It is difficult to fathom that you are part of something historical when you’re living in the moment. Matthew Vaughn would have been no different when Kingsman hit the theatres 10 years back. A decade down the line, with a sequel, a prequel, and a spin-off done and dusted, there is no way that he can avoid the enormity of what he has managed to pull off. After all, it isn’t every day that you manage to make one of this generation’s finest action comedies.
Kingsman looked destined for greatness the moment its cast was unveiled. With the likes of Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, and Mark Hamill, joining the cast, it was anybody’s guess that the movie would have a field day. While anybody could have anticipated how stellar the project would have been from the list of bigwigs in the cast, it would be difficult to pinpoint a star who stole the show. Colin Firth was a testimony to how ‘manners maketh man,’ Michael Caine was on the money (just needed better sleight of hand), Jackson was the right mix of intelligent and deranged, and Taron Egerton, to his credit, was not at all overawed by the illustrious company. No wonder the movie brought in the big bucks.
Based on the comic book franchise of the same name, created by the likes of Mark Millar, Matthew Vaughn, and Dave Gibbons, Kingsman went on to rake in the north of $400 million, despite being made on a budget of $80 million. The Taron Egerton starrer fared well with the critics as well, getting a solid 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.7 on IMDb. It doesn’t come as a surprise that the 2015 flick still lives rent-free in many fans’ minds. After all, who wouldn’t love seeing agents dressed in suits slug it out against the villains and megalomaniacs of the world who are hell-bent on destroying the world or preserving it for just the privileged few?
No wonder Vaughn and co. decided to make the most out of the movie. A plan to create a new theatrical universe was being mooted, and it did come off (though whether or not it was a success is still up for debate). The franchise’s sequels and spin-offs have received a ton of love as well. The Golden Circle broadened the horizon of the series, introducing fans to the agency’s American counterpart, Statesman. Sadly, the franchise would soon begin to lose the plot. The prequel received its fair share of love from the fans. But The King’s Man, starring Ralph Fiennes, failed to weave the old magic again. Argylle, starring Henry Cavill, was no different, which received the critics’ scorn and did not receive the fans’ money.
These hiccups will never change one fact, though – Matthew Vaughn gave the world some of its best spy characters and an action comedy that made the world happy. And hopefully, we’ll get to see them in action all over again. Fans can catch Kingsman: The Secret Service on Disney+.
