D
on’t make Colin Firth angry
because, just like the Hulk,
you wouldn’t like him when he’s
angry. The King’s Speech star
gets to show off his fancy fighting
skills in brilliant new spy movie
Kingsman: The Secret Service.
Taking inspiration from the
graphic novel by Mark Millar, it
tells the story of a new generation
of super spies, taking the James
Bond tradition to new heights.
Firth, as suave veteran operative
Harry Hart, recruits a bright
street kid to his ultra-secret
organisation. The youth, played
by Taron Egerton, has turned his
back on a career in the Royal
Marines for a life fuelled by petty
crime and drugs.
The Secret Service are pitched
against evil genius Valentine,
played by Samuel L Jackson.
X Men director Matthew Vaughn
explains: “They’re protecting the
world. They don’t work for the
government. Government spy
agencies are corrupt. Politics is
muddy and murky and slow –
and they’re above it. This is our
own playing field.
“They’ve got all the gentlemen’s
attire. And they’ve all got gadgets
in them. There is a little room off
a tailor’s where they go to wash
up and grab a new briefcase and
pen.”
A typically cool line from Firth is:
“Are we going to stand around
here all day or are we going to
fight?” Immediately afterwards
he lays into a pub full of thugs,
cracking skulls and splintering
teeth armed only with a high-tech
umbrella.
Firth has never been cast as 007,
but his performance in the movie
makes this clear to be a glaring
oversight by the franchise. He
merges Bond with Steed from
the Avengers and throwing in his
clipped RP English means the
role is played to perfection.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is
scheduled for its UK release in
late January.
bond
FIRTH HAS A BASH AT
WORDS // DYLAN RUSSELL
// 61
