Film Review: Kingsman – The Golden Circle


Bond and Bourne’s sleeker, funnier, party animal brother returns to save the world.

Having survived the dangerous run in with megalomaniac tech giant (Samuel L Jackson), Eggsy returns to deal with the next threat to world peace. An evil drug overlord, Miss Poppy (Julianne Moore), who has engineered a worldwide operation to legalize the drug trade. Cut off from their resources and with most of their agents out of action, those who remain must look elsewhere for help. In time Eggy finds himself in the company of his straight-talking, gun-toting American counterparts, aptly named Statesmen.

Mixing a good deal of pathos into the early plot, the journey to America is a welcome relief, not only for the Kingsmen but for the audience too. Amusingly the Kingsmen are first introduced to the obnoxious Tequila (Channing Tatum) as they come to terms with asking for help, an agent who is anything but inclined to do so. Once satisfied with their backstory a tech smart Halle Berry brings them on board to give a full tour that’s full of surprises.

As in the first movie, the quality of personification that the actors offer their roles is a joy to behold. Every cast member offers up a character with depth and reason, who exists beyond saving the world and getting the girl. Indeed even though Eggy has successfully saved the world, it appears much harder to keep hold of the girl. The villains are also more three dimensional. Miss Poppy might yearn for the bright lights of the business community and tickets to an Elton John concert, but these may also be her downfall. Even Poppy’s henchmen have their foibles, be that a girl back home or an impromptu party on the side.

The topical nature of the film is commendable and brings life to the plot. Whatever side of the argument for legalizing drugs you may stand on, it is a piece of great scripting that sees the Kingsmen tread a path on the right side of morality whatever your perspective. This approach to capturing something globally relevant to our time sets a high bar for other action films to follow. Like the subtle feminist undertones of Mad Max Fury Road, there is no excuse any more for needlessly rehashed violence without even an attempt at finding a relevant viewpoint. Kingsmen: The Golden Circle cannot be said to suffer from a lack of action, if anything the action, choreography and CGI bring an inventiveness and exuberance that makes the best of James Bond’s chases feel like watching a unfit mall cop chase a shop lifter.

The Golden Circle ticks all the boxes for a blockbuster action movie and then draws a work of art on the back with the remaining time, money and talent available. Kingsmen effortlessly pokes fun at the tropes of rehashed action movies and proves it has a reason to exist. I would strongly recommend this film to all of age, and look forward to watching it again.

 

 

 

 

Author: Joe, Bath Store

This article has 1 comment

  1. a good movie in the kingsman series.The cinematography part of the movie is actually the best thing.