《王牌特工:特工學院》(Kingsman: The Secret Service)是一部具有濃郁漫畫風格的非主流特工片。毛頭小子Eggsy在機緣巧合下接觸到英國秘密特工組織Kingsman,成為其中一員,從此一路升級打怪,最終拯救世界,走上人生巔峰。作為一個現代意義上的騎士組織,Kingsman中的特工不僅身懷絕技,而且著裝考究、風度翩翩,具有十足的英倫紳士范。因此,Eggsy的歷練可謂是一段紳士特工成長記。影片中既有正統貴族出身的老特工們和家世顯赫的青年特工候選人,也有科技新貴和各國政要富賈,還有不務正業的街頭小混混和人窮志不短的男主角……這些不同身份背景的人物拋出同一個經典的問題:王侯將相寧有種乎?欲知答案如何,請跟隨導演Matthew Vaughn走進紳士成長記。
潛龍勿用
影片一開始,獨立秘密特工機構Kingsman小分隊正在中東執行任務。受審的恐怖分子趁人不備引爆手榴彈,千鈞一發之際,一名平民出身的年輕候選特工為保護同伴獻出了自己的生命。作為導師的特工Harry (代號為圓桌騎士中的Galahad)為這名年輕特工的機敏無畏而驕傲,也為自己的疏忽感到愧疚。回國之后,Harry親自慰問了年輕特工的遺孀和幼子Eggsy,并留下一枚榮耀勛章,告訴Eggsy在危急時刻可以撥打勛章背面的電話號碼求助。

鏡頭轉到17年后的阿根廷大雪山,氣候學家James Arnold被綁架。代號為Lancelot的特工在營救Arnold的過程中被刀鋒女打手Gazelle一腳斬殺。Gazelle背后的大boss正是如日中天的億萬富翁Valentine,他綁架教授是為了利用其研究消滅過剩人口,進而保持地球生態平衡。
Lancelot的被害一方面促使Kingsman加緊對Valentine集團的調查,另一方面也對其補充新鮮血液提出了要求。于是,Kingsman掌門人“亞瑟王”(Arthur)按慣例要求現役特工每人推薦一個候選人。
Arthur: Try picking a more suitable candidate this time.
Harry: Seventeen years and still evolving with the times remains an entirely foreign concept to you. Need I remind you I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for that young man? He was as much Kingsman material as any of them. More so.
Arthur: But he wasn’t exactly one of us, was he? Let’s face it, Galahad. Your little experiment failed.
Harry: With respect, Arthur, you’re a snob (勢利的人).
Arthur: With respect?
Harry: The world is changing. There’s a reason why aristocrats developed weak chins.
Arthur特別點名Harry,警告他別再耍什么花樣,老老實實找個貴族血統的“自己人”。出身高貴、思維正統的他始終認為王侯將相當然有種,底層市民當藍領出賣苦力就夠了,怎配拯救世界?而Harry一如既往地相信,能不能成為現代騎士要看一個人的品行和能力,而非出身。
與此同時,當年與Harry有過一面之緣的Eggsy已經長大成人,因為和混蛋繼父手下的小混混斗氣偷車而被捕入獄。走投無路之際,Eggsy拿出Harry當年送給他的勛章,撥通了勛章背面的求助電話。Harry履行諾言救出了Eggsy,并介紹了他父親的故人往事,還在小酒館里輕而易舉地教訓了意欲找Eggsy尋仇的一眾小混混。Eggsy繼承了父親優良的基因和品格,但是作為社會底層的一員,在流氓繼父的欺侮下長大,他對生活缺乏希望,對未來充滿迷惘。Harry的出現仿佛上帝打開的一扇窗,讓Eggsy心中產生了“世界那么大,我想去看看”的愿望。
見龍在田
Eggsy向Harry保證,對小酒館里發生的一切守口如瓶,而他也確實信守了諾言。回到家之后,不管繼父如何逼問,Eggsy始終沒有透露半點關于Harry的信息,而這一切都通過黏在Eggsy衣服上的監視器被Harry看在眼里。Harry見證了Eggsy的忠誠,在Eggsy與繼父發生沖突、險些被繼父一刀砍死之際,Harry通過監視器上的揚聲器喊話威脅,在危急時刻救下Eggsy,并指引Eggsy來到Kingsman特工的聚點——皇家裁縫店。在皇家裁縫店的試衣鏡前,老帥哥與毛頭小子展開了心與心的對話。
Harry: What do you see?
