Check out our review of this entertaining and stylish action film from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment that looks and sounds terrific on Blu-ray. A super-secret organization recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a dire global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.
The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
96
Details:
Studio and Year: 20th Century Fox - 2014
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 129 minutes
Genre: Action
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC
Video Aspect: 2.39:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio, English/Spanish/French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Colin Firth, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, Mark Strong, Taron Egerton, Sofia Boutella
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Music by: Henry Jackman & Matthew Margeson
Written by:Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: June 9, 2015
"Are you ready to become a true gentlemen?"
My Take:
Based on the comic book "The Secret Service", created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar, Kingsman: The Secret Service follows the recruitment and training of a potential secret agent, Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, into a secret spy organization known only as The Kingsman. While Eggsy tackles the trials of membership along with a group of other young potentials a wealthy eco-terrorist named Richmond Valentine has devised an evil scheme to deal with the world’s climate changes and overpopulation “problem” all at the same time. It will be up to the Kingsman and their latest addition to thwart Valentine’s plans before it’s too late.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is a fusion of satire, bloodletting action and cleverly integrated hokum that makes for a stylish, genre bending and mindlessly entertaining film. Director and co-writer Matthew Vaughn is no stranger to refreshingly offbeat takes that push the envelope just far enough to evoke our imaginative playfulness without over extension. The script isn’t all that deep but includes plenty of playful references, purposeful throwbacks and a passable cache of characters that work well within the intended thematic tone.
The action and choreography is lots of fun to watch and comes coupled with what some may find to be an over-abundance of gratuitous violence. I didn’t have any problem with it. The production elements and stunt work are simply excellent which by themselves make for an enriching diversion. At just over two hours the film runs just a hair too long trying to sustain the story but I really didn’t care as I was having a pretty good time. Kingsman: The Secret Service isn’t destined or classic status but it’s a solid popcorn flick that should scratch the itch of genre fans on movie night.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for sequences of strong violence, language and some sexual content.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100/EXCELLENT = 83-91/GOOD = 74-82/AVERAGE = 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 96
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency effects:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
- Low frequency extension * (non-rated element):
- DSU Rating * (non-rated element):
Video: 96
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black Level/Shadow Detail:
- Color Reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Kingsman: The Secret Service comes to Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 26 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4.1 Mbps.
This is a sparkling video presentation that delivers exquisite high level detail and rewarding color reproduction that looks gorgeous in high definition. The video has incredible depth and dimension that is rarely limited by the camera’s perspective. The level of resolution present produces imagery that in many cases has a near infinite visual acuity that draws out the finest details in close ups while enhancing the delineation and textural nuance within objects and backgrounds. Wide angle shots of the geographic locations reveal the varied and rough texture in the surfaces made of stone and wood while the beautifully framed shots of the landscapes look terrific.
Flesh tones exhibit vibrant texture with natural color and slightly warm complexions. Blacks exhibit exemplary dynamic range and appear deep and rich without compromise. Shadow detail is impressive and readily conveys strong dimensionality during the scenes shot in darkened areas and uneven light. Contrast and brightness work in tandem so that dark scenes exhibit good dynamic range and bright scenes are vivid without loss of detail. I saw no signs of video related anomalies or extraneous noise. This is an impressive high definition presentation that looked marvelous on my big screen.
The 7.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack presented here is an impressive one that utilizes the entire system to create a theater like experience. This is an engaging and dynamically energized surround mix that features high level sonic detail, superb directional correlation, and frequent use of rhythmically charged bass which bass lovers are sure to appreciate. Dialogue is definitive and appreciably lucid through the center channel. It’s located just slightly in front of the left/right speakers within the acoustic space it occupies within the soundstage. This is a complex sound design that is loaded with various sound effects, spatial cues, music, and dialogue. Each is clearly represented with enriching clarity, detail and appropriate sound field placement.
This is a superlative audio/video presentation that elevated the enjoyment of this action film. Those who like to drive their systems at reference levels will appreciate its transient low frequency peaks, extended dynamic range and high level clarity. I enjoyed the high definition video presentation which features crisp resolution, deep blacks and exquisite rendering that look terrific on my large screen. Kudos to 20th Century Fox on a job well done.
Bonus Features:
- (HD) Panel to screen: The education of a 21st century super-spy – 10 minute featurette
- (HD) Heroes and rogues – 23 minute featurette
- (HD) Style all his own – 10 minute featurette
- (HD) Tools of the trade – 15 minute featurette
- (HD) Breathtakingly brutal – 17 minute featurette
- (HD) Culture clash: The comic book origins of The Secret Service -15 minute featurette
- (HD) Photo Galleries
- (HD) Theatrical trailer
- Digital HD copy
Final Thoughts:
Based on the comic book "The Secret Service", created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar, Kingsman: The Secret Service is a fusion of satire, bloodletting action and cleverly integrated hokum that makes for a stylish, genre bending and mindlessly entertaining film. It comes to Blu-ray featuring reference quality high definition video and room filling DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio surround sound, mated with a fair supplemental package that is worth exploring if you enjoyed the film. Kingsman: The Secret Service makes for excellent popcorn entertainment especially when combined with a top notch home theater presentation on Blu-ray. Enjoy!
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal)
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8802 13.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package