Kingsman: The Secret Service (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #47 extract: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

I missed this when it first came out. Four years later and I can say that this is a pretty excellent piece of entertainment. It does have few problems though. Firstly, the cinematography can be pretty ugly. Added to this, whilst the action scenes are often awe-inspiring, I don't think the fast motion always works. And whilst the script is quite clever, the tone and style of writing bear the most faults. Without such great direction I believe this film would fall apart all too easily. That said, there is a central ethical debate in this film that resonates beyond the surface and through each and every character conflict. But, this is cheapened by the... let's call it 'playfulness' of the film; I have only one thing to say about the sensationalist violence - which I do not completely oppose: How many millions of babies do actually die? Makes it hard to take the subtext serious is all. 

All in all, great fun. Maybe I could muster greater respect for it on a second watch. Maybe not.