Kingsman: The Golden Circle falls into some of the same traps as 2014's Kingsman: The Secret Service, but manages to salvage the story in much the same way as the original.
Picking up the story of british secret agent Galahad, aka Eggsy (Taron Egerton), Golden Circle introduces a number of new characters starting with the new villain/drug lord Poppy (Julianne Moore). After the Kingsman organization is attacked, Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong) seek help from a related organization called Statesmen, based in Kentucky. Here they meet American agents Tequila (Channing Tatum), Whiskey (Pedro Pascal), Champagne "Champ" (Jeff Bridges), and Ginger Ale (Halle Berry).
The two agencies combine forces to find and fight against Poppy's evil plan to hold a enormous swath of the human population hostage through the drugs she distributes around the world. As with any good spy flick, there are plenty of misdirections and some double crosses before finally figuring out where all the allegiances lie.
Two things work against this film. First, the lengthy cast list. I already mentioned a number of them above and it feels like some of these roles were put in just for the sake of developing a part for the actors that inhabit them. Don't get me wrong, they are all great in these roles, just not all entirely necessary.
Secondly, it's a bit long for a popcorn flick like this. There are moments when it feels like it's trying to take itself seriously like a Bond film, but then other moments when it knows full well that it's a campy romp. If it was serious throughout, it may have justified the longer run time, but as something fun, it would have worked better by losing 25-30 minutes.
That said, the campiness ends up working in the end. Most of the action scenes are so over the top that you just have to sit back and enjoy the insanity of what's happening on screen. Realizing that these stories are based on comics makes it a little easier to swallow. The action is very reminiscent of comic books and that makes it feel OK in the end.
While Golden Circle is not a great film, it is a fun adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Review by Jonathan YtrebergBlockedParent2022-01-04T04:39:57Z
Kingsman: The Golden Circle falls into some of the same traps as 2014's Kingsman: The Secret Service, but manages to salvage the story in much the same way as the original.
Picking up the story of british secret agent Galahad, aka Eggsy (Taron Egerton), Golden Circle introduces a number of new characters starting with the new villain/drug lord Poppy (Julianne Moore). After the Kingsman organization is attacked, Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong) seek help from a related organization called Statesmen, based in Kentucky. Here they meet American agents Tequila (Channing Tatum), Whiskey (Pedro Pascal), Champagne "Champ" (Jeff Bridges), and Ginger Ale (Halle Berry).
The two agencies combine forces to find and fight against Poppy's evil plan to hold a enormous swath of the human population hostage through the drugs she distributes around the world. As with any good spy flick, there are plenty of misdirections and some double crosses before finally figuring out where all the allegiances lie.
Two things work against this film. First, the lengthy cast list. I already mentioned a number of them above and it feels like some of these roles were put in just for the sake of developing a part for the actors that inhabit them. Don't get me wrong, they are all great in these roles, just not all entirely necessary.
Secondly, it's a bit long for a popcorn flick like this. There are moments when it feels like it's trying to take itself seriously like a Bond film, but then other moments when it knows full well that it's a campy romp. If it was serious throughout, it may have justified the longer run time, but as something fun, it would have worked better by losing 25-30 minutes.
That said, the campiness ends up working in the end. Most of the action scenes are so over the top that you just have to sit back and enjoy the insanity of what's happening on screen. Realizing that these stories are based on comics makes it a little easier to swallow. The action is very reminiscent of comic books and that makes it feel OK in the end.
While Golden Circle is not a great film, it is a fun adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
6 out of 10