Kingsman: The Golden Circle Movie Review

Released: 20th September 2017

Length: 141 Minutes

Certificate: 15

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal and Jeff Bridges

2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service defied all the doubters upon release, creating an adaptation that really struck a chord on release. With plenty of anticipation built up for the sequel, The Golden Circle faces an uphill battle to make the second entry as memorable as the first.

Sometime after the events of the first film, the Kingsman; comprised of the young Eggsy (Taron Egerton), Roxanne (Sophie Cookson) and Merlin (Mark Strong), find themselves under attack. A technical breach at the hands of failed Kingsman Charlie Hesketh (Edward Holcroft) causes their headquarters to be wiped out. Seemingly the last remaining agents, Eggsy and Merlin turn to the Statesmen, their American cousins named after alcoholic spirits, and they head out to unravel the schemes of The Golden Circle. Kicking off with the action right away, The Golden Circle sets the audience up for the same energised flair as the original, only to boil down to a less engaging narrative. The sequel simply doesn’t have the momentum or drive of the first; in fact, the pacing feels very stop-and-start. Using the same formula by swapping between protagonist and antagonist, it jarringly swings between action and dramatic moments with one sequence taking place in Italy feeling meaningless to the overall plot. The film is a bit too long as well, with a last-minute twist also thrown in to further pad out the action. Because of this jumbled pacing and lack of build-up, you won’t be as invested as before.

Bringing in a heap of great cast members, the Kingsman sequel has all the ingredients to expand on its world, but unlike its predecessor, The Golden Circle doesn’t manage to flesh them out nearly as much or give them interesting arc. From the offset, we see Roxy killed off without so much as a hint of participation and from here there aren’t many other worthwhile characters to fill her place. Channing Tatum’s Tequila shows up to introduce the Statesmen, only to be reduced to a very minor role and Pedro Pascal’s Whiskey is great in the action sequences but his character development is extremely rushed. Julianne Moore as the antagonist is the weakest of all though; she does little other than hang about in her secret hideaway with her main gimmick being an attachment to fifties diners and culture. On the other hand, though, the three main actors all do a really decent job; Taron’s smooth, charismatic Eggsy is again worth rooting for, his relationship with Swedish Princess Tilde (which launched at the end of the first film) slotting into the narrative quite well and Mark Strong’s Merlin is a brilliant source of both support and discipline. I won’t give too much away about Colin Firth’s reappearance, the connection between him and Eggsy is again very strong. It’s just too bad that the other characters are either pushed aside or too basic to make a full impression, despite the new recruits all doing as well as they portray them.

The hyperactive, rapidly shot action is still in full effect here, even if its context is muddled. Warping around the action with a deft hand, the camerawork succeeds at highlighting the craziness of the action which involves a collection of gunplay, wicked gadgetry, and hand-to-hand stunt-work. Although an increased use of computer effects does place the sequences below the first film, there’s nothing quite so crazy as the church scene in the original Kingsman and the tension has been somewhat deflated. Elton John’s cameo appearance results in the film’s best action scene towards the end, a final dash set to the rhythm of “Saturday Night’s alright for fighting.” While the action is serviceable, the series hasn’t lost any of its visual identity; the ritzy, elaborate sets and fancy costumes are once again instrumental in conveying the series identity. A hefty use of “Take me home country roads” grounds the Statesmen in Kentucky and the globe-trotting plot, despite its hackneyed pacing, also brings a variety of great looking settings from icy mountains to boiling jungles. This variation, combined with an updated look from the other side of the pond allows Kingsmen to keep its spot in the widely contested spy genre.

The Golden Circle had a difficult act to follow and ultimately ends up falling short on plot and character development; it’s very much like 2013’s Kick-Ass 2 in this regard, sequels that live in the shadow of the originals. There’s still plenty here to enjoy; the over-the-top action is still wildly entertaining and the main performances still work but if you were expecting a film as good as the first, it’s a little disappointing.

Rating: 3/5 Stars (Fair)