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Directed by : Kevin Smith, Kevin Smith, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Michael Barton, Chris Parkinson, James Laxton, Shannon McIntosh, Sam Englebardt

Produced by : Kevin Smith, Kevin Smith, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Michael Barton, Chris Parkinson, James Laxton, Shannon McIntosh, Sam Englebardt

Starring : Michael Parks, Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Génesis Rodríguez, Ralph Garman, Johnny Depp, Harley Quinn Smith, Lily-Rose Depp, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Harley Morenstein

Company : Phase 4 Films, Demarest Films, SModcast Pictures

Release date(s) : 2014-09-19

Running time :102 Minutes

Country  : United States

Language :English

Budget :  $2,800,000

Storyline :

Directed by : Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Rodrigo Prieto, Arnon Milchan, Francine Maisler, Stephen Mirrione, Emmanuel Lubezki, James W. Skotchdopole, Skip Lievsay

Produced by : Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Rodrigo Prieto, Arnon Milchan, Francine Maisler, Stephen Mirrione, Emmanuel Lubezki, James W. Skotchdopole, Skip Lievsay

Starring : Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Kenny Chin, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Bill Camp, Zach Galifianakis, Damian Young

Company : TSG Entertainment, Worldview Entertainment, New Regency Pictures, M Productions, Le Grisbi Productions

Release date(s) : 2014-08-27

Running time :120 Minutes

Country  : United States

Language :English

Budget :  $18,000,000

Storyline : **mounting spontaneity** or (dumb luck)

It's not fair.

I love Raymond Carver, long takes, theatre, Batman, NYC rooftops and alleyways, the blending layers of self-referential fiction, delirious fantasy, the creative process, the insane logistics of run-on cinematography, the seamless assembly of shifting environments, stepping into unresolved mental spaces, demonstrations of solitary madness and the unbearable anticipation of being, being judged, being booed, un-being, unhinging, delusional uppers, existential downers, magic surrealism, telekinetic fury, dreams of flying, throwing tantrums, the fragile yet invincible ego, immaculately constructed chaos, the recurring climax of ending it all -- where the blazes is that blasted improvisational drumming coming from? -- oh there, and there, so absurd, don't stop, the shot must go on, the show must go on, "You are not important, get used to it," she said, but so much angst overwhelms him, tethered to a feathered fantasy, a nagging reminder of what once was, or could have been, refusing to believe it's too late to soar to former heights, yet grounded by time and gravity, trapped in a narrative, caged in a fabrication, "You're an actress, honey," says another, "you have no self-respect" and all actors are game, Keaton and Stone zoned-in, knowing the pain, pretending to not care or pretending to matter, failing to be authentic, acting over acting, meta-acting meta-fiction meta-filmed with a meta-critical message: yeah, we're all messed-up and meta-fµcked, but after shooting your nose to spite the ruse, by unmasking the unexpected virtue of ignorance, peeling off layers of pretense and self-importance, you just might find a momentary strain of pure, uncomplicated innocence.

It's not fair. I love this sh*t!
First of all, let me say, I like most of movies where Naomi Watts plays & thought this one would be good too, after all it has high ratings, but don't be fooled by famous actors which play in this movie. Don't be fooled & think that movie is good. No, not at all. This movie is complete junk. It supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't even find it funny. It's just like a big mess. I started watching it & I couldn't last longer than 30 minutes, it was so boring & uninteresting that I fell asleep. I can't believe people rate this movie so high & even worse - this movie won an Oscar. This again proves, that ratings & Oscar ain't always accurate.
This film tells the story of an over-the-hill actor called Riggan Thomson (brilliantly portrayed by Michael Keaton) who was once the star of a superhero blockbuster franchise known as 'Birdman'. We are shown his journey into making a Broadway production starting with the initial rehearsals and read-throughs. What follows is a brilliant exploration of celebrity culture in an intriguing and satirical way.

