KINGSMAN : THE SECRET SERVICE - Tuesday 10th February 2015.

Well, it's official! Colin Firth can now say that he is a bona fide movie action star having kicked more butt and amassed a body count to match that of any of Sly's, Arnie's or Bruce's singular movie outings of yesteryear, and along the way spin a mightily entertaining yarn that is 'KINGSMAN : THE SECRET SERVICE' which I saw last night with a couple of movie buddies. From Matthew Vaughan's opening title sequence that sees two middle eastern looking insurgents taken out by two black clad dudes hanging perilously from an oncoming chopper to the opening riffs of Dire Straits 'Money for Nothing' you just know you're in for a treat!

In Directing this modern take on the spy spoof that winks all the way at James Bond, Derek Flint, John Steed with a little Harry Palmer too (note the specs worn by the Kingsmen) and more recently Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer and thankfully not Austin Powers, Matthew Vaughan has added all the touchstones we have come to know and love over the years from the action spy genre, shaken them up, thrown them asunder and given us the middle finger of his right hand as if to say 'I did it my way'!

And so he has . . . and in spades! We have the English gentlemen types, the suave Saville Row suits, gadgets galore, space age technology, sophisticated residences, hideaway command centres, stunning locations as well as some pretty down to Earth ones, a megalomaniac villain with a plan to change the world and a beautiful henchwoman with the most evil pair of 'legs' you have ever seen. It's all good fun, and then of course there is the body count, and Vaughan's creative imaginative way of dispensing death at the hands of our heroes and villains. It all makes for a very enjoyable romp, and I bet that Colin Firth has not had so much fun on a movie set in years . . . if ever!

The story opens in the mid-90's with the opening credits sequence that for the Kingsmen doesn't quite go according to plan and one of them ends up very dead at the hands of a suicide vest wearing insurgent. Back in some downbeat looking council estate in London and Harry Hart (aka 'Galahad', played by Colin Firth) breaks the news to his wife and the young boy 'Eggsy' who then is about four years of age. He hands over a Kingsman medallion and says that is ever she needs help to call the number on the reverse said and say simply 'Oxfords not Brogues' and the matter will be dealt with.

Seventeen years later and we cut to a scene in deepest mountainous Argentina where a man is being held hostage -  and in arrives 'Lancelot' (Jack Davenport) who takes out the captors swiftly and with Kingsman precision, but in turn becomes a casualty at the hands of 'Gazelle' (Sofia Boutella) who has prosthetic razor sharp steel blades for legs . . . and she knows how to use 'em! Gazelle, is the henchwoman of Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) the semi-retired multi-billionaire who speaks with a lisp, is always colourfully attired and hates violence and the sight of blood but just wants to make the world a better place by seriously downsizing the population to deal with the climate change issue! As such, he has hatched a cunning plan involving the free distribution of his manufactured SIM cards that when activated by a certain broadcast signal set off a neurological impulse that turns humans uncontrollably violent against each other.

Eggsy (played in young adulthood by newcomer and one to watch Taron Egerton) meanwhile makes contact with the Kingsman through the medallion given to his mother and is recruited in this Secret Service by Galahad in an attempt to make good on the death of his father all those years ago. Eggsy has a life of council estate petty crime and no hope to look forward to so jumps at the chance for some adventure and daring-do! What follows is the usual training sequence where other hopefuls are put to the test and through their paces over several months as they all fall by the way side one by one leaving only one successful! The training regime is managed by 'Merlin' (Mark Strong) under the watchful eye of 'Arthur' (Michael Caine) to ensure the best outcome is achieved for the Secret Service.

All the while Valentine's plan is unfolding as he persuades more & more world leaders that his plan has credence and should been adopted to prevent climate and environmental disasters in the not too distant future that thus far have been caused by human over population. This all plays out on screen as the clock ticks down on the broadcast of the necessary signal to unleash violent mayhem on an unsuspecting global populace. Vaughan has choreographed some great action set pieces - most notably when Valentine tests his signal on an amassed Church congregation in the US mid-west that Galahad attends having been tipped off. Here we see Firth like you have never seen him before dispensing with crazed churchgoers with acts of extreme violence that result in impalings, dismemberment's, shootings, spearings, stranglings, bone crunching body blows, pistol acrobatics and fist fight gymnastics aplenty - it's a hoot and all largely at the hands of the English gent himself.

The final act as the countdown is on for gathered world dignitaries who have succumbed to Valentine's moral platitudes, is also a finale to behold as the resultant 'firework' display takes us into hitherto unknown territory - brilliantly executed (pardon the pun) and laugh out load OTT.

