Kingsman: The Secret Service

Over spring break, I watched Kingsman: The Secret Service in theaters with a few friends. Overall, I thought it was an interesting take on the spy genre that delivered a lot of great action sequences along with a not-so-terrible plot. While Kingsman may have been overshadowed by Oscar nominees this year, it delivers enough fun to make it worth the price of admission.

The movie centers around Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (Taron Egerton), a rebellious teen who gets roped into the secret society known as the Kingsman. Throughout the film, Eggsy is mentored by Harry Hart (Colin Firth), a skilled assassin and saboteur who is in debt to Eggsy's deceased father. Eggsy needs to overcome challenges and outlast the other contestants as he tries to become a official member of the Kingsman. Meanwhile, Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), a tech savvy billionaire leaves a trail of bloodshed and bodies as he leads up to his greatest, and most cynical, invention to date and it's up to Eggsy and Harry to thwart his malicious plans.

Going into the film, I really didn't have high expectations. Once the characters and plot were established, I thought it would be pretty predictable for the most part. However, there were a lot of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Deaths of major characters and complete 180s in the plot were a few of the things that kept me excited.

Although at first glance the movie might seem family friendly, it has a R rating and it has rightfully earned it. The action scenes are brutal to say the least. With decapitations, loss of limbs, and more blood than a slaughter house, this movie is definitely not for those with weak stomachs. Overall, this film had a lot more than I was expecting. While I may not recommend it as the greatest spy film, it is a film you can have a lot of fun while watching.

Kingsman

Among the couple other wildly popular Valentine's Day releases was Kingsman: The Secret Service. The film is set in England, and focuses around the unrefined, but promising Gary "Eggsy" Unwin. He is recruited by a secret-spy organization, into their agency's ultra-competitive training program, just as a global threat is emerging.

When I saw the trailer initially, I was intrigued, but my opinion quickly changed after I saw the film. From what I had gotten out of the trailer, I assumed that it was going to be a good old-fashioned spy movie, with a similar plot line to that of any of the Bond or Bourne films. I started out with the potential to be like those films, but quickly turned into something more similar to a Seth Rogan comedy. Not a bad thing, but not my first choice when it comes to film types.

Overall, I would probably give it a 3/10. It had a few good one liners, but the comedy was subpar and the action and fight scenes had a cartoonish aspect to them. Regardless of my opinion, check out the trailer and make your own decision. This may be something you enjoy.