'Birdman' could essentially be looked at as one continuous long shot. The camera constantly weaves around the actors and action and so the audience are completely immersed into the perspectives of the various characters (mostly Riggan's). The opening shot plays like a scene in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Boogie Nights' as it delightfully establishes the narrative in a fluid and polished style whilst introducing the cast and their entertaining interchanges during a rehearsal with hilarious consequences.

The editing throughout the picture is almost flawless when moving from scene to scene and has a dizzying effect much like Gasper Noé's 'Irreversible'. 'Birdman' also boasts some marvellous special effects throughout such as when Riggan (Keaton) is alone and being taunted by his egotistical alter-ego. The film shows up typical blockbuster action movies by asking the audience what they want and giving it to them in a manner which embraces the excitement and epic-ness of the genre whilst also poking fun of the conventions.

The music that accompanies the film is very scarce in a lot of places adding emphasis to the dialogue and situations arising but, in some cases, an erratic and improvisational drum riff can be heard (occasionally accompanied with the drummer on the set) which completely adds to the eccentricity and spontaneity of the movie.

The screenplay is very intricately written and contains many profound philosophical speeches about art, celebrity and criticism. There are monologues and debates by characters in which they discuss the core beliefs of the film such as Riggan's speech during his performance of his Raymond Carver play "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love".

The whole narrative of the film is very intriguing and interesting. There is a perfect blend of comedy and poignancy. There are a lot of twists and ambiguity throughout the film which could be analysed and interpreted for a long time.

Michael Keaton is fantastic as the protagonist and gives a performance that would have given his career a huge revival (his squeal is my highlight of the film). The parallels with the character's career and that of Keaton's could not have been a mistake and gives the performance that much more edge. Edward Norton plays the method actor from hell (Mike Shiner). He is annoying, snobbish and smug and played brilliantly by Norton who excels in the vileness and pomposity of the character.

The film is very much about actors. The self obsessive nature of acting is definitely highlighted by the two central performances but there is also a cast that really help to deliver the film's meaning such as Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, Andrea Riseborough and Naomi Watts.

Overall, 'Birdman' is a fantastic film. It is filled with pathos and profound imagery whilst keeping the viewer thoroughly entertained throughout.

★★★★½
"I'm nothing. I'm not even here."

The story to Birdman is about an wash up actor (Michael Keaton) - famous for portraying an iconic superhero - as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

Okay in my review of Whiplash I bought this movie up mid way through the review just to give a heads up of when I'm going to watch it, because Birdman was my most anticipated film of 2014. But just like every time I really wanted to see a film so baldy I have to wait for a while until I finally get a chance to watch it, story of my life really. But anywhere, I was really looking forward to this movie ever since September, and now finally seeing the film I can safely say that Birdman is one of the best movie of 2014.

I always know that Micheal Keaton was the kind of movie star that will pick any random movie role just because... well he what's to be important and still show to everyone that he still got it, I guess. Early last year he was in two movies that were pretty blah, and that was The Robocop (remake) and Need for Speed, and those films just made Keaton look like he was just cashing it in just for the sake of it. Until I watched this movie and seeing Micheal Keaton's performance and thinking to myself "Wait is Keaton giving probably his best performance I've ever seen in my life? I think he is", because Keaton in this movie pretty much pulls of the best performance I've seen him in his all career. His character in this movie is like a washed up actor who had everything like: the love from the critics and he's fans. Yeah he still dose have that Keaton thing that he always dose in his previous movies, but the scenes where he plays his character (Which is himself if you really look at his character in this movie) but anywhere he still gives a strong and believable performance that at times give me flashbacks of the good old days when he still had roots and felt like he isn't just cashing it in. I hear a lot of Oscar buzz about his performance in this movie, and I wouldn't be surprise if he wins because he totally deserves it. Excellent work Keaton.

