Underdog stories can often be predictable and even banal, but Eggsy’s (Taron Egerton) tale stands out from the rest in the best possible way.
Taron Egerton as the brilliant Eggsy / Picture Credit: 20th Century Studios
Kingsman: The Secret Service follows Eggsy, a young lad who is something of a regular Joe, you might say. He lives on what appears to be a council estate with his mum, young sister, and stepfather.
He dislikes the way his mother is treated by Dean (Geoff Bell), but can do little about it. When Eggsy is arrested for stealing and joyriding a car with friends, he sees only one way out.
When his father passed, he was given a medal of valor with a symbol on it and a number etched into it; Eggsy calls the number and recites the secret phrase. After that, he is simply let go.
He is met outside the police station by Harry Hart (Colin Firth), a friend and colleague of his father’s, and the man who gave him the necklace. Harry has chosen Eggsy to be his candidate to join the Secret Service.
Eggsy’s father was also a member, and now, with Eggsy’s background in the army and great skills, he must now prove that just because he doesn’t come from a posh estate and have a Bentley, doesn’t mean he can’t cut it with the best of them.
So from then on, Eggsy and a number of other candidates including the smart and kind Roxy (Sophie Cookson), and the pompous and arrogant posh-boy Charlie (Edward Holcroft), work hard to become the next member of this elite Secret Service.
Eggsy is taught what he needs to know by his Mentor Harry, and through him learns not only how to be a gentleman, but also what it means to be a Kingsman.
They are also against the clock, as Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is counting down the days until his free SIM cards are on the market, which does not sit well with the Kingsman as they discover these cards aren’t what they seem, and the kidnappings on the news may have more to do with Valentine than they thought...
Can Eggsy show that he’s the man for the job, or will he fall short?
This film, in the midst of all the humour and stunning cinematography it contains, tells a legitimate British underdog story. All the rich lads also taking the challenges on to become a Kingsman, seem to have it out for Eggsy because he isn’t like them; but Eggsy has no problem kicking them down a level to show they’re not all that.
Eggsy’s character is one to admire for sure; he adores his mother and even left the army to take care of her due to Dean being less-than-kind to her… he also calms Roxy before a halo jump, and stands up for himself when it matters most.
His surrounding cast is equally as excellent, as Jackson does a great job as the eco-terrorist Valentine, who wants to solve the world’s population issue by creating a SIM card that arouses deadly instincts.
Mark Strong also stars as Merlin; his wonderful Scottish character is a perfect choice for this humorous and action-packed movie as he and Eggsy’s personalities collide in such a fantastic way.
The movie also clearly takes aspects from other films, such as James Bond. The gadgets the Kingsman have are functional yes, but also sometimes odd and funny – a perfect way to add in a bit of comedy to the subject of spies and espionage.
While this film has everything you would want in a movie of this genre, including a stellar cast, humour mixed with the trials Eggsy faces and a perfect protagonist, we’re also shown perhaps one of the greatest one-shot scenes ever.
When Valentine tests his SIM cards to make sure that it does what he wants it to, which is make everyone in an area attack one another due to a signal coming from said cards. Harry goes to check this out, and after he delivers a hilariously flawless line to a rude religious woman, Valentine turns the cards on.
What follows is a phenomenal few minutes as everyone inside the Church has been somewhat taken over by the SIM cards and they begin killing each other. This is a perfect example of one-shot scenes done well; as Harry takes out those around him, it flows excellently from one angle to the next, effortlessly showcasing the choreography in the movie.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is a must-watch movie because it perfectly combines humour with action, allowing the characters to bounce off one another for precise comedic effect.
Check out the trailer for Kingsman: The Secret Service below!
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
RELATED: A tale focused on the loving bonds a mother and daughter can share: Brave
Disney films tend to always contain a message of sorts, something to make you think about life all over again. With Brave, that message is a very unique one indeed.
Merida (Kelly Macdonald) is a headstrong and intelligent Scottish princess, but unlike the other Disney princesses you may be used to. She and her father, King Fergus (Billy Connolly), are like two birds of a feather; they both burp at the dinner table and tell stories of hunts and battles.
Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), Merida’s mother, is very set in her ways in the sense that she wishes to follow traditions and customs; this means finding her daughter a husband...
Tagged in Colin Firth Mark Strong Samuel L. Jackson Taron Egerton