Kingsman: The Secret Service

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Stewball
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Kingsman: The Secret Service

Post by Stewball »

***Spoilers****
This movie is hard to summarize. It has a lot going on and combines several genres including comedy, satire, action, drama, spoof and science/political/religious commentary--and it makes good use special effects (Gazelle's awesome high heels) and of music, especially (especially Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" in the church "testing", scene and "Pomp and Circumstance" in the finale). You could probably make a cottage industry of identifying elements and look-alikes, not the least of which are Obama and Boehner; and Samuel L. Jackson's lisp is so perfect they'll probably bring him back to life if there's a sequel. I'm not sure how the Yankees fit in, Valentine wears a NY hat and there's a jersey in the carnage at the end-- probably an inside joke. And speaking of accessories, Valentine is always wearing a necklace, sometimes with an (Allah Ackbar?) Arabic looking pendant. Looks something like "30".

The central screw of the plot is the Villain, Valentine, who arranges with the world elite to come to his safe have to repopulate the world, while he arranges for the rest of the world to wipe themselves out in a cull of humanity, thus killing the virus which causing a global warming/fever. The test of his weapon happens at a church in Kentucky (why? a Civil War border state?) which is a hysterical highlight, as is the mind blowing climax at Valentine's hideaway. The two scenes involving parachutes were the weakest.

They say several times "that this isn't that kind of movie", but that apparently didn't include not having product placement, especially McDonalds, and making us like it in the process. And the movie even works in what is probably Hemingway's most profound quote and gives him credit: "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."

I'm still grappling with the "dog test". 8/10

This sort of encapsulates the spirit of the movie:
Image

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