Edward Norton is also in this movie and played a familiar character to himself has the hard to work with actor that at times doesn't follow the lines that he was given or even the direction he was told. We already know that Norton is a fantastic actor in his previous work, but in this movie his performance could be descried has stellar and insanely good.

Emma Stone is this movie and of course like most of the actors I named off so far who were outstanding in this movie and well you can already guess what I'm going to say next. Emma Stone acting in this movie was just terrific and marvellous to watch. It's good to see a real break out performance from her more than the lay back ones in her other movies. Nice one Emma. The other cast in the movie like Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis both did good as well.

The whole movie is shot to look like it's all in one shot and my mind was just blown away by that fact. There were scenes in way I said to myself "Oh my god is it one shot?", well I can already imagine the stress, hard work and how many takes they had to do to get it, and boy did it pay off nicely, because I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. I dared myself to look away from the beautiful cinematography and the impressive editing used in the film.

The movie has a brilliant message about film critics today that doesn't feel like it's in your face message that you normally get in movies. There's a scene in this movie and by the way it's not a spoiler, but I really need to get this out the way first. Micheal Keaton character starts having a rant over this theater critic who is going to give a bad review to he's play when she hasn't even seen it or any of the premieres. He talks about how she only users big words that nobody will say in person and shes to lazy to come up what she really thinks about it so she users big words just to fill in the sentence. This movie probably has the best rant in movie history and Keaton in that scene shows how good of a actor that he is.

For problems in the movie: I really don't have any to be honest.

I loved this movie and yes I'm coming out be saying that. This isn't just the best movie of the year and such, no this is just flawless film making right here. Birdman and Whiplash are the two films I will highly recommend to people, because those two films are my favorite films of 2014.

Directed by : Chryss Hionis, Michael Giacchino, Paula Weinstein, Shawn Levy, Shawn Levy, Susan Lyall, Ford Wheeler, Terry Stacey, Dean Zimmerman, Cindy Tolan

Produced by : Chryss Hionis, Michael Giacchino, Paula Weinstein, Shawn Levy, Shawn Levy, Susan Lyall, Ford Wheeler, Terry Stacey, Dean Zimmerman, Cindy Tolan

Starring : Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Abigail Spencer

Company : Spring Creek Productions, 21 Laps Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures

Release date(s) : 2014-09-10

Running time :103 Minutes

Country  : United States

Language :English

Budget :  $19,800,000

Storyline :

Directed by : Anna Pinnock, Jina Jay, Simone Bär, Alexandre Desplat, Scott Rudin, Antoinette Boulat, Wes Anderson, Wes Anderson, Wes Anderson, Wes Anderson

Produced by : Anna Pinnock, Jina Jay, Simone Bär, Alexandre Desplat, Scott Rudin, Antoinette Boulat, Wes Anderson, Wes Anderson, Wes Anderson, Wes Anderson

Starring : Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Tony Revolori, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Uwe Holoubek, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law

Company : Fox Searchlight Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, Studio Babelsberg, Indian Paintbrush, TSG Entertainment, American Empirical Pictures

Release date(s) : 2014-02-26

Running time :100 Minutes

Country  : United States

Language :English, Français

Budget :  $30,000,000

Storyline : Yet another well crafter Wes Anderson's movie. Fiennes and Revolori perform well and the amount of well known actors and actresses is incredible but we have seen similar ways and scripts in his previous movies.

It's entertaining, though.
Wes Anderson's THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is the director's celebration of Central Europe culture and fashion in the years between the World Wars, and an elegy for what was lost with the rise of fascism and communism. Set in 1932 in a fictional country called Zubrowka, the streets, military regalia and (ersatz) German names we are shown could have come from anywhere between Germany and Estonia. Its protagonist Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes) is a concierge at the eponymous luxury hotel, the splendour of which disappeared, we are told, with World War II. Gustave H. is known publicly as one of the best concierges in the business, able to dash around the hotel at lightning speed to satisfy the most varied guests of the elite clientele. Privately, he's a rake with a rather foul mouth, and fond of bedding the rich old women who patronize the establishment. When one of those old ladies, Madame Céline Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis (Tilda Swinton) dies and Gustave is framed for her murder, he must evade the law and unmask the true culprit, with the help of newly hired lobby boy Zero Mustafa (Tony Revolori).

