As a genre, spy films have had an equal share of both serious and parody films. From Matthew Vaughn, the director of “X-Men: First Class” comes “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” a movie that is a shaken and stirred mix of comedy and drama. The result is classy, yet dull, which is surprising considering how much fun it seemed to be promising.

There was a delightful cameo from Mark Hamill (most famous for Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars”) and Colin Firth does an excellent job as the fatherly Agent Gallahad, teaching young Eggsy (Taron Egerton) in the ways of the Kingsman, a top secret British secret service organization. 

There is a stylized classiness to the film, coming from streamlined action scenes and the overall British setting of the movie. That’s where it is enjoyable. There are several quick-moving, violent fight scenes, and the quick camera work and choreography go hand in hand, making a fine, smooth visual treat. 

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” is very much a parody, or echo, of James Bond films, but that’s where “Kingsman” takes a hit. It doesn’t know whether it’s being its own serious action movie, or whether it is a spy parody.

There are times when it will even poke fun at old James Bond movies, but then it will get super serious. This makes it hard to keep track of what the movie is trying to do. This undecided vein for “Kingsman” makes it hard to sit through. 

Plot-wise (or maybe because it is a parody?) there were so many character and story tropes that it became boring at times, punctuated by a well-shot action scene. I wasn’t surprised by a couple of plot twists, and not because they were done before, but because I was waiting for the movie to be over. Maybe that sounds harsh. 

“Kingsman” is a fun movie. There are some good moments of humour and Samuel L. Jackson’s role as the main villain is a goofy painting of a typical megalomaniac philanthropist. But it was that constant toss up between a farce and a serious plot that ruined it.