael Gambon as King George V, Claire Bloom as Queen Mary, and Anthony Andrews, who was surprisingly effective as Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin.

However, there were some performances that I found unsatisfying. Being a fan of Jennifer Ehle, I was disappointed in the limitations of her role as Logue’s wife, Myrtle. She hardly had a chance to do anything, except murmur a few words of encouragement to Logue. Her only great moment occurred in a scene that featured Myrtle Logue’s realization that the King of England was one of her husband’s clients. Seeing Ehle and Firth in the same scene together brought back memories of the 1995 adaptation of ”PRIDE AND PREJUDICE”. I also had a problem with Eve Best’s portrayal of American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. Her Wallis came off as more extroverted than the divorcee in real life. And I hate to say this, but Timothy Spall’s interpretation of Winston Churchill seemed more like a parody than a serious portrayal. Every time he was on the screen, I could not help but wince.

In conclusion, I enjoyed ”THE KING’S SPEECH” very much. Despite its lack of originality, I found it heartwarming, humorous, and dramatic; thanks to Tom Hooper’s direction and Seidler’s writing. And aside from a few performances, I was impressed by the cast, especially leading men Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. I would never consider it artistically worthy of the Best Picture Oscar that it won. But I cannot deny that it was entertaining.

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As an extra treat, below is a video clip featuring a speech given by King George VI at the an Empire Exhibition at Ibrox Park, Glasgow, Scotland; 1938.

"THE KING'S SPEECH" (2010) Photo Gallery

Below are images from the 2010 historical drama called "THE KING'S SPEECH". Directed by Tom Hooper, the movie stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham-Carter:


"THE KING'S SPEECH" (2010) Photo Gallery