The Kingsman are a super-secret independent international intelligence organization that has been around for a century and a half. When of their top agents is killed during a mission, there’s a job opening that must be filled. So a collection of recruits from the top universities are brought in to undergo a series of rigorous tests to compete for the position. Agent Harry Hart (Colin Firth) decides to personally mentor one additional contender—a smart but headed down the wrong path kid from the streets, Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (Taron Egerton), the son of a former agent who once saved his life. Meanwhile, the agency is on high alert as they discover that tech industry billionaire Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is plotting a world-wide disaster.

Kingsman: The Secret Service is another action-packed, fun thrill ride from writer/director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class). The film has all of the elements of a classic spy drama—from the dashing, dapper British aristocrat with all his cool gadgets and weapons, to the supervillain bent on destroying the world, assisted by his unusual henchman, who in this case is Gazelle (Sofia Boutella), a woman with deadly swords for feet.

However, Kingsman is not your run-of-the-mill spy film—it also mixes in a Pygmalion-like story, with Harry instructing Eggsy in the mannerisms and culture of a proper gentleman. And the film also gives us a look at the training and trials all new recruits must go through. While this is something we see all the time in the recent surge of YA novels coming to the big screen, the way it is done in this film still feels fresh and new.

Kingsman also adds lots of humor to the spy genre while not becoming a parody or spoof—at the heart of the film is still a very serious mission, with equally-serious consequences. The film constantly subverts expectations—just when you think you know where it’s going, it shifts and does something completely different.

Colin Firth is absolutely amazing in this film, He completely embodies the role of Harry Hart, playing the debonair spy to perfection, while also proving himself to be quite the action star. Firth is at the center of two spectacular fight sequences that are unlike anything I’ve ever seen on film! Taron Egerton also gives an impressive performance in his first major role—he made me really care about his character, and I found his transition from the streets to the Savile Row suits completely believable. Samuel L. Jackson makes a great villain (but that kind of falls under the “Duh” category), giving his character a rounded evil-but-vulnerable feeling. The film’s amazing cast also includes Mark Strong, Jack Davenport, Mark Hamill and Michael Caine, who all deliver great dramatic and comedic performances.

Some of the film’s action sequences do get a bit over the top and gory, but they never quite reached that campy stage for me (though one near the end of the film comes really close). For me, this non-stop, unrealistic action just added to the fun of the film, and felt more like a nod to the comic book origins of the story. Overall, the special effects look great, and the film is visually stunning.

The movie looks and sounds amazing on this Blu-ray. The picture is crisp and clear, and catches every detail of the amazing fight sequences, beautiful locations and picturesque Kingsman HQ. The audio soundtrack is phenomenal—dialogue is clear and all of the channels are utilized for the soundtrack and sound effects, bringing you right into the center of all of the action, and making you feel that same sense of danger the characters are experiencing on screen.

The bonus features include a 6-part, 90 minute behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film as well as 3 photo galleries. In the bonus material, the creator mentions that there were 40 minutes of footage cut from the film, including a lot of scenes with Roxy, but none of those deleted scenes appear on the disc. While the behind-the-scenes look was really entertaining, it would have been nice if some of those deleted scenes had appeared on the Blu-ray.

What’s Included:

Film: (2:08:44)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, Spanish DD 5.1, French DD 5.1, Portuguese DD 5.1, Russian DTS 5.1, Thai DD 5.1, Ukranian DD 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Cantonese, Estonian, Indonesian, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Mandarin (Traditional), Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Digital Copy (Redemption Deadline 6/19/2018):

• Digital HD Copy redeemable via iTunes, Flixster (UltraViolet), Google Play or Vudu (UltraViolet)

Extras:

• Kingsman: The Secret Service Revealed (1:31:41)
  A 6-part look behind the scenes at the making of the film. Each part includes behind-the-scenes footage, clips and interviews with director/producer/co-screenwriter Matthew Vaughn, comic book creator/writer/executive producer Mark Millar, co-screenwriter/co-producer Jane Goldman, film editor Eddie Hamilton, and various cast members including Samuel L. Jackson (“Richmond Valentine”), Michael Caine (“Arthur”), Mark Strong (“Merlin”), Colin Firth (“Harry Hart/Galahad”), Taron Egerton (“Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin”), Sofia Boutella (“Gazelle”), Mark Hamill (“Professor Arnold”), Sophie Cookson (“Roxy”), Jack Davenport (“Lancelot”) and Nicholas Banks (“Digby”).
  Play All or select from:
  • Panel-To-Screen: The Education of a 21st Century Super-Spy (10:19)
    The film’s creators talk about the origin of the story and how it differs from the comics; the cast talks about the characters.
  • Heroes and Rogues (23:09)
    The cast and crew talk about the casting of the film, the characters, and about working with one another.
  • Style All His Own (10:49)
    The cast and crew talk about working with director Matthew Vaughn, and his vision for the film.
  • Tools of the Trade (15:21)
    Property Master David Cheesman talks about many of the cool gadgets used in the film. Supervising Armourer Damian Mitchell talks about the weapons used in the film. And the cast and costume designer Arianne Phillips dicuss the suits and other clothing and props worn on the film.
  • Breathtakingly Brutal (17:27)
    The actors talk about the physical demands of their roles, while crew members Joe Geary (1st assistant director 2nd unit), Rick English (stunt performer/Harry Hart stunt double) and Damien Walters (fight arranger/’Eggsy’ stunt double) discuss blocking and prepping for the action sequences. Viewers get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the pub fight, the underwater escape, skydiving scene and the church massacre.
  • Culture Clash: The Comic Book Origins of The Secret Service (15:09)
    Mark Millar and comic book creator/artist/executive producer Dave Gibbons talk about the origins of the The Secret Service comic—the story, the characters and how they wanted to keep it uniquely British. Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman discuss changing the story of the comic for the film. And Mark Hamill talks about being a character in the comic.
• Galleries
  Each photo gallery can be viewed manually using the remote to advance between photos, or set to auto-advance every 5 seconds.
  • Behind the Scenes (4:18)
    51 behind-the-scenes photos of the actors and director on set.
  • Sets (2:03)
    24 photos of the sets such as the tailor shop and final party venue.
  • Props (3:18)
    39 photos of the various weapons, gadgets and clothes used in the film.
• Theatrical Trailer (2:22)
• Sneak Peek (2:22)
  Play All or select from trailers for “Discover Digital HD”, Spy, X-Men: Days of Future Past – The Rogue Cut, Unfinished Business, Taken 3, The Marine 4: Moving Target and Before I Go to Sleep.

Final Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this film—it takes the usual spy film and adds a lot of humor and an interesting My Fair Lady-like story without sacrificing any of the action or villanous plotting. The cast is great, and the action sequences are breathtaking—though perhaps a bit over-the-top at times. Fans of Matthew Vaughn’s other films will most certainly love this one as well. I really hope there is a sequel to this film in the works, because I really want to see more of these characters and this world! This Blu-ray comes Highly Recommended!