The more I see of “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” the more I like.
The film, which stars Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Taron Egerton and Samuel L. Jackson will hit theaters on Feb. 13. It’s about a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s training program at the same time as a global threat emerges after a twisted tech genius unleashes chaos.
The concept comes from a comic book by “Kick-Ass” creator Mark Millar and is directed by Matthew Vaughn, who gave us “Kick-Ass” and “X-Men: First Class.”
At any rate, here’s a new clip which only entices us more to see the film.
The next set of reviews we’ll be publishing are some of the ones Roger Thomas has done exclusively for The Stanly News & Press. Roger has written movie reviews for The Stanly News & Press and other outlets for years, long before starting this blog. So we decided it would be good to give readers a sample of his previous work, in addition to posts of reviews of current films. Other reviews will run daily.
Tom Hardy and Christian Bale
As I considered writing this review, I reflected a great deal on the events that happened in Colorado the night the film opened.
I was at a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” here in Albemarle. They, of course, are in a different time zone than us, but everything else was similar. The victims were only attempting to do what my friends and I did on Thursday night, July 19.
I am sure they waited in line. They ordered snacks. They entered the theater with great anticipation. And they perhaps even cheered, as many did in our local theater, when the film finally began.
In a statement, Christopher Nolan, director of “The Dark Knight Rises,” offered these words: “I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theater is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families.”
Affirming Nolan’s words, and recognizing as many have said before me, “To let fear force us to abandon experiences we cherish is a way of affirming the victory of those who seek to terrorize us,” I now offer my thoughts of the film “The Dark Knight Rises.”
In a word, “The Dark Knight Rises” (TDKR) is epic. Bigger and more ambitious than the first two Nolan Batman films. Gotham City is taken hostage by the villain Bane. Catwoman steals from and flirts with Bruce Wayne. Butler Alfred gives his best speech of the series. Batman is royally defeated in a fight scene. Add to this a young cop who figures out Batman’s identity, a young woman taking the reins of Wayne Enterprises and possibly Bruce Wayne’s heart and new toys from Lucius Fox. And all this happens in the first half of the film.
It almost seems that Nolan and his co-writer/brother Jonathon Nolan, realizing this is their last Batman flick, decided to throw in as much as they could. Thus the word epic. It is a grand achievement, bigger and bolder than either of the other two films.
But alas, bigger is not always better. Acknowledging this statement may begin a great debate with comic book fans everywhere, “TDKR” is not as good as its predecessor, “The Dark Knight.”
The Dark Knight” is as near to a perfect superhero film as has ever been created. Tom Hardy does a fine job as menacing Bane, but I doubt he will get an Oscar as did the late Heath Ledger for his portrayal of the Joker. (And may no one say that he would not have received the award had he not passed away. Ledger would have won regardless.) All the performances in the new film are good, but none of them come close to Ledger’s work as the most fiendish villain in comic book movie history.
I also believe the script for “The Dark Knight” is stronger. There are several lines in that film that I still quote four years later. There are some subtle and some overt stabs at political issues in “Dark Knight” that are more poignant than in anything I remember in the new film. “TDKR” tells a good story, but the dialogue does not have the same bite as the previous film. Plus, the script of “TDKR” has several plot holes that one must overlook to fully embrace the story.
But with that said, there is much to like here. Again, I like the scope of the film. I liked much of the humor. I especially enjoyed the story arc for new character Officer Blake. Catwoman is great. Michael Caine’s performance, though smaller in this film, is almost Oscar-worthy. All the scenes following Batman and Bane’s first brawl concerning the recovery of Bruce Wayne are the best parts of the film. Gotham City looked great. And I am glad that Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon was given more to do. And that’s just stuff off the top of my head.
In the end, Nolan has given film lovers one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history. And so what if the final installment is not quite as great as the previous film. “The Dark Knight” is a very high achievement to match. I know I will revisit this trilogy many times in the years ahead. So if you have not yet seen “The Dark Knight Rises,” my recommendation is to go. Few films this year will offer more excitement.
Cinema Corner 