Ok, so the reason why we're reviewing these two very different films together is because we went to see them in the theatre around the same time. Plus they are both supposed to be quite fantastical films, so why not?
Kingsman
Pros: We have a huge weak spot for action and man, did this film deliver in that aspect. Seriously, the action was the best we've seen in modern movies in a long while. The action sequences were really impressive and incredibly smooth. We prefer this over shaky-cam or ridiculous close-ups any day. Also, the other reason why the action struck a cord with us, was because they had taken the time to make us invested in the characters producing the action.
It's a functioning parody, as it has its own storyline and works independently of the films it parodies. It parodies the spy genre perfectly right down to the villain's lisp. The music in combination with the action was brilliant. And yes, we are talking about the massacre of fundamentalist religious zealots. Plus the character of the mentor, considering his age (because the older characters aren't normally your favourites in Hollywood films), was a freaking awesome dude. In addition, no lame love story.
Cons: Lack of good, well developed and independent female characters. This might be because it does parody the spy genre, and we all know that in those movies women usually play second fiddle to the leading man despite her talents and accomplishments.
We felt that the minor characters weren't given sufficient motivation thusly their characters were left halfway.
Cinderella
Pros: The changes that were done to the storyline worked well. This time, the prince wasn't such a useless bore and he actually did stuff, instead of telling his servants to go look for the girl he supposedly loves...
Cinderella's character was pretty much what she was supposed to be; she was kind and gentle but not a doormat though. The sets were great and they didn't use CGI excessively. On the contrary, the CGI added to the fairytale atmosphere that the sets had already created.
Cons: All in all, the film was pretty forgettable though. It wasn't bad, but not remarkable either. Lady Tremaine wasn't as impressive as we would've wished her to be. The love story wasn't particularly gripping or interesting. It wouldn't be a problem unless they hadn't made it such a big part of the story.
General matters
The storyline in both movies was flowing naturally, there wasn't anything that felt forced. Cinematography was great in both and they didn't feel too long either. The actors also performed admirably with the roles they were given. Kingsman wins this "battle" by far. Because. Action. Plus it had the advantage of one superior character. And let's face it; it's been a month since we saw Kingsman and we just saw Cinderella last week and we can remember the previous in detail, but the latter we've mostly forgotten about.