Eggsy: Someone who wants to know what the fuck is going on.
Harry: I see a young man with potential. A young man who is loyal, who can do as he is asked, and who wants to do something good with his life. Did you see the film Trading Places?
Eggsy: No.
Harry: How about Nikita? Pretty Woman? Alright. My point is that the lack of a silver spoon has set you on a certain path, but you needn’t stay on it. If you’re prepared to adapt and learn, you can transform.
Eggsy: Oh, like in My Fair Lady?
Harry: You’re full of surprises. Yes, like My Fair Lady. Only in this case, I am offering you the opportunity to become a Kingsman.
Eggsy: A tailor?
Harry: A Kingsman agent.
Eggsy: Like a spy?
Harry: Of sorts. Interested?
Eggsy: You think I’ve got anything to lose?
Harry在Eggsy身上看到了當年他父親的影子—雖然出身平凡,但忠誠、上進,是一個充滿潛力的可塑之才。于是他再次堅持自己的選擇,保薦看似一無是處的Eggsy作為Kingsman候選人。而Eggsy也相信自己可以像《窈窕淑女》中的賣花女一樣把握“麻雀變鳳凰”的機會,欣然和其他來自上流社會的俊男靚女一起,接受Kingsman教官Merlin的指導和考驗。和所有關于英雄養成的情節一樣,天將降大任于斯人也“必先使勁兒折騰之”:浸水密室逃生、高空跳傘、鐵軌上的忠誠度拷問……Eggsy身手矯健,頭腦敏捷,出色地完成了各項任務,最終與一名女候選人Roxy一起進入最后的候選名單。在訓練過程中,他們還每人挑選了一只小狗做伴。Eggsy就像他挑選的巴哥犬一樣,貌不驚人卻潛力無窮,進步神速。
在最后一個測試階段,候選人得以和推薦者共度一天。Harry帶Eggsy去量身定做西裝。在路上,他向Eggsy解釋了“紳士養成”的終極奧義:不斷超越自己,成為更好的自己;高雅的談吐和得體的著裝都很重要,但善良的內心、進取的精神才是紳士的精髓。
Eggsy: So you’re gonna teach me how to talk proper like in My Fair Lady?
Harry: That’d be absurd. Being a gentleman has nothing to do with one’s accent. It’s about being at ease in one’s own skin. As Hemingway said: “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility is being superior to your former self.”
在艱辛的Kingsman成長之路上,Eggsy不僅掌握了各種技能,而且貧賤不移,威武不屈,關心隊友,具有團隊精神。在最后一項考核中,Arthur要求Eggsy向他親手養大的巴哥犬開槍。善良的Eggsy沒能忍心下手,在最后關頭鎩羽而歸。而Roxy成功通過考驗,成為新一代特工。盡管Eggsy沒能成為Kingsman的正式成員,但經過一系列考驗,他已經顯露出了一名優秀特工應該具備的素養,這也為他日后執行重要任務打下了基礎。
終日乾乾
Eggsy忙于訓練的同時,Harry也在追蹤老戰友Lancelot被害的真相。他向Arnold教授質問當初被綁架的前因后果,教授卻突然自爆而亡。原來,Arnold的頸部被植入了芯片,而芯片正是來自于Valentine。為防止Arnold走漏風聲,Valentine遠程激活了芯片,將Arnold滅口。與此同時,世界范圍內接連有名人無故失蹤,與當初Arnold被綁架的情況類似。這一切都將矛頭指向了Valentine。為了查明真相,Harry假扮大富豪,借向Valentine的環保基金會捐款之名單刀赴會,深入虎穴。
Valentine: So you want to donate to my foundation? You are aware that I wind things down in that area, right?
Harry: Climate change is a threat which affects us all, Mr. Valentine. And you are one of the few powerful men who seem to share my concerns.
Valentine: Ah, I stepped things down because I wasn’t getting anywhere. Every bit of research kept pointing to the same thing.
