Not knowing the source material for the Kingsman: The Secret Service and it being February, I went into this film not expecting much, What I got was a decent action movie, no more no less. Unfortunately this film did not feel like a comic movie nor a spy movie…it felt like a by-the-numbers action film, which is not a bad thing. It’s just that it could be so much more.

By no means was this film a total wreck. It could have been, but the cast really salvaged it. The young Taron Egerton plays “Eggsy”, the standard flawed hero with a heart of gold whose father died at a young age. He plays the part well and if this franchise takes off, I can see him becoming a great leading man and action star. Through a bizarre series of events,  Eggsy is taken in by his father’s old co worker, Harry Hart, played wonderfully by Colin Firth. Colin Firth was a true surprise in this film. I really only know him as the best part of the film Love Actually. Never in a million years would I have thought of him as an action star and damn if he does not impress. He fully encapsulated what it means to be a Kingsman and is no slouch when it comes to the physical demands of his job.

The action of this film also helped save it. Matthew Vaughn really knows how to craft great action scenes. I mean X-Men: First Class was full of them and Kick-Ass was perfect when it comes to close combat fighting. However, I think that he went a little overboard in this film trying to set this film apart from his others. His style in the film was less gritty and more operatic, which is fine, but at times, it seemed to not fit the world that was developed in the film. I will add this though…there was one scene that was spectacular and could be one of the best action sequences of 2015. You’ll know it when you see it.

To me though, this cliche riddled and ultra stylized action film was underwhelming in the most important category that makes a spy/comic film truly special: a villain. What would Skyfall be without Silva? What would Dr. No be without, well….Dr No? And as comic films go, a great villain is even more important. What would the Dark Knight be without the Joker? The Kingsman truly fails in the villain category and the whole film suffers for it. Samuel L. Jackson plays Valentine, the Kingsman’s main baddy. Where he seems to have fun in this role, his character really was not developed enough for me to think he was a true foe to our leads. Not to mention he is arguably the weakest villain I have ever seen on film. Even his bad ass kitana legged henchwoman, played by Sofia Boutella, could not bring the needed gravitas to this film’s villains.

All in all, this franchise does have potential. If there’s a sequel, I really hope they take the time to develop a great villain. Matthew Vaughn’s style really fits this type of film and I understand why he left X-Men Days Of Future Past for this. I can’t expect every one of his films to be Kick-Ass, so I give him a pass on the Kingsman with the hope that it will lead to a great franchise that’s just off to a slow start.