Unveiling the Epic Connection: How Kingsman Embodied the Spirit of Sean Connery's James Bond

Summary

Matthew Vaughn, the director of Kingsman: The Secret Service, reveals the intriguing parallel between the film's narrative, which revolves around a gritty young individual undergoing a remarkable metamorphosis into a sophisticated secret agent, and Sean Connery's casting journey for the iconic role of James Bond.

Author Ian Fleming initially had doubts about Sean Connery's suitability for the role, but director Terence Young managed to convince him by transforming the Scottish actor's image into that of an "English gentleman" during their visit to the prestigious Savile Row shops.

The Kingsman films pay tribute to the James Bond franchise by showcasing sophisticated spies, impressive gadgets, eccentric antagonists, and distinctively peculiar henchmen. However, they also cleverly satirize and twist these traditional elements in an entertaining manner.

During a recent appearance at New York Comic Con, director Matthew Vaughn, the mastermind behind Kingsman: The Secret Service, shed light on the origins of the franchise. Vaughn, teasing plans for Kingsman 3, discussed how the movie was created in response to the Daniel Craig era of James Bond. Furthermore, he unveiled that the film drew significant inspiration from Sean Connery's evolution into Bond for his iconic role in Dr. No. Below is the full comment from Vaughn:

"The idea for Kingsman: The Secret Service was conceived during a casual conversation between Mark Miller and myself at a pub called The Windsor Castle. While we have great admiration for Daniel Craig as Bond, we felt that the Bond franchise had become too serious. Over a few pints of Guinness, we discussed how Ian Fleming initially had reservations about casting Sean Connery, but the director of Dr. No was able to transform him into an English gentleman through his visit to Savile Row. Inspired by this, we decided to create our own version of a spy film, incorporating the concept of refining a character with rough edges, much like Connery's Bond."

Kingsman Franchise's Many James Bond References

The James Bond influences in Kingsman are unmistakable. However, Vaughn not only pays homage to the original spy franchise but also playfully mocks its elements. One of the initial scenes in Kingsman showcases a suave, 007-like spy engaging in a daring rescue mission only to be gruesomely sliced in half by a henchwoman named Gazelle. Gazelle, with blades equipped on her prosthetic legs, serves as a clever twist on the Bond tradition of villains' henchmen possessing unique abilities or physical traits, reminiscent of Jaws or Oddjob.

Aside from donning impeccably tailored suits, the Kingsman movies also boast an array of gadgets, a characteristic feature of the Bond series. Throughout the first two films, Eggy is introduced to exploding lighters, bulletproof umbrellas, briefcases that double as machine guns, and shoes with retractable knife toes. Some of these gadgets lean more towards science fiction than those seen in Bond, including a particularly impressive device capable of healing gunshot wounds to the head.

Bond villains frequently have extravagant schemes for global domination or annihilation, and the Kingsman movies undoubtedly adhere to this pattern. Samuel L. Jackson's character, Valentine, for instance, plans to employ SIM cards that induce extreme violence in users, ultimately reducing the global population by half. In the sequel, Julianne Moore's character, Poppy, adds poison to her own drugs as a means to hold the entire world captive. As a third installment of Kingsman: The Secret Service is currently in development, it will be intriguing to witness which other well-established elements of the Bond franchise director Vaughn chooses to either honor or subvert.