Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

Movie Info

This is definitely a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Golden Circle drug lord Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore) has a plan, and her first target is Kingsman!  Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) find themselves on the run and racing against time as Poppy’s plan hatches.  Travelling to America, Eggsy and Merlin are about to make allies of the Statesman…the American version of Kingman.  With the support of Champ (Jeff Bridges), Whiskey (Pedro Pascal), Tequila (Channing Tatum), and Ginger Ale (Halle Berry), Eggsy and Merlin must stop Poppy and her superhuman assistant Charlie Hesketh (Pedro Pascal)…and they might have a surprising aide in the form of Galahad (Colin Firth)!

Directed by Matthew Vaughn (who co-wrote the script with Jane Goldman), Kingsman:  The Golden Circle is a comic book action sequel based on series Kingsman by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar.  Following Kingsman:  The Secret Service in 2014, the film was met with mixed to positive reviews.

It’s not a Kingsman movie without a dog with a gun to its head…

Kingsman was a surprisingly fun film, and a film that lends itself to sequels.  A mock-up of 007 and the TV series The Avengers, Kingsman has unlimited potential.  Kingsman:  The Golden Circle feels a lot bigger and grander than Kingsman:  The Secret Service…but that also could be some of the negative aspect of it.

The story is sprawling which gives it a James Bond feel, but it also hurts it in the long run.  Despite a lot of action and flow, the film could have lost about a half-an-hour and been a bit stronger.  There are a lot of characters and a lot plot twists that are expansive, but could have been trimmed up to make it an even faster paced ride.  As extreme as Kingsman:  The Secret Service was, Kingsman:  The Golden Circle takes it a step up.

It is good to see Taron Egerton’s Eggsy a bit more grown up.  He’s still young enough to have a young adventure feel, but he also feels like he’s transitioning to adult (and full Kingsman).  Colin Firth was a scene stealer in the first film and the movie had to work to get him back, but the plot worked it in and it didn’t feel arbitrary.  I like Pedro Pascal who takes the scenes in this movie, and Julianne Moore seems to play the character she always does:  ironic and sassy-smart.  The Statesman aren’t developed enough (except Whiskey) and it feels like they are just setting up Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, and Halle Berry for their own series.  Elton John also plays an oddly significant role in the film which is unexpected.

Who isn’t friends with Elton John?

The film is visually compelling like the first film.  I still love the fight sequences, but this movie is even more surreal with robot dogs, mechanical arms, and a ’50s mini-town in the middle of the jungle.  This is mixed with traditional James Bond type sets like the lab on top of the Italian mountain…and a pumping majority country themed music which adds to the weirdness.

Kingsman:  The Golden Circle bridges the line between James Bond and Austin Powers.  It is over-the-top, gaudy, and like a toddler on speed, but that also is the good part of it.  The movie isn’t afraid to surprise and shock and that keeps it feeling fresh.  I don’t like it as much as the original, but it still is a ride worth taking.  A third Kingsman film is already in the works.

Related Links:

Kingsman:  The Secret Service (2014)