Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
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A young man is recruited into a secret spy organization to stop a global threat.
The story
In 1997, a secret agent's death leaves his son, Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, with a mysterious contact number. Seventeen years later, after being caught in a legal predicament, Eggsy uses the number and is contacted by Harry Hart. Harry reveals he is part of Kingsman, a secret independent intelligence agency. Eggsy is then recruited to join the organization as a replacement for a fallen agent. While undergoing intense training under the guidance of a technical support operative named Merlin, Eggsy must navigate the dangers of the spy world while the agency investigates a mysterious threat involving a billionaire philanthropist and a dangerous technology.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1997, agent Lee Unwin dies saving Harry Hart. Seventeen years later, Eggsy Unwin is caught stealing a car and contacts a number left by his father. Harry Hart, a member of the secret agency Kingsman, rescues him and recruits him to replace the fallen agent Lancelot. While Eggsy undergoes rigorous training with Merlin, Harry investigates a microchip-related plot involving billionaire Richmond Valentine. After a microchip explodes and puts Harry in a coma, the agency traces the signal to Valentine's distribution of free SIM cards. Following his recovery, Harry confronts Valentine's associates. Meanwhile, Eggsy survives training but fails a final test by refusing to shoot a puppy. It is revealed that the gun used blanks. Simultaneously, Harry discovers Valentine's plan to use a signal to trigger global violence to combat climate change. Eggsy discovers that the agency's leader, Arthur, has a microes chip and is part of the conspiracy. Eggsy leads Arthur to poison himself and joins Merlin and Roxy to stop Valentine. In the climax, Eggsy infiltrates Valentine's bunker, kills the assassin Gazelle, and eventually kills Valentine, ending the signal. The film ends with Eggsy as the new Galahad, offering his family a new home.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 129
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Matthew Vaughn
- Writers
- Matthew Vaughn · screenplay; Jane Goldman · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Colin Firth · Harry Hart; Samuel L. Jackson · Richmond Valentine; Mark Strong · not specified; Taron Egerton · Gary "Eggsy" Unwin; Michael Caine · not specified; Hanna Alström · Tilde, Crown Princess of Sweden; Bjørn Floberg · Morten Lindström, the Swedish Prime Minister; Lily Travers · Lady Sophie; Jonno Davies · Lee Unwin
- Genres
- spy; action; comedy
- Themes
- eco-terrorism; espionage
- Tone and mood
- action; comedy; spy parody
- Setting
- Various locations including London, the Middle East, Kentucky, and a bunker.
- Premise and plot tags
- coming-of-age; spy; action
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Secret Service comic series
- Franchise connections
- Kingsman
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, described as stylish and fun, though some critics were mixed on its use of violence and its conservative themes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 75% · scale: percentage · review count: 264; Metacritic · score: 60 · scale: 100 · review count: 50; MRQE · score: 63 · scale: 100 · review count: 108
- Production trivia
- The film features a scene where a character requests anal sex, which was criticized by some.; The film's score was composed by Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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