PLEASE NOTE - THE FOLLOWING IS A SPOILER FREE REVIEW. I WILL NOT REVEAL ANY MAJOR PLOT POINTS FROM THE MOVIE. James Bond has been a staple of the spy genre since the books were first turned into a movie franchise in the 1960s. However, times change and with the release of movies like The Bourne Identity, Austin Powers and tv shows like Archer, the troupes and cliches that people had previously come to know and love in Bond movies made the franchise look tired and unimaginative (that is until Casino Royale rebooted the franchise).
In 2014 a movie based on the Mark Millar comic was released, seemingly coming of nowhere to massive critical and box office success. Kingsman: The Secret Service was an original entry into the spy movie genre that took many elements from 60s Bond and quintessential "Britishness" and crafted a fun and engaging movie (and pulled off the amazing task of making Colin Firth a legitimate bad-ass).
It was inevitable that a sequel would be made, but how does it hold up? Will it go the route of many sequels and lose the magic of the original or will it be another enjoyable, fun and creative spy romp?
The story/plotThe leader of a worldwide organisation known as The Golden Circle implements her plan to permanently change the status of the world and it is up to the last remaining Kingsman and their spy "cousins" called the Statesmen to stop her.
Overall opinionCharming villain with massive planet changing goal? Check
Evil henchman with some strange ability? Check
Fun OTT action? Check
Bags full of British humour? Check
I was a huge fan of the first Kingsman. It was funny, with the right amounts of silly, and had great action (church scene anyone?). The sequel is one of those rare instances when I avoided youtube reviews before watching the movie. I wanted to go in without any expectations. However, we live in a digital social media age and I did get the gist of a few reviews, namely that the movie was ok but not as good as the first.
Comedy is probably one of the most subjective things to get right and I feel there are some British humour stylings in the movie that, while enjoyable, may not quite hit with audiences in other countries (does America even have chavs?).
While all movies are subjective and there are no wrong or right opinions, I can say that the reviews are inaccurate; this movie is just as enjoyable as the first. There are more jokes and they all land. The ramped up action is still as silly and enjoyable as the first. There was a few nice little call back moments to the first movie that were very subtle and the overall plot was equal parts credible and ridiculous (but never preachy).
The introduction of The Statesmen was handled nicely and it really added nice contrast and addition dimension to the overall world the movie is set in (although when you think about it too hard a couple of things don't make sense. But no movie is perfect).
If you have seen the trailers or a poster you will know that Colin Firth is back despite being shot in the head in the first one. The explanation for this was handled extremely well and at no time did it induce a eye roll moment or groan.
With the bigger budget the film is a little more globetrotting than the first one, but manages to avoid a lot of cliches of the genre. The action set pieces are a little longer but just as violent and funny-ridiculous as the first, and I had a huge smile on my face the whole time.
In conclusion, if you were a fan of the first movie you will thoroughly enjoy this one too.
The PerformancesTaron Egerton - EggsyOnce again, Taron delivers an enormously enjoyable performance, balancing the British gentleman spy role perfectly with the London chav background the character came from. He also does an amazing job in some of the more emotional beats of the movie.
Colin Firth - Harry HartHe's back, and this time he has an eye patch. Colin Firth is an incredible actor and is totally at ease portraying the quintessential British gentleman stereotype. However, once again he comes across as a badass, is given a slightly different role earlier on and has some amazingly funny moments too.
Julianne Moore - Poppy AdamsThe villain of the movie and she looks like she is just having so much fun, being menacing without ever losing her cheery demeanour. She was very likeable and almost went into Austin Powers villain territory a couple of times, but that didn't ruin any scenes or the movie.
Mark Strong - MerlinAnother great performance from Mark Strong, who is one of the best (and underrated) character actors working today. The way he delivers some lines is a joy to behold.
Jeff Bridges - ChampHe is one of the best actors of his generation and does a good job here with the few scenes he has.
Channing Tatum - TequilaOne of the Statesman agents, he is equal parts funny and badass, although like with Jeff Bridges, doesn't have masses of screen time.
Pedro Pascal - WhiskeyI have seen him in Narcos and nothing else (I know he is in Game of Thrones but I don't watch it). He is great in this role as another of the Statesman agents.
Halle Berry - GingerThe Stateman version of Merlin, her scenes with Mark Strong were great (they have good chemistry).
OTHER STUFFCameo
There is an extended cameo appearance in the movie that was unexpected but hilarious. And each appearance just gets funnier and funnier.
The Action
Just as ridiculous and fun as the first movie with some really cool and creative gadgets,
The pacing
Incredibly well paced. Although it's a shade over 2 hours long, I was never bored or wondering how much time was left.
Anything else?
There is no post-credit scene
Final verdictKingsman: The Golden Circle is a great addition to the comic movie releases we have had this year. It effortlessly continues the story of Eggsy while expanding on the spy world in a very natural way. This is a fun movie that does not require you to switch off your brian, but doesn't require you to take it too seriously or treat the audience as simpletons.
Score - 8.6/10My Movie rating system
10- Citizen "F*%king" Kane (A+)
9- Bloody Great (A)
8- Really rather good (A-)
7- Pretty decent (B+)
6- Definitely above average (B)
5- Middle of the road average (C)
4- Mediocre (D)
3- Meh (E)
2- Crap (F)
1- Why the hell did I waste my my time and money on this abomination (unrated)
