Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) — Clever, But a Half-Assed, Superficial Character Arc

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) kicks off like a slick lovechild of Men in Black and James Bond—with clever writing, sharp pacing, and just enough attitude to make it stand out. It blends the secret-agent cool of classic spy thrillers with modern disdain, flashy action, and cheeky charm. The setup promises a fresh twist on the genre: a street kid entering a world of tailored suits and lethal manners. And for a while, it all clicks—right up until the story seems to lose patience with its own potential.

Eggsy’s character development starts off promising:

• Hero has flaws ✅
• Hero gets motivated ✅
• Hero goes through trials ✅

But somewhere along the way—maybe because Valentine, our villain with a tech empire and zero patience, had itchy trigger fingers—the rest of his arc gets rushed, skipping over some crucial beats:

• Hero never repents, apologizes, or undergoes real transformation ❌
• Hero never confronts or addresses his flaws ❌
• Hero never truly fails at anything and needs to recalculate (unless you count refusing to shoot the dog) ❌
• No “dark night of the soul” or other pondering❌

And because of that, the rest of his development feels rather superficial. This is essentially how it unfolds—though whether it’s justified enough to even call it development, I’ll leave for you to decide:

1. Before visiting the tailor, Harry shares a quote with Eggsy:

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”
— Ernest Hemingway

It’s a clear nod to the idea of transformation—the death of one’s old, ego-driven self. But as noted, Eggsy never truly goes through that transformation on screen.

2. Soon after, he gets the iconic suit—symbolically stepping into the Kingsman role.
3. He witnesses Harry’s death, which maybe suggests a potential spark of determination to step up and take his place.
4. He later outsmarts Arthur by spotting the scar behind his ear and cleverly switching the glasses of brandy.

And just like that, the film basically presents Eggsy as having reached his mastery. We’re told he’s ready when Valentine’s plan escalates and the Kingsmen need him.

For a global intelligence agency, Kingsman seems remarkably short-staffed at the climax. The absence of other agents when the stakes are that high felt less like plot and more like an insult to the audience’s intelligence.

Luckily for them, they were in a movie where Eggsy is the star—so they gambled on his plot armor and sent him in.

And that was that.

Ira