This past week I had the absolute delight of watching Kingsman: The Secret Service. I attempted to describe it to my mother as a combination of the old Bond movies and Galaxy Quest and she looked at me like I’d just said that the Earth was the center of the universe. But honestly that’s the best way I can think of to describe it. Kingsman has all the trappings of the classic spy movies with the humor of a not-quite-spoof like Galaxy Quest. It toes the line of satire, drawing attention to the ridiculous aspects that it nonetheless presents with perfect seriousness. I don’t think it’s a perfect film–indeed, there are a number of aspects I find disappointing–but I do think it’s witty, fun, and a definite must-watch.

To summarize: the Kingsmen are a group of spies whose job it is to presumably diffuse global crises before they occur. It’s not exactly clear from where or whom their orders come, but their duties range from assassinating terrorist leaders to rescuing a kidnapped Mark Hamill from the evil clutches of the main villain, Samuel L. Jack–I mean, Valentine. Who has a lisp. (The lisp is actually a truly inspired character choice on the part of Samuel L. Jackson, but without his explanation, it’s a little disconcerting.)

Our leading man is inexplicably named Eggsy, a young lad who’s a bit of a chav, just looking after his mum and baby sis after the death of his father at the start of the film. Eggsy’s dad was, of course, a Kingsman; when he died, Colin Firth’s character Harry Hart gives the grieving family a phone number to call should they ever need a single favor, with the passphrase “Oxfords, not Brogues.” Of course, Mum wants nothing to do with a favor, she wants her husband back. So Harry entrusts the instructions to young Eggsy.

Flash-forward to Eggsy’s adolescence. Mum now has a new abusive boyfriend and aforementioned baby girl. Eggsy’s turned into That Kind of teenager: drugs, petty crime, the whole kit and/or kaboodle. But he’s smart, and it’s obvious from the first that he’s got a heart of gold buried under all the bling and tacky clothes. So when he ends up in the first real bind of his juvenile delinquent career, he calls the phone number. Harry bails him out and thrusts him into the world of the Kingsmen. There’s been an opening in their number, and Harry nominates Eggsy as his personal candidate to fill it.

The majority of the movie deals with Eggsy’s training, along with just shy of a dozen other candidates. Meanwhile, Harry investigates Mark Hamill’s kidnapping and traces it all back to billionaire Valentine. I don’t want to say too much more for fear of spoiling the plot, but know that it has everything we love about gentleman spy movies: twists, gadgets, alcohol, attractive men in equally attractive bespoke suits, all with an Easy A level of wit.

I should take a moment to specifically address the famous Church Scene. I don’t want to say too much about it, again in the interest of avoiding spoilers, but it’s really just too freaking amazing to pass up. First, it should be noted that Colin Firth did a number of his own stuntwork, if not the vast majority. When you see the Church Scene, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say: Colin Firth is more amazing than the vast majority of us have ever given him credit for. Between Pride and Prejudice and Bridget Jones’s Diary and any number of other dramas, it’s so easy to typecast him and write him off. True, he draws upon every ounce of that charm in Kingsman, but his ability to sell a fight sequence is absolutely stunning. The editing of the sequence, too, is nothing to sneeze at. They shot the scene purposely intending to make it seem to be one long take. To the trained eye it’s easy to see where the cuts are hidden, but the overall effect is nonetheless impressive. All in all, I have to say that this scene is the highlight of the film.

There are several factors lacking in this film. Bits of the humor are a little too crass for my personal taste. There are a few holes in the writing. And in terms of theory (story, sound, camera, etc.), with the exception of the Church Scene, the film is fairly straightforward. But overall I think Kingsman is a fantastic movie, whether or not you’re a fan of the genre. (For reference, I’m not.)

Before I forget, I should also mention the director. Matthew Vaughn has written and directed (and sometimes both) some of my favorite films of the last decade: Stardust, The Debt, X-Men: First Class, Kickass, and now Kingsman. Matthew Vaughn is definitely one of the auteurs; his mark is clearly visible on his films, to the trained eye. He evidently drew on aspects from both First Class and Kickass to get the right blend of modern and vintage for Kingsman, and believe me when I say it’s truly a fabulous blend. Something like a martini–gin, not vodka, obviously, stirred for ten seconds while glancing at an unopened bottle of vermouth.