Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic book The Secret Service created by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons
Cast: Taron Egerton, Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Mark Strong, Sophie Cookson, Colin Firth, Elton John, Hanna Alström, Edward Holcroft, Michael Gambon, Bruce Greenwood, Emily Watson, Mark Arnold, Tobi Bakare, Samantha Womack
Soundtrack: Henry Jackman & Matthew Margeson
Right, then; break’s over.
I suppose it’s fitting that, after a month’s hiatus, I’m doing something I’ve never done before, which is reviewing a sequel to a film that I reviewed at the time of its actual release.
Kingsman: The Secret Service was definitively my favorite spy movie in a year that was chock full of good ones (not that there weren’t disappointments). It embraced the more outlandish and fun elements of the James Bond franchise (particularly attributable to the era of the now late, great Roger Moore) while putting its own harder-edged spin on things, and I expected nothing less from its sequel (if not…Moore?).
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is definitely bigger, but is it better?
I say no. I think it’s a bit overstuffed and a bit long for what it is, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t recommend it theatrically (especially if you’re a fan of the first one). It is absolutely worth your movie dollars, so much so that there’s extremely little I’m willing to give away, so this’ll be a short review.
First of all, as in the original, you’ve got a great top-to-bottom cast (though very few get all that much to do), and everyone is clearly having fun with what they’re doing; which is to say this movie is like Octopussy-on-steroids in terms of the camp factor, though I will say there were at least a couple of moments that actually made me emotional, which was a genuine surprise.
Speaking of genuine surprises, I couldn’t believe how many story elements I legitimately didn’t see coming. Sure, the main plot is just a bit predictable, but don’t tell me you were able to guess everything from the marketing.
As for the action, Golden Circle is very much in the same style as Secret Service. No single scene offers a one-to-one comparison to the famous church sequence from the original, but it’s all executed, shot, and edited very similarly, if not actually better.
All-in-all, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is pretty much exactly what I thought it would be: a fun romp that goes too far in a few places. It’s bonkers and it knows it, it’s got fun nods (both with and without twists) to the first movie (and what I think is a super deep cut Bond reference), and it’s got a great, young, charismatic actor in the lead.
If you’re a fan of the first one, you’ll probably really enjoy this one, as I did. If not, I doubt there’s anything here that’ll win you over.
Not much else I can say without spoiling anything, but I recommend it heartily.
Rating: ★★★★☆
P.S.
There’s no stinger of any kind, probably because this movie is long and they respect that people need to relieve themselves, so, once the credits roll, you’re…Golden?
P.P.S.
Naturally, and as usual, thanks to Alamo Drafthouse for going all-out with the delicious specials and incredible glassware.
