REVIEW:
The lesson learned from this movie is don’t bet against Matthew Vaughn. Never. This guys track record for quality is like James Cameron’s track record for box office success. In the case of Vaughn, he had made six movies before this (both Kingsman films, Layer Cake, Kick Ass, Stardust, and X-Men First Class,) and all six of them were great. But this one just didn’t look like it would be all that good. The trailers certainly didn’t sell it. What a mistake. Vaughn delivers with this one just like those others.
The movie is packed with both fun action and creative storytelling. The plot here involves World War I and all of the twists and turns that led to the different countries joining in, pulling out, or figuring out how much they should get involved. Vaughn cleverly combines real events and circumstances with made-up characters and comedic twists. For example, he has the heads of Russia, Germany, and England all be cousins who are on a power trip and rivalry against each other. The movie is about a team of spies who pull strings and get what is needed for their government by working behind the scenes. But aside from the story, the action is pretty great too. The movie takes us from spy movie, James Bond-like hideouts all the way to the battlefields and bunkers of the Great War.
And once again Vaughn shows his mastery of combining computer effects with action choreography in a way that only enhances the stunt work. Other than Quentin Tarantino, Vaughn is probably the only filmmaker with such a flawless track record. He’s a smart filmmaker (just look at X-Men First Class compared to every other X-Men movie as an example,) and this movie really shows off his skill, by applying his usual bag of goods and strengths to a historical setting. In Vaughn’s hands, he makes even this concept and situation work, and the movie turns out to be a lot of fun.