Kingsman: The Secret Service: Directed by Matthew Vaughn, Starring: Colin Firth,and Taron Egerton.2/16/2015 Kingsman: The Secret Service is a film that is not burdened by many things that hamper other films. A "PG-13" rating? Nope this is full on Matthew Vaughn "R" rated. Actors in their comfort zones? Screw that. Any hold on politically correctness? Nope that's not here. But in breaking all of these restraints it goes for what it wants to be. And what it wants to be is one of the best spy/parody of spy movies of all time. As a quick summary: Kingsman is about Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a man who is recruited into an international spy ring called Kingsman by Colin Firth's Galahad. Together with the rest of the agency they have to stop an evil megalomaniac played by Samuel L. Jackson. And as I said the film ignores things like political correctness, which results in an unrestrained experience. It gives off a vibe that sort of says, "We're going to put whatever the f••• we want on screen for the sake of fun and nothing else.” One of the most important things to do when making a film like this is to assure that it won’t completely fall apart. Matthew Vaughn skillfully keeps the plot afloat and harnesses the film’s energy instead of letting it die. The movie is fun, which is what ultimately helps it smooth over some of the tonal problems that pop up. That's another problem that comes with throwing stuff on screen. It's not even that big a deal, but at the speed that the film goes the moments when you realize that the tone has changed are really jarring. But it's too energetic and fun to really allow you to dwell on this. Something that also keeps the film going are the performances. There are a lot of actors out of their comfort zones in this movie, but they are all perfect at selling this universe. Colin Firth is definitely the one to mention, going from a slow drama actor to a full on action hero in a series of scenes. The action scenes are choreographed incredibly and shot in a way that is endlessly exciting. It's something I did not expect Firth to fit into but he's perfect and has more charisma than anyone else on screen. That's not to say that the other actors are lacking. Taron Egerton is a lot of fun as Eggsy, but seems a little one note. That seems to be part of the joke because that's how many spy heroes are, and it ends up working really nicely. Samuel L. Jackson isn't given too much to do, but what's there is instantly memorable. However even more memorable is his henchwomen who has blades for feet. Now I want to go over something very quickly. This movie is going to offend the hell out of some people. It is not subtle and at times is very violent, bloody, and gory. But it's all in good fun for the most part. There is a scene in a church that I will warn you guys about, but if you don't mind Vaughn's signature gory violence you'll be fine. Vaughn is a great action director, and as I mentioned above the action scenes are superb. This is such a fun, violent, smart, crazy, funny, and overall entertaining movie. I do think that it has some tonal problems, but other than that this is a wonderful movie going experience. PS: There's a cameo appearance by an actor from Star Wars in this that made me almost jump out of my seat. It was awesome. I give Kingsman: The Secret Service a 9 out of 10. Reviewed by Stephen Tronicek. Edited by Holly Clemons.
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I have always had respect for the Wachowskis. I love The Matrix, and Cloud Atlas was the film that got me into movies. Now Jupiter Ascending has been getting panned by critics, getting a 22% on Rotten Tomatoes. But after seeing it I still hold respect for the Wachowskis. Why? Because this movie isn’t horrible. Like all of the other Watchowski films, this one poses an interesting world to be in, and the action scenes are actually quite thrilling. The real problems come in the rest of the film. So Jupiter Ascending is about Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) who is living a boring life until she is discovered to be the heir of a title for the entire Earth. The person who previously has the title (Eddie Redmayne) doesn't want to give it up and wants to kill her in order to keep it. Channing Tatum comes in as a dog/human hybrid named Caine to help Jupiter escape and defeat the other heirs who either want to kill her or take advantage of her. Oh and Earth,and many other planets actually were created by a corporation that allows gross overpopulation in order to harvest the humans to make a genome formula that can give you years of life. That's a lot to cover in a movie, and all of this combined with a really well-constructed universe makes the people and places in the film interesting. I was really invested in the world surrounding the characters. Also good are the action scenes. The sci-fi gadget stuff here is all stuff I've seen before (except the really f***ing cool gravity boots), but it's all animated really well. The film’s visuals are really spectacular. Unfortunately the script could have used some rewrites. There are some moments of laughable dialogue, and some characters’ motivations are muddled. Jupiter does start off sounding realistic, but she becomes more gullible as the film goes on. Channing Tatum does what he can as Caine, but again the script for this movie just isn't there. Oscar-nominated Eddie Redmayne, who was the last person I expected to be a letdown, even makes a lackluster appearance. It also has some staggering story and pacing issues. Some major plot points are just introduced in speech, and then the characters just automatically accept what is going on. Very much on display here is also the Wachowski's tendency to make really offbeat and weird things happen. I didn't necessarily think it was that bad. It is truly part of their style and helps build the world. I think that older members of the audience will find it all pretty stupid though. And yet I still liked it or at least that it was ok. One of my favorite critics once said that his generation invented wanting to be a 10-year-old forever. Something about this movie made me feel like I was a younger kid just getting thrown about in extremely fun ways. The final battle sequence of the film is especially impressive. As the characters swooped through the crumbling headquarters of the villain, I flew with them. I was just having a good time. However, because of the really big problems in the story and pacing of the film, I can't acknowledge that too much. I give Jupiter Ascending a 6.5 out of 10. Review written by Stephen Tronicek. Edited by Holly Clemons. There is something wrong with Bob. From the moment you lay eyes on this quiet, gentle brute (played by Tom Hardy) you know something horrible has happened to him. His eyes possess a sadness that is noticeable from the start. Bob bartends at a drop bar (where all the gangsters’ money goes). He lives simply and doesn't seem very smart. He works for Cousin Marv (James Gandolfini), a man who thinks he’s quite intimidating but was never really feared. The Drop is a slow burn gangster movie of the best kind. It's uncomplicated and talky, which all helps lead up to its surprising end. In a talky film like this the actors have to make it interesting, and they're more than up for the challenge. Tom Hardy continues to show that he is one of the best new actors out there. His work in Locke was incredible, and now this film cements his talent. As I said, there's something wrong with Bob. It is vital that you know this for the film to tie together, but the film doesn't tell you this. It does, however, allow Hardy to hint at it. His subtle movements, the way that he talks as if he's burdened or sad about something--these points suggest that his affliction is relevant to the storyline. It's great work. Gandolfini also puts on a great performance embodying a character oblivious to his own insignificance. I am glad to see that Gandolfini's final film was really a good one. Noomi Rapace (appearing in Prometheus and the Swedish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) also puts on some nice work as her character begins to build a relationship with Bob. But this film is really Hardy's show, and the film’s success hinges mainly on him. Now that kind of makes it a difficult film to review. It's a very simple one, and if you pay attention it pays off fantastically. But that does have me running into a problem, one commonly faced by reviewers when reviewing comedies. In order for a comedy to work it needs to be funny. The whole basis of that film working is if it's funny meaning there's not a lot to talk about. The Drop has this effect, too. The whole film rests upon Hardy doing a good enough job so that you don't see what's coming (and I didn't),and still hold the film together; he succeeded. This also brings up the fact that if one actor is kind of carrying the whole thing, the film becomes a little shallow, not feeling incredibly large or too deep. But that's okay with this kind of movie. This is a very good, sharply scripted, simple gangster film that you can just sit down and enjoy. I give The Drop a 9 out of 10. Reviewed by Stephen Tronicek. Edited by Holly Clemons. |
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CategoriesAuthorHello welcome to FilmAnalyst. My name is Stephen Tronicek, and I really like movies. This is a way to get my opinions out to people. Thank you for visiting. |