The films of Wes Anderson are known for their immense visual detail, and THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL is no exception. The elaborate framing of shots, the myriad cute items to look at on every set, and the architectural detail are like a diorama blown up to the big screen. Curiously, that visual detail is matched to a real slackness in the human characterization. Anderson has brought in a large number of actors he had worked with before, including Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Ed Norton, and Bill Murray, for roles that range from the main villain to little more than cameos. These characters are never fleshed out like Gustave H. or Zero Mustafa, and the actors don't even try to pass themselves off as Central Europeans from the entre deux guerres. Instead Adrien Brody plays Adrien Brody, etc.

There are two supporting roles that I felt were stronger. William Defoe plays a nearly mute henchman whose look is a nod to early vampire films (Transylvania was Central Europe, too). More remarkable is Harvey Keitel's turn as an old prisoner: when so many handsome leading men try to hide the effects of time after they enter their sunset years, 75-year-old Keitel was not afraid to show the ravages of old age here.

Unfortunately, I found the 21st-century Americans strutting about (and a few speaking in rough New York accents) in a historical drama to be jarring. I was also disappointed by the resort to Hollywood tropes here, when Anderson's earlier films managed to be very quirky and sui generis. For example, did we really need not just one scene where a character is hanging off a cliff's edge as the villain stands over him, but two? And the amount of plot details that are introduced but never really explained makes one feel that the work was subject to some heavy cuts to please a studio.

Still, if you liked Wes Anderson's earlier films, you'll find much to enjoy in his dollhouse approach, and it is amazing how every one of his films has a completely new and fresh visual theming even if his quasi-autistic obsession with prettiness never changes. Another thing I liked about the film is its "story within a story within a story". The entire plot of Gustave H. is, we are shown, taken from a fictionalized treatment by a writer who met a middle-aged Mustafa (F. Murray Abraham) in the 1960s. Befitting this novelistic layer -- and the work of Stefan Zweig that Anderson credits for inspiration -- this framing story is written in stilted, unrealistic dialogue like an old-time novel. And the aspect ratio changes for each layer of the film, a little treat for cinema anoraks.

Directed by : Steve Koren, Barry Bernardi, Adam Sandler, Allen Covert, Jack Giarraputo, Frank Coraci, Mike Karz, Ivan Menchell, Clare Sera, Steven Mnuchin

Produced by : Steve Koren, Barry Bernardi, Adam Sandler, Allen Covert, Jack Giarraputo, Frank Coraci, Mike Karz, Ivan Menchell, Clare Sera, Steven Mnuchin

Starring : Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Bella Thorne, Terry Crews, Joel McHale, Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Nealon, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Emma Fuhrmann

Company : Gulfstream Pictures, Happy Madison Productions, Karz Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures

Release date(s) : 2014-05-21

Running time :117 Minutes

Country  : United States

Language :English

Budget :  $40,000,000

Storyline : Another silly Adam Sandler movie. Once again, Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler pulled off a great comedy due to their awesome comedic chemistry. Mr. Sandler uses some of the same jokes from previous movies of course but they didn't feel worn in this movie. I actually enjoyed it. Several hilarious moments throughout the movie.
The third time this pair had come together for a movie and it does not look good at all. The movie can be enjoyed for its comedy, not for anyone's performance. The location (South Africa) was good, but not exposed well, instead make fun out of it which was expected.

In earlier days I used laugh out loud for Sandler's jokes, he's not the same guy anymore, I barely smile now. And for Barrymore, she was one of my actresses (I believe still she's), but her recent movies are disappointing, or barely in entertainment business. Kind of attractive Bella Thorne in a tomboyish getup, hope to see her in many future projects.

