--- title: "Kingsman: The Secret Service: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/kingsman-the-secret-service/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/kingsman-the-secret-service" critics_score: 63 critics_reviews: 27 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 63 from 27 reviews: 15 positive, 5 mixed, 7 negative. Most critics come away entertained. The reviews describe a loud, irreverent revival of the gentleman-spy film, and the praise gathers around Colin Firth, who is named again and again for a dry, poised performance that carries the action as comfortably as the tailoring. Matthew Vaughn’s set pieces draw the next most comment, the church sequence in particular, and several reviews single out Taron Egerton as a convincing new lead with easy chemistry opposite Firth. The spread is wide, from near-raves to one-star dismissals. The reservations cluster in three places: a final third that several critics find choppy or sluggish, violence that tips from playful to numbing, and a politics some find smug and a closing gag many find tasteless. The Guardian finds it charmless and stuck in a lad-mag past, while Slant Magazine calls it crass and low-stakes. Even the admirers tend to concede it misfires; they simply enjoy it anyway. ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 June 2015. Sexton finds the film hugely enjoyable, praising its stylish, outrageous take on the gentlemanly spy tradition. He singles out Colin Firth’s performance as one of his best roles in years. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/kingsman-the-secret-service-film-review-colin-firth-shines-in-one-of-his-best-roles-for-years-9979267.html) ## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall Rating 4/5. The critic calls it a vibrant, irreverent spy caper that revives the gentleman-spy tradition with gusto. Colin Firth’s pithy performance is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-g1gm8z/kingsman-the-secret-service/) ## Total Film — James Mottram Rating 4/5. 8 January 2015. Mottram finds the film a lively, entertaining return to playful spy adventures, though it loses some momentum in its final third. He especially praises Colin Firth’s action performance and the film’s irreverent energy. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/kingsman-secret-service-review/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2015. The critic finds Kingsman entertaining and gleefully depraved, despite its increasingly brutal violence. He praises Matthew Vaughn’s elaborately choreographed action and the film’s ability to make its cartoonish characters matter. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/02/movie-review-kingsman-the-secret-service.html) ## Empire — Chris Hewitt Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2014. Hewitt finds the film uneven but ultimately an exuberant, envelope-pushing blast of spy-movie fun. He especially praises its audacious, ultra-violent action and the lively chemistry between Colin Firth and Taron Egerton. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/kingsman-secret-service-review/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2014. Debruge finds the film a playful, irreverent and stylish revival of the British spy formula, with a promising new star. He praises its inventive action and comic flair, while noting that its glossy materialism sits uneasily beside its critique of extreme wealth. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-kingsman-the-secret-service-1201388064/) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating B-. 12 February 2015. The review calls the film slick, entertaining fun but criticizes its reactionary worldview and ideological vapidity. It praises Vaughn’s visual design and effects, especially the violent fight scenes. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/kingsman-is-a-slick-gory-spy-pastiche-just-don-t-think-1798182710) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Sheri Linden Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2014. The critic finds it a smart, energetic spy adventure that loses momentum toward the end. She praises Colin Firth’s stylish, witty performance and the film’s lively action, while faulting its increasingly choppy finale and an out-of-place crude joke. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/kingsman-secret-service-film-review-758706/) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2015. The page identifies this as a review, but the paywall prevents access to the critic’s verdict. The available text does not reveal what the critic praised or criticized. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/kingsman-the-secret-service/5081698.article) ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 3/3/4. 28 January 2015. Woodward finds the film deliriously entertaining but wildly misfiring, with its postmodern thrills sometimes leaning too heavily on familiar motifs. He praises the technically impressive action set pieces, especially the underwater training sequence. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/kingsman-secret-service) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2015. Sharkey finds the film entertaining but overlong and excessively vigorous, with a script that does not always land. She especially praises Colin Firth’s engaging performance and the exceptionally well-staged, easy-to-follow action. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-kingsman-review-20150213-column.html) ## Film Comment — Michael Sragow Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). Sragow’s framing suggests a cheeky departure from gentlemanly spy conventions, though the available excerpt does not reveal his overall verdict. It singles out the film’s refusal to take a gentlemanly tack. