Trailer: KINGSMAN - THE SECRET SERVICE

From the creative team that brought you Kick-Ass, it's an adaptation of another Mark Millar comic-book: KINGSMAN – THE SECRET SERVICE. Millar's comics tend to have "why didn't I think of that?" hooks, and this one's no different. It concerns underachieving Gary Unwin (The Smoke's Taron Egerton), a streetwise delinquent plucked from the streets of London by his secret agent Uncle Jack (Colin Firth), who sees potential in his criminal nephew...

Michael Caine, Mark Strong, and Jack Davenport also co-star, joined by a lisping Samuel L. Jackson. Wikipedia promises appearances from Elton John, Adele, Lady Gaga, and David Beckham, if you're inclined to believe what you read there. However, Mark Hamill (Star Wars) does have a blink-and-miss appearance in this trailer--can you spot him?

First impressions are favourable with this trailer, but I didn't laugh as much as I was expecting to. Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class) appears to have made another slick film with cool action sequences, and some of the gadgets look nifty (love Firth's umbrella), but I expected more to sell the concept of a street-wise joy-riding bastard being trained to become a suave James Bond type. On the plus side, Colin Firth appears to be perfectly cast as a veteran spy. I'm sold on his presence alone.

Kingsman: The Secret Service premieres 17 October 2014 in the UK and 24 October in the US.