The Kingsman (2014)

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Produced by Matthew Vaughn

David Reid

Adam Bohling

Screenplay by

Jane Goldman

Matthew Vaughn

Based onThe Secret Service by Mark Millar Dave Gibbons

Starring

Colin Firth

Samuel L. Jackson

Mark Strong

Taron Egerton

Michael Caine

During a raid in the Middle East in 1997, a probationary secret agent sacrifices himself to save his team. Blaming himself, Harry Hart, code-named "Galahad", delivers a medal for valor to the agent's widow, Michelle Unwin, and her young son, Gary "Eggsy", saying that if they ever need help, they should call the phone number on the back of the medal.

Seventeen years later, Professor James Arnold is kidnapped by Internet billionaire and philanthropist Richmond Valentine. One of Hart's fellow agents, "Lancelot", attempts a rescue single-handed, but is killed by Gazelle, Valentine's henchwoman. Valentine secretly meets with various powerful individuals, some of whom go missing afterwards. He also announces a giveaway of SIM Smart cards, granting free cellular and Internet access forever to everyone.

In London, Eggsy is now an unemployed young adult living with his mother, infant half-sister, and abusive stepfather, Dean. Despite being highly intelligent and capable, he left training for the Royal Marines and lives the aimless life of a stereotypical chav.[6][7] Arrested for stealing a car, Eggsy calls the number on the medal. Hart has him released and tells Eggsy about his father - he was an agent of Kingsman, an "independent international intelligence agency" founded in 1919 by wealthy British individuals who had lost their heirs in the First World War.

With Lancelot's death, the agency has a vacancy. As Hart's choice, Eggsy joins the other handpicked candidates, including a woman named Roxy, whom he befriends. Training is overseen by "Merlin", a senior Kingsman. Eventually, only Eggsy and Roxy pass the rigorous selection process. Eggsy fails the final test, and Roxy becomes the new Lancelot.

During this time, Merlin notes that Arnold is no longer missing. Hart tries to extract information from the professor, but a chip implanted in Arnold's head explodes, killing him. Hart is injured escaping from unknown assailants. The signal that triggered the blast is traced to Valentine's corporation. Hart poses as a billionaire and dines with Valentine to try to ascertain his plans. During the private dinner, Valentine makes it clear he knows that Hart is a secret agent, but lets him leave unharmed in order to secretly track his movements and learn more about his organisation.

Hart links Valentine to an obscure hate group's church in Kentucky. However, it is a trap. Valentine conducts a test, using his SIM cards to broadcast a tone that causes everyone in the church, including Hart, to become uncontrollably violent. A mass brawl erupts, with Hart the sole survivor, while Eggsy, Merlin and Arthur — Kingsman's leader — watch via video link. Afterward, Valentine shoots Hart.

When Eggsy goes to see Arthur, he discovers that Arthur has a scar behind his ear, just like Valentine's other converts. Arthur slips poison into Eggsy's brandy, but Eggsy switches the glasses. Arthur explains Valentine's views before he realises this; humanity is akin to a virus, and global warming is the Earth's equivalent of a fever. Valentine intends to broadcast his "neurological wave" worldwide to cause a massive culling of the human race to rescue it from extinction. Only those whom Valentine deems worthy of living — his allies, who have protective microchips implanted in their heads, and the VIPs he kidnapped — will be spared.

Unsure whom to trust, Merlin decides that he, Lancelot and Eggsy must stop Valentine on their own. Lancelot rides a high-altitude balloon into the stratosphere to disrupt Valentine's impending broadcast by destroying one of his satellites, while Eggsy and Merlin infiltrate Valentine’s mountain bunker complex. Lancelot downs the satellite, but Valentine gets a business contact to replace it, then activates the signal, causing worldwide violence.

Eggsy is recognised and engages in a running fight with Valentine's henchmen. Eventually, both he and Merlin are cornered separately, but at Eggsy's suggestion, Merlin hacks into Valentine's system and causes the implants to explode, killing every villain except Valentine and Gazelle. Eggsy fights and kills Gazelle, then spears Valentine, ending the worldwide carnage.

Eggsy becomes a Kingsman agent. He offers his mother a new home away from Dean. When Dean objects, Eggsy waylays him in exactly the same manner that Hart dealt with one of Dean's henchmen earlier.