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-kingsman-the-secret-service/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 8 February 2015. Lane finds the film’s inventive, over-the-top Bond parody entertaining but undermined by mean political posturing and crude stereotypes. He singles out Colin Firth’s gently amused performance as the film’s saving grace. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/society-men) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 2/5. 20 January 2015. Huddleston gives the film two stars, indicating a negative verdict. The visible description notes that Bond pastiche is hardly new; the rest of his assessment is unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/kingsman-the-secret-service) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2015. Bradshaw finds the film charmless and dated, unable to enjoy its smug spy spoof. He criticizes its constant insistence on its own supposed style and its throwback lad-mag sensibility. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/29/kingsman-the-secret-service-review) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin Rating 1/4. 9 February 2015. Cabin strongly condemns the film as crass, politically tone-deaf, and built around safe, low-stakes storytelling. He singles out its tasteless closing gag and finds the dark comedy undermines the action. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/kingsman-the-secret-service/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2015. Hammond finds the film enormously fun and action-packed, saying Vaughn delivers without letting it lag. He singles out the lively script and the cast, especially Colin Firth and Samuel L. Jackson, for praise. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2015/02/kingsman-the-secret-service-review-colin-firth-samuel-l-jackson-video-1201373377/) ## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 January 2015. The critic finds the film immensely entertaining and refreshingly committed to frivolity. He praises Taron Egerton’s star turn, matched by Sophie Cookson’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/kingsman-the-secret-service-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 26 January 2015. The critic calls it an exhilarating, fun spy adventure with a gloriously British heart, despite a few misfires. They single out the compelling pairing of Colin Firth and Taron Egerton, especially Egerton’s convincing transformation. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a624124/kingsman-the-secret-service-review-heaven-is-a-place-on-firth/) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 4/5. 13 February 2015. Kaye finds the film hugely entertaining, confident, and fun, despite a sluggish middle stretch. He particularly praises Colin Firth’s poised, energetic performance and the church action sequence. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/books/kingsman-the-secret-service-review/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film witty and entertaining, with a serious message beneath its cheeky spy-action style. It praises the inventive action sequences and the gasp-inducing finale. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-15907-319194) ## Paste — Andy Crump Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2015. Crump finds the film an exuberant, entertaining antidote to restrained spy movies, despite some pacing problems. He especially praises the performances, singling out Colin Firth and Taron Egerton’s chemistry and the film’s confidently over-the-top action. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/kingsman-the-secret-service-1) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2014. The critic finds the film a clever, stylish, highly enjoyable action comedy, though its sexism detracts from the fun. They praise its precise visual style, engaging action, and Colin Firth’s performance. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/kingsman-the-secret-service-review-colin-firth-samuel-l-jackson-michael-caine/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2015. The URL identifies this as a review of the specified film. The anti-crawler page provides no critic verdict or details to summarize. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-matthew-vaughns-kingsman-the-secret-service-starring-colin-firth-taron-egerton-and-samuel-l-jackson-20150211/) ## Consequence — Justin Gerber Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2015. The critic finds the film frustrating, with inspired moments undermined by forced excess and uneven performances. He singles out Colin Firth’s charming performance and Vaughn’s inventive action sequences for praise. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2015/02/film-review-kingsman-the-secret-service/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2015. The review is largely critical, finding the shift from spy spoof to extreme violence faulty. It singles out Sofia Boutella’s razor-footed henchwoman as one of the film’s few points in its favour. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/kingsman-the-secret-service-2014-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## The Skinny — Josh Slater-Williams Rating 1/5. 28 January 2015. The critic finds the film an overlong, unfunny slog and a weak, vulgar Bond tribute. They praise flashes of charisma from Taron Egerton and Mark Strong, but fault the chaotic action and poor visual effects. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/kingsman-the-secret-service) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/kingsman-the-secret-service.md