I heard that Dale Steyn does a cameo for a Hollywood and I did not know it was this movie until I saw him. He's a rock-star on the pitch, but when Sandler made fun out of him that irked me and then let it go as it just a silly movie. Like the old days' animation shorts for the TV, this film had collective pieces of comedic scenes. Individually very entertaining, but as a movie fails to assemble. Not for everyone, but manageable.

6/10

Directed by : Craig Wood, Christopher Boyes, Christopher Boyes, Christopher Boyes, Sarah Halley Finn, Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, Kyrsten Mate, Stan Lee, Kevin Feige

Produced by : Craig Wood, Christopher Boyes, Christopher Boyes, Christopher Boyes, Sarah Halley Finn, Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, Kyrsten Mate, Stan Lee, Kevin Feige

Starring : Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly

Company : Marvel Studios

Release date(s) : 2014-07-30

Running time :121 Minutes

Country  : United States

Language :English

Budget :  $170,000,000

Storyline : This movie was so AWESOME! I loved it all and i had a bad day before watching it but it turned it around. I love action packed movies and this was great.
Really funny and with great spcial effects. Probably, one of the movies not to miss this year.
I ΛM GЯӨӨƬ!
This was a pleasant surprise of a movie, full of great humor as well as an intriguing story. It's quick and zany at times. Think Psych in space (back when Psych was funny). The pace is quick and the story line is easy to pick up and follow.

What makes the film work is something that early Lucas and Joss Whedon understand: great sci-fi movies are really westerns at heart. There is a relationship with nature, a broken, compromised hero, a deep necessity for teamwork, and the story happens OUT there in the wild. Guardians of the Galaxy has ALL of this.

Guardians is already set up for a sequel so we will see if Marvel can continue the magic. It's a great addition to the Marvel universe.
Like most of the reviews here, I agree that Guardians of the Galaxy was an absolute hoot. Guardians never takes itself too seriously which makes this movie a whole lot of fun.

The cast was perfectly chosen and even though two of the main five were CG, knowing who voiced and acted alongside them completely filled out these characters.

Guardians of the Galaxy is one of those rare complete audience pleasers. Good fun for everyone!
The thing about this film when I first saw it, was the incredible juxtaposition of sadness, humor and courage. Great acting! The music is superb. That Sony Walkman must be the best bit of brand advertising ever engaged by a company within a film. The film should appeal to a broad range of viewers.
This movie is more of a comedy than anything else. It is truly a comic magazine brought to life on the big screen and more focused on delivering a sequence of action scenes and laughs than anything intelligent in the form of plot or characters. I would say it is a movie for the younger audience and comic fans. Having said that I must admit that I found it rather fun to watch.

The main characters are two mostly irresponsible rascals, one dumb but likable living tree and two fanatics of which one certainly need not apply to the Mensa club. Of the five I liked Rocket and Gamora the best. Rocket is a rather likable rascal and Gamora is simply cool. Quill is sometimes just silly, Groot is more of a living prop and Drax is just too stupid.

The story is more or less just there to tie the scenes together. Unfortunately we do really not get much of a background to the Guardians of The Galaxy universe. It would have been nice to get a bit more understanding of why things are as they are etc. The return of this movie is watching the action, the special effects and the laughs. It is an action-adventure-comedy plain and simple. If you approach it as such it works reasonably well.

Speaking of special effects, they are generally well done. The designs are interesting. The shape of the bad guys spaceship is totally ludicrous of course but visually pleasing and goes with the rest of the movie’s tendency to be more of a comedy than a serious movie. The same can be said for that cool but weird net they made by interlinking fighter crafts.

On the whole an entertaining movie. I have to say that the dancing scene at the end was a wee bit too silly for me though. I have a problem understanding how a movie like this can get such a relatively high rating at IMDb but okay it was fun to watch and it is not entirely undeserved. Personally I think a 7 out of 10 is more in the right region.

