Comic book spy spoof

Kingsman: The Secret Service (15)
Running time 2hr 9mins
Rating:***
When it comes to comic book movies, Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman have some pedigree.
Together, the British power duo have scripted two successful X-Men movies, and cult-favourite Mark Millar comic book adaptation Kick-Ass.
And with Vaughn assuming directing duties on two of those, it’s fair to say we’d trust this pair to produce the goods with another outing. Their latest jaunt is another visit to Mark Millar comic book territory. With Kingsman: The Secret Service, they seem keen to prove they’ve found their niche. Tamer than Kick-Ass, Kingsman is also less brave.
An updated addition to the somewhat dated spy spoof genre, it has a seen-it-all-before quality.
It revels in its use of postmodern irony and has hints of James Bond, Austin Powers, old British TV series The Avengers (not to be confused with the Marvel film franchise of the same name), Vaughn-produced sink estate revenge drama Harry Brown, and Joe Cornish’s outlandish Attack the Block. Its greatest strength is its casting. Colin Firth proves his versatility, cast against type as an operative within a secret espionage organisation looking to recruit urban urchin Eggsy (Taron Egerton), putting him through his paces in a tough induction programme. But when an evil mastermind (Samuel L Jackson) poses a threat to the future of the world, Eggsy finds himself forced to step up his game. Faced with a dangerous megalomaniac and his deadly sidekick, and a compromised agency – as well as his mum’s violent boyfriend – he must show his mettle. Egerton shines as the decent lad from a broken home, while Jackson raises a laugh or two with his one-joke evil genius turn. Don’t demand too much, and don’t think too much – and you may just enjoy this class-division action comedy that also counts Michael Caine, Mark Hamill and a Scottish-accented Mark Strong among its cast.With plenty of energy and hubris, Kingsman is a fun and diverting enough watch, despite its pointlessness.