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Even for a film series that is as over the top as Kingsman is, which is evident in the opening sequence in this sequel, there is a point when over the top is a little too much. When gunshots to the head are not enough to kill people, I think we're in absurd territory. Yet, it's not the fact that they revive Firth's character here that irks me, it's actually the total disregard for female characters. Kingsman had an opportunity to change that here, but fell into an even deeper hole.
The Kingsman is under attack and it leaves Eggsy and Merlin no choice but to travel to the States and find aid in the Statesman, the American spy agency disguised as a Whiskey distillery. A new enemy only known as The Golden Circle emerges and these two spy brands must learn to work together to bring the new enemy down. Exotic locations, beautiful women and lots of gunfire ensues, the audience turns their "brain off" to enjoy a film that takes glee in its own ultra violence.
Vaughn knows how to set up and execute exciting action sequences. He lets you know from the very beginning here that you need to expect the unexpected. So obtuse is the chase sequence in the opening act that I didn't know if the film would be able to match it. The style in this film mirrors what Vaughn did in the original. The church shootout sequence was fun violence, if there is such a thing, here he takes the same approach to a similar sequence and loses the death, but adds the skillful danger. It's one thing to see a skilled spy kill a bunch of 'nobodies', it's another to see him matched up with someone at his own skill level. I enjoyed the fight choreography between Eggsy and his nemesis with a metallic retractable arm. Fun bits like this add something new and exciting to the genre.
The film is fun, but there are plenty of questionable moments where I thought it went too far for the sake of a laugh. I could argue the against the treatment of women in this film (Berry has nothing to do, Cookson is sidelined, Poppy Delevingne is there for a joke about fingering women and while Moore is really good here, she is a non-threat) I thought the biggest missteps was the inclusion and extremely overused bits with Elton John. Singer Elton John is in this film more than Channing Tatum for crying out loud. There is an action sequence late in the film that was really fun to watch, but it was inter cut with bits of Elton John that ruined it. The Golden Circle was more concerned with the comedy this time that it actually made it less funny.
If you liked the original, expect more of the same here. The sequel doesn't reach the same heights, but it does get close. It circles the same beats of the original, down to the motive of the antagonist being evil for the greater good. The Golden Circle has a lot of scenes that don't belong, but as a whole it's not a bad way to spend an hour and a half of escapism.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
(Matthew Vaughn)
(Matthew Vaughn)
Even for a film series that is as over the top as Kingsman is, which is evident in the opening sequence in this sequel, there is a point when over the top is a little too much. When gunshots to the head are not enough to kill people, I think we're in absurd territory. Yet, it's not the fact that they revive Firth's character here that irks me, it's actually the total disregard for female characters. Kingsman had an opportunity to change that here, but fell into an even deeper hole.
The Kingsman is under attack and it leaves Eggsy and Merlin no choice but to travel to the States and find aid in the Statesman, the American spy agency disguised as a Whiskey distillery. A new enemy only known as The Golden Circle emerges and these two spy brands must learn to work together to bring the new enemy down. Exotic locations, beautiful women and lots of gunfire ensues, the audience turns their "brain off" to enjoy a film that takes glee in its own ultra violence.
Vaughn knows how to set up and execute exciting action sequences. He lets you know from the very beginning here that you need to expect the unexpected. So obtuse is the chase sequence in the opening act that I didn't know if the film would be able to match it. The style in this film mirrors what Vaughn did in the original. The church shootout sequence was fun violence, if there is such a thing, here he takes the same approach to a similar sequence and loses the death, but adds the skillful danger. It's one thing to see a skilled spy kill a bunch of 'nobodies', it's another to see him matched up with someone at his own skill level. I enjoyed the fight choreography between Eggsy and his nemesis with a metallic retractable arm. Fun bits like this add something new and exciting to the genre.
The film is fun, but there are plenty of questionable moments where I thought it went too far for the sake of a laugh. I could argue the against the treatment of women in this film (Berry has nothing to do, Cookson is sidelined, Poppy Delevingne is there for a joke about fingering women and while Moore is really good here, she is a non-threat) I thought the biggest missteps was the inclusion and extremely overused bits with Elton John. Singer Elton John is in this film more than Channing Tatum for crying out loud. There is an action sequence late in the film that was really fun to watch, but it was inter cut with bits of Elton John that ruined it. The Golden Circle was more concerned with the comedy this time that it actually made it less funny.
If you liked the original, expect more of the same here. The sequel doesn't reach the same heights, but it does get close. It circles the same beats of the original, down to the motive of the antagonist being evil for the greater good. The Golden Circle has a lot of scenes that don't belong, but as a whole it's not a bad way to spend an hour and a half of escapism.