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**A long form review originally posted n 2014:**

Now that I’ve given _Guardians_ a BluRay watch through, I feel more comfortable reviewing it. I saw it on the first day of its Australian cinematic release, but I wasn’t sure what I thought. I watched it again and still wasn’t sure, but now that it’s six months later, I am sure.

I’m a massive fan of director James Gunn. Come to think of it, I’m also also a big fan of Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Chris Pratt, Benicio Del Toro, Djimon Honsou, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Peter Serafinowicz, Alexis Denisof, Rob Zombie and Nathan Fillion, and they’re all in this. Not to mention I’m an absolute sucker for the MCU. So after hearing that a very decent chunk of the fanbase thinking that not only was this the best Marvel film of the year (going up against _Winter Soldier_ and _Days of Future Past_), but that they would then go on to say it was the best Marvel Cinematic Universe film ever, you could imagine I was very surprised to find that I actually didn’t think it was all that great.

I don’t want people thinking I didn’t like it. I did. In fact I will go on record saying that it was miles away from their worst film, and if I’m being honest they handled the last 25 minutes (arguably the most important part) of the film absolutely spectacularly. But I didn’t get the magic that everyone was telling me about. How this was the film for the new generation. I didn’t even get the sense of satisfaction that I had in Cap’s movie just a few months previous.

So many things seemed under utilised, but I don’t know what you could have cut to make room for the extra things I wanted. Which means the only way to get it is to have a longer film. It’s already two hours, and a longer movie means a bigger budget and less screenings. ie. more money going out and less money coming in. And at the end of the day Disney is a business, and they have to make their money the best way they think they can. So I understand why it wasn’t perfect for me, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling _Guardians_ is a mite overrated. Good damn movie. But overrated.

Personally I’d stick it somewhere in the middle of the MCU’s releases thus far. Leaps and bounds above _The Incredible Hulk_, _The Dark World_ and _Iron Man 2_, but not so beloved as the likes of _The Avengers_, _Winter Soldier_ or _Iron Man 1_.

73%

-_Gimly_
Guardians of the Galaxy is a gorgeous and wonderfully entertaining space opera. The characters are so damn lovable, the world building is incredible, the soundtrack gives the film an entirely unique feel, and the effects are astoundingly first rate.

The story follows the pattern of the space fantasies that influenced George Lucas, but the presentation is the work of the extraordinarily gifted filmmaker James Gunn. If we ever forget that the MCU was ever a thing (we won't but let's just be hypothetical), many generations will still be talking about this fantastic movie.

Directed by : Matthew Vaughn, Matthew Vaughn, Matthew Vaughn, Jon Harris, Andrew Ackland-Snow, Jennifer Williams, Jane Goldman, Arianne Phillips, Steve Carter, Eddie Hamilton

Produced by : Matthew Vaughn, Matthew Vaughn, Matthew Vaughn, Jon Harris, Andrew Ackland-Snow, Jennifer Williams, Jane Goldman, Arianne Phillips, Steve Carter, Eddie Hamilton

Starring : Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Michael Caine, Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella, Samantha Womack, Geoff Bell, Edward Holcroft

Company : TSG Entertainment, Marv Films, Cloudy Productions, 20th Century Fox, Shangri-La Entertainment

Release date(s) : 2014-12-13

Running time :129 Minutes

Country  : United States

Language :English

Budget :  $81,000,000

Storyline : One of the most interesting movies to watch. Humor, action and adventure well plotted into this great movie. The action is just great.
A nice surprise.

I was not expecting anything from this movie but it turned to be a really funny one, borrowing from all the other spy's movies around.

Collin Firth is a great choose and you can say the same for most of the cast, remarking also Samuel L. Jackson.