Harry: The carbon emissions are a red herring (轉移注意力的事), and we are past the point of no return no matter what remedial actions we take.
Valentine: Oh, you know your shit.
Harry: I sometimes envy the blissful ignorance of those less well-versed (精通的) in their “shit.” As Professor Arnold always said: “Humankind is the only virus cursed to live with the horrifying knowledge of its host’s fragile mortality.”
Valentine: There are not a lot of people who know about him. You like spy movies, Mr. DeVere (Harry的化名)?
Harry: Nowadays, they’re all a little serious for my taste. But the old ones ... marvelous. Give me a farfetched theatrical plot any day.
Valentine: The old Bond movies. Oh, man. Oh, when I was a kid, that was my dream job—a gentleman spy.
Harry: I always felt the old Bond films were only as good as the villain. As a child, I rather fancied a futuristic colorful megalomaniac (妄尊自大者).
Valentine: What a shame we both had to grow up.
談笑風生間,Valentine與Harry機鋒盡露。Valentine原本致力于推進限制碳排放等政策來保護環境,維持地球的可持續發展。但所有證據表明,人口暴增與無節制的消費已經積重難返,現在唯一的解決方式就是迅速削減人口,把人類的消耗控制在地球可以負荷的范圍內。之前Kingsman暗中調查的人吃人、水源中毒等一系列恐怖事件都是Valentine為了尋找快速消滅大量人口的方法而進行的試驗,不斷消失的政要名流也是因為不肯配合他的“人類自救偉業”而“被失蹤”。一邊是為了“人類生存”而肆意屠城的反派,一邊是理智、中立的特工,到底誰將勝出?
Harry一邊和Valentine打嘴仗,一邊搜集情報。他在Valentine女秘書手上的文件中發現了他們的下一個活動目標:美國肯塔基州的仇恨組織South Glade教會。為了一探究竟,Harry再次出馬,而錯失晉身Kingsman機會的Eggsy在家通過網絡跟蹤Harry的此次行動。
在肯塔基州的教堂內,眾人被歪理邪說鼓動得群情激奮,教堂外的Valentine卻在進行著某種操控。當Valentine加強干擾信號,噩夢在歡快的舞曲中降臨。原本溫和的教眾瞬間變身嗜血暴徒,人擋殺人,佛擋殺佛。甚至Harry也失去了控制,對教堂中的人進行大肆殺戮。短短三分鐘好像花樣虐殺大賽,人性淪喪之后的暴戾和兇殘令人不寒而栗。
原來,Valentine之前在全世界范圍內贈送的免費SIM卡才是他最大的陰謀:利用衛星傳輸特別的信號,通過手機中的SIM卡對腦電波進行干擾,激發人強烈的攻擊性,使他們互相殘殺,從而在短時間內消滅大量人口。只有VIP名單里事先和Valentine達成共識的權貴名流可以在頸部植入芯片,從而免受信號干擾,普通人則只有死路一條。這次教堂集會就是最后的測試,整個地球即將變成殺戮的煉獄。
Harry: What did you do to me? I had no control. I killed all those people. I wanted to.
Valentine: Clever, isn’t it? In simple terms, it’s a neurological wave that triggers the centers of aggression and switches off inhibitors (抑制因素).
Harry: Transmitted through your nasty free SIM cards, I assume?
Valentine: You know what this is like? It’s like those old movies we both love. Now I’m gonna tell you my whole plan and then I’m gonna come up with some absurd and convoluted (復雜的) way to kill you and you’ll find an equally convoluted way to escape.
Harry: Sounds good to me.
Valentine: Well, this ain’t that kind of movie.
非主流壞人Valentine沒有按照諜戰片的套路展開復雜的追殺游戲,而是毫不猶豫地將Harry一槍斃命。一直通過網絡追蹤此次行動的Eggsy目睹了Harry的慘死,悲慟不已。
或躍或潛
且不說Harry代表著對和平和正義的維護,單單是他對Eggsy的無私幫助與諄諄教誨就足以讓我們愛上這個如父如師的帥大叔。Eggsy帶著悲痛與憤怒徑直來到Kingsman大本營,希望Arthur能吹響集結號,與Valentine集團決一死戰。然而,耳聰目明的Eggsy卻突然發現Arthur的頸部也有植入芯片的疤痕。當Arthur請Eggsy一起為Harry共飲一杯時,Eggsy偷偷地交換了兩人的酒杯。
Eggsy: Valentine won you over somehow.