Needless to say the good guys win the day in what is another nod to Bond, and live to fight another day (or 'Die Another Day')  (well, most of them anyway) and in Eggsy it would appear we have a new suave, savvy, street smart secret service spy in the making. Hugely entertaining,  lavish and stylish, violent and extreme, well cast and deftly handled throughout this is delivered with the tongue firmly planted in the cheek, and definitely one of the most entertaining and engaging films of the year so far. Can't wait for the sequel.

  

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 5th February 2015.

Another week marches on, and so naturally there are more tempting cinematic offerings to entice us from inside our homes to inside a movie theatre. This week though, unlike those recently gone by, there as no Oscar contenders here - those however, have been Reviewed and Previewed in very recent previous weeks and throughout the year, and a raft of which are still out on general release, so, get in there quick for a viewing before the Academy Award curtain goes up on 22nd February!

Two new films only then to grace a big screen near you that combine some big time Hollywood heavyweights - first up we have a card shark remake of a 1974 classic, but will it live up to the standard set way back then, and next a good old English Secret Service espionage story that seems a little more tongue in cheek than Bond and a little more aloof that Austin Powers, but a lot of fun nonetheless with a big action cast, and franchise written all over it!

So whatever your choice of new release movie is this coming week, be sure to share your thoughts and opinions with your friends, film buffs and fellow readers at Odeon Online by Posting your experience below in the Comments box immediately following this, or any other Post. Enjoy your film!

KINGSMAN : THE SECRET SERVICE (Rated MA15+) - based on the comic book 'The Secret Service', this film is Directed by Matthew Vaughan, partly Produced by him and partly Screenwritten by him too. Vaughan has a solid enough pedigree also to be able to handle such comic book big action fare, including 'X-Men : First Class', 'Kick Ass' and 'Layer Cake'. For 'Kingsman' he has amassed a solid ensemble cast that takes in the likes of Colin Firth in the lead, Samuel L. Jackson as the obligatory badass mofo villain of the piece, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, Mark Hamill and relative newcomer Taron Egerton, together with a US$100M production budget.

The story is such that there exists a super secret spy organisation known as the 'Kingsmen' who operate totally undercover and covertly to protect England, Queen, Country and I guess anyone else that might need saving, rescuing and protecting from unscrupulous types that would do us harm. Enter Harry Hart (aka 'Galahad') played by Colin Firth as your very typical English upper crust Gentleman of circa mid-60's dapper appearance whose smooth charming stiff upper lip exterior hides a finely tuned espionage thwarting killing machine interior. He needs to recruit some young upstart no hope street smart kid into the world of 'The Secret Service' and so comes across Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin' (Taron Egerton) who is quickly inducted into the world of 'The Kingsmen', undergoes his highly competitive training regime and is thrust then out into the world to deal with megalomaniac Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) as our super spy baddie intent on world domination but suffers a lisp and can't stand the sight of blood . . . go figure! This film gives a nod to the spy thrillers we have all come to know and love heralded by the likes of Bond while taking in Bourne and others along the way . . . and promptly sticks up a middle finger to establish itself as the new kid on the block! Looks like a helluva lot of inventive colourful fun with Firth as you've never seen him before. Bring it on!

THE GAMBLER (Rated MA15+) - James Caan starred in the 1974 original film on which this 2015 version is a remake, this time Directed by Rupert Wyatt. Back then Caan was Alex Freed a literature professor harbouring as secret gambling habit, and now Mark Wahlberg is Jim Bennet - a literature professor harbouring a secret gambling habit. Spot the similarity there? Going heavily into debt (to the tune of $310K) to an underground gambling den owner and a loan shark, Jim Bennet borrows money from his mother Roberta (Jessica Lange) to pay off the debts, but blows it all on a night out on the town with Amy Phillips (Brie Larson) - one of his students whom he has the hots for. When he can't come up with the money to pay of his debts he is kidnapped by the loan shark to whom he owes $50K and given an ultimatum which just might see student hottie Amy, very dead. He then borrows more money form another loan shark, Frank (John Goodman) to take one final punt, win, and so pay of his debts and ride off into the sunset with Amy. Needless to say it is not all as simple as that and Jim has to go through some pain, some soul searching and some double dealing to pull of his grand finale gambling punt and so put that life behind him - will he succeed, and will he kick the habit - I guess you'll just have to go see it!

Two films to tempt, tease and tantalise you out to the movies for some more mature adult type fare that is sure to please on the action front, or if these don't grab you - there is still plenty of great films of all genres doing the rounds that you can still catch if so inclined. Keep watching the movies, and keep reading this Blog - your support of both is much appreciated.

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-