An easy movie for a brainless evening.
The kinetic super-spy caper ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ will serve as a boisterous blueprint for those teen fanboys out there that will fancy an elaborate overload of James Bond-esque high-powered hedonism. It certainly does not hurt that the high-wire hysteria as showcased in the twitchy ‘Kingman’ is based upon the acclaimed comicbook series by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. Also, add into the mix the movie-making overdrive pedigree of director Matthew Vaughn (‘Kick-Ass’, ‘X-Men: First Class’) and slick, cheeky spy-spry send-ups that recall the over-the-top espionage genre and its exaggerated suspense-driven foundation. Well, ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ is a cockeyed, pulsating parody that works its ultra-violent magic for the Austin Powers crowd that wants to walk on the high-octane wild side of Bond’s universe.

Sure, ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ has its iffy moments where the blatant sexist overtones, magnified violent sequences and a generous bloody bounce of excess will have some stomping their feet in sheer indignation. The apparent knock on ‘Kingsman’ will be its robust ridiculousness and familiarity in Vaughn’s ‘Kick-Ass’ cartoonish vibe. However, the same elements that may cause some reservations with the film’s low-brow lunacy is also the same ingredients that trigger ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’s carousing charm in majestic mayhem.

The grand gimmick behind behind kick-starting ‘Kingsman’s go-for-broke rollicking is casting the sophisticated presence of the Oscar-winning Colin Firth (‘The King’s Speech’) as dapper Harry Hart (aka ‘Galahad’), a polished and prominent superspy for a British secret intelligence society. Hart’s top-secret spy network is headed up by Arthur (Oscar-winner Michael Caine). The secretive operation is based out of a notable tailor’s shop known as Kingsman. Also worth noting is that all the secret service agents are named after the famed knights of King Arthur’s Round Table. Go figure. In any event, the suave Harry Hart is the debonair face of the spy organisation and will play a critical part in both recruiting a young up-and-coming agent with decent physical skills and tracking down a worldwide menace bent of destroying the planet. It is all in a day’s work for the skilled, well-dressed licensed-to-kill operative.

Hart, who had been loyally connected to a fallen colleague from a past mission gone disastrous years before, decides to become a mentor for his late co-worker’s troubled son Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (played by newcomer Taron Egerton) whose law-breaking conduct catches the attention of the police. Feeling a sense of responsibility for his deceased spy buddy’s wayward kid, Hart takes Eggsy under his wings and determines to shape the misguided youngster into resilient Kingman stock. After all, Eggsy has the needed physicality (we are told he is an exceptional gymnast) and roguish spunk to join the ranks of the seemingly understaffed spy outfit. Soon, Eggy and other recruits will be grilled through rigorous training from Kingman member Merlin (Mark Strong) as they look to fill the spot vacated recently from the dead Lancelot.

The dearly departed Lancelot, it turns out, was the latest victim of ruthless criminal mastermind Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson). The flashy Valentine, a billionaire gone bonkers, hopes to control the world’s climate change. He is known as a mega-wealthy entrepreneur and philanthropist but his sinister heart yearns for some heavy-handed dastardly deeds that puts him on the immediate radar for Hart and his crafty Kingsmen to spring into action. At the demented Valentine’s side is the deliciously disabled exotic henchwoman Gazelle (Sophia Boutella) with the treacherous knack for disarming her adversaries with blazing blades.

The bombastic and eye-pleasing ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ sets out to have one goal in mind: to highlight its thunderous homage to spygate spectacles that salute everything from the Agent 007 flicks and related free-wheeling 60’s fare such as the ‘Matt Helm’ and ‘Derek Flint’ spy franchises to the recent espionage vehicles that invite the millennium-based harried heroes such as the Jason Bournes and Jack Ryans of the world into the frenetic fold. It is fast, furious and unapologetic in its rambunctious spirit as a ricocheting romp.