Arthur: Once he explained, I understood.
[Flashback to Valentine]
Valentine: When you get a virus, you get a fever. That’s the human body raising its core temperature to kill the virus. Planet Earth works the same way: Global warming is the fever. Mankind is the virus. We are making our planet sick. A cull (宰殺) is our only hope. If we do not reduce our population ourselves, there’s only one of two ways this can go: The host kills the virus, or the virus kills the host. Either way ...
Arthur: The result is the same. The virus dies.
Eggsy: So Valentine’s gonna take care of the population problem himself.
Arthur: But if we don’t do something, Nature will. Sometimes a culling is the only way to ensure that this species survives. And history will see Valentine as the man who saved humanity from extinction.
Eggsy: And he gets to pick and choose who gets culled, does he? All his rich mates, they get to live. And anyone he thinks it’s worth saving, he’s keeping them safe, whether they agree with him or not.
Arthur: And you, Eggsy. In Harry’s honor, I am inviting you to be part of a new world. It’s time to make your decision.
Eggsy: I would rather be with Harry. Thanks.
原本應該守護公理與正義的Kingsman首領竟然率先叛變了自由、平等這些基本人權。或者說,Arthur認為Valentine代表了新的公義:人類是寄居地球的病菌,病菌過于強大只能導致寄主死亡,與其等待寄主殺死病菌,不如病菌自我革命,將數量限制在寄主可以接受的范圍,以保證種族的延續。這個理論乍一聽似乎十分正確,Valentine憂國憂民且創意非凡,為了人類的延續簡直操碎了心!但正如Eggsy所說:Valentine有權決定所有人的生死存亡以及人類的命運與未來嗎?對于富賈名流,他實行“順我者昌,逆我者亡”的政策;對于普通人,他則直接讓他們互相殘殺了事,省得浪費資源。這和法西斯的種族滅絕有什么區別?誰賦予了Valentine或者任何集團代替地球做決定的權力?
與Eggsy的談判失敗,Arthur準備將之滅口。他啟動機關,激活了事先放在酒中的毒藥,卻自食惡果,臨死還不忘惡狠狠地罵Eggsy一句。Arthur的精英主義是深入骨髓的,在他看來,民主和人權都是貴族統治的維穩工具,血統高于一切,所以他會認同Valentine“去蕪存菁”的人口大清洗計劃。而Harry則如他的代號Galahad一樣,是“最純潔的圓桌騎士”,守護著“平等”“團結”的騎士精神,用自己的生命詮釋了紳士的內涵—并不在于財富的多少或者權力的大小,而在于具有高貴的精神和品格。
飛龍在天
所幸Merlin和Roxy沒有背棄騎士精神。Eggsy在Arthur的手機中發現,所有人互相殘殺的末日將在六小時后到來,于是三人決定與Valentine展開決戰。Roxy只身搭乘兩只氣球飛出大氣層,準備摧毀Valentine的手機通信衛星;Merlin則駕駛飛機帶領Eggsy飛向Valentine的末日避難大本營,Eggsy將假扮Arthur孤軍深入,Merlin留在飛機內調度指揮。“將頭發梳成大人模樣,換上一身帥氣西裝”—曾經的街頭小痞子Eggsy搖身一變,還真有了紳士味道。這絕不僅僅是高級西裝帶來的,而是Kingsman嚴格訓練與Harry言傳身教的反映,更是Eggsy善良上進的本性光彩。在Valentine的避難大本營,來自世界各地的富賈名流正聚集于此,等待“新時代”的到來。
Valentine: I just want to remind you that today is a day of celebration. We must put aside all talks of death, and focus on birth. The birth of a new age. We mustn’t mourn those who give their lives today. We should honor their sacrifice, and their role in saving the human race. We must put aside doubts and guilt. You are the chosen people. When folks tell their kids the story of Noah’s Ark, is Noah the bad guy? Is God the bad guy? How about the animals marching two by two? Of course not. Yes, that’s it. Let’s turn those frowns upside down. Eat, drink and party! And I will see you all in the new age.
