It may feel like just yesterday, but it has been more than a decade since the incredible movie year that was 2014. In addition to all-time greats like John Wick, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Nightcrawler, and The LEGO Movie, 2014 was a particularly strong year for comic book movies. The genre was headlined by Marvel that year, with films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy debuting in theaters. However, there was also a fantastic, non-Marvel comic book hit that arrived in 2014, one that quickly won fans over and helped break new ground with these adaptations.
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We’re talking, of course, about Kingsman: The Secret Service, Matthew Vaughn’s spy romp that put star Taron Egerton on the map. The film has, unfortunately, been missing from major streaming services in recent months, but that issue was remedied at the start of September. The first day of the month saw Kingsman return to the Hulu lineup, making it easily accessible for streaming users once again.
Based on the comic by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, Kingsman is a comedic spy adventure that explores a secret society of espionage. The film was a big success for 20th Century, earning more than $414 million at the box office (its wide release came in early 2015 after its initial premiere in December 2014). Vaughn would go on to helm a direct sequel (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) and a WWII-era prequel (The King’s Man).
The Best Comic Movies of 2014
Kingsman is a fantastic movie, and one that feels endlessly rewatchable, but it would be tough to call it the “best” comic book adaptation from what is probably the single greatest year for comic book movies. The Marvel Cinematic Universe alone released Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which are both still regarded as some of the best of the entire franchise.
Fox also released X-Men: Days of Future Past that year, which remains one of the most beloved films in the X-Men franchise. The movie combined the original trilogy with the new era of X-Men: First Class, making for an all-time great team-up experience. That same year saw Disney release Big Hero 6 (based on a Marvel comic and featuring a Stan Lee cameo) and Sony debut The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Kingsman is probably third or fourth on that list, which is still saying a lot, given how great the top tier of those films are. Then again, if you count Kingsman as a 2015 movie — since that’s when it really went to theaters everywhere — then you could easily make the case for it to be the best comic movie of that year. The two MCU movies from 2015 were Ant-Man and Avengers: Age of Ultron, which are both well-liked enough but not considered amazing by many. And then there’s the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot, and I don’t think there’s much else we need to say about that.
What are your thoughts on the original Kingsman movie? Where does it rank amongst your favorite comic book movies from the 2010s? Let us know in the comments!
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Image via THQ Nordic -
image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