Vaughn, in all his rousing Tarantino-esque tactics, unleashes a visceral assault that is visually wrapped in his escapist package of an adrenaline rush. Wisely, Vaughn incorporates some of his ‘Kick-Ass’ colourful calisthenics to arm his playful spy yarn. As the veteran spygame squires, both Firth and Caine are game for the frolic they signed up to participate in with puckish aplomb. Jackson brings his usual explosive badass persona to the table as the villainous fashion plate Valentine. The 14 year-old males will draw their adventurous inspiration from Egerton’s junior spy Eggsy Unwin. Some may become nostalgic when uncovering the likes of spotting ‘Star Wars’ icon Mark Hamill as an imperiled climate changer scientist caught in the crazy clutches of Jackson’s diabolical antagonist.

Although not the most inventive take on ridiculing the spy genre with over-extended finesse and sensationalism, ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ is still a preferred jolting distraction at the beginning of an early stillborn movie season.

Kingman: The Secret Service (2015)

20th Century Fox

1 hr. 40 min.

Starring: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong and Sophia Boutella

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

MPAA Rating: R

Genre: Spy Thriller/Action & Adventure/Fantasy & Action
'Kingsman: The Secret Service' is a comedy film that satirises spy movies such as the James Bond franchise. Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin (played by Taron Egerton) is a normal working class 18 year old from London who gets recruited into a super secret spy organisation. Humour comes as he tries to mix with these posh and suave upper-class stereotypes.

Matthew Vaughn has included his typical ultra stylised violence ('Kick Ass') and it does boast a good sound track. There are a lot of nods to films such as Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction' but it just reminds me of examples when things have been done much better. The highlight of the film for me was a scene in which Colin Firth violently massacres a crazy church to the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd ('Free Bird') whilst almost seeming like a continuous long shot.

The screenplay is very unoriginal and the dialogue with the young actors in particular is cringe-worthy. Tarantino type set-pieces just come across as annoying as the film fails to have any cleverness or creativity.

Apart from Colin Firth every actor is either average or just really bad. Samuel L. Jackson, in particular, is worse than usual as he tries to add some freshness to his regular spiel by trying to affect an annoying and distracting speech impediment.

'Kingsman' is going to appeal to the intended target age group as it does contain scenes of fantasy violence depicted as "cool" whilst characters swear. It would also help your enjoyment of the film if you have not seen the many, many examples where each scene had been conducted much better.

★★½
If you like old-fashioned James Bond style movies you probably like this one. It is a bit more outrageous and has a few more overly silly moments than the old Bond movies but on the whole this is a very fun and enjoyable secret agent movie.

Gary is, via a few twists and turns at the beginning of the movie, recruited by a secret agent employed by a super secret private organisation with remarkable resources. Their agents looks and behaves like London upper class gentlemen but have remarkable fighting skills. The initial scenes when Gary is recruited are just great.

Gary is then submitted to a rather gruesome training schedule and at the same time the main plot plays out in parallell. Of course the two threads merge towards the classical showdown with the megalomaniacal evil mastermind in the end where, naturally, Gary gets to save the world.

The movie has all the “goodies” of a secret agent movie. British gentlemen agents, action, secret agent “stuff” like shops that are not what they look like, hidden entrances into secret bases, rooms that are actually elevators and of course gadgets, lots of gadget to help our heroes thwart the evil mastermind’s nefarious plans. Of course said mastermind have a personal henchman a la Oddjob to do the more grisly parts of his evil biddings. I quite liked this rather unique henchman, or rather henchwoman, and her odd weapons. More so than the main villain which I found a bit bland at times.

On the whole I enjoyed this movie a lot. However, there are some silly parts which drags it down a bit. I especially disliked the colorful exploding heads towards the end of the movie. That just felt like the producer/director was smoking some funny stuff when making those scenes. There were a few other scenes which I felt was going too much towards silly comedies as well. Without those I would probably have added a star.

All things said this was well spent 130 minutes as far as I am concerned.