Valentine完全將自己代入了“上帝”的角色,幸存者們也被洗腦,相信了“特權你值得擁有”。在所有人為“精英新時代”的到來而暢飲歡慶之際,Eggsy混進了大本營,并幫助Merlin侵入了Valentine的控制網絡。而Roxy也在氣球爆裂之際成功擊中衛星,Valentine全球大屠殺的計劃遭到破壞。但Valentine不愧是一手遮天的大反派,一個電話過去,直接征用別人的衛星繼續造孽。
在Valentine的大本營,Eggsy遇到了之前同樣是Kingsman候選人而如今尋求Valentine庇護的Charlie,并被Charlie出賣而陷入險境。經歷重重阻礙,Eggsy逃出了Valentine的大本營,但此時Merlin又遇到了麻煩。由于Valentine此前為啟動人口大屠殺計劃的裝置設置了人手識別,Merlin無法侵入最核心的控制系統。無奈之下,剛剛從大本營逃出的Eggsy不得不再入虎穴,以確保Valentine無法靠近操作臺來啟動全球大屠殺。但早有防備的敵人集結了重兵把守。無數槍口之下,Eggsy似乎只有死路一條。千鈞一發之際,他突然想到Arnold教授芯片自爆的慘狀,于是讓Merlin嘗試引爆那些芯片。技術男Merlin大顯神威,侵入系統引爆了事先植入人們頸部的所有芯片,壯麗的一幕出現了:管你是冷血傭兵還是衣香云鬢,頭頂統統噴出蘑菇云,配合著恢弘的交響樂,一顆顆腦袋像煙花般爆裂,一朵朵腦花兒騰空而起。本應血腥的場面充滿了濃濃的漫畫感,成了一場慶祝般的狂歡。
因拒絕為虎作倀而被囚禁的瑞典公主聽到爆炸聲大聲求救,Eggsy正巧站在公主的牢房門口,兩人四目相交之際有火花閃爍,英雄救美的橋段簡直是穿著西裝的現代騎士們夢寐以求的場景—但現在還不是時候。Valentine已經用借來的衛星重新恢復了信號傳輸,在他的遙控下,世界各地的人們陷入瘋狂的互相殘殺中。此時末日避難大本營內也開始上演最緊張的生死之戰。刀鋒女打手殺氣騰騰、刀光凜凜,幸而Eggsy也是裝備精良、渾身暗器。經過一場殊死搏殺,Eggsy在最后關頭用皮鞋里的劇毒刀片割傷了女打手,又用對方的利刃假腿當標槍,戳死了操作臺前的Valentine。Valentine的手離開了操作臺,信號中斷,世界各地互毆的人們瞬間停了下來,一臉茫然,不知道自己的命運在這短短的幾十分鐘內已被數次改寫。當然,Eggsy的命運才是真正地峰回路轉:這個毛頭小子轉眼已化身西裝革履的世界拯救者,拎著香檳和高腳杯,意氣風發地走向公主的房間,圓滿完成了自己的紳士成長之旅。
王侯將相寧有種乎?導演借貨真價實的貴族紳士Harry大叔之口給出了自己的答案:“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man. True nobility is being superior to your former self.”王侯將相的虛名或許與血統、家世、權力、財富直接相關,但不懈追求真善美的精神和努力才是評判一個人是否高貴的真正標準。如果沒有Kingsman,Eggsy或許一直是個對人生充滿懷疑的普通藍領,但他高貴的品性不會變,這存在于他飆車逃跑的路上因為躲避小動物而失控撞車的仁愛中,存在于他無論是面對18個月的監禁、繼父的謾罵毆打甚至是呼嘯而來的火車都決不出賣同伴的忠誠中,存在于高空跳傘時抓緊Roxy共存亡的勇敢中,存在于寧肯放棄大好前途也不愿向無辜的狗狗開槍的善良中……而這一切與Eggsy的父親在中東戰場機敏地以血肉之軀擋住炸彈的壯舉一脈相承。高貴的精神也是有“種”的,也許不是每個人都可以傳承財富和名利,但至少可以培養并傳遞高貴的精神,用紳士的品格為自己和后人加冕。