Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writer: Jane Goldman
Cast: Taron Egerton, Julianne Moore, Mark Strong, and Colin Firth
Kingsman Eggsy has been keeping busy, thwarting diabolical schemes raising a puppy and nurturing a new romance all whilst mourning the loss of his Mentor, Harry Hart. His life takes a crazy turn when an old rival shows up, bringing chaos and destruction. Working with a megalomaniac Drug Dealer the rival manages to destroy Kingman headquarters and force the few remaining agents to seek help. Help comes from across the pond in the form of a secret spy agency known as The Statesman. Together the two teams fight to avenge the death of fallen comrades and possibly save the world.
Director Matthew Vaughn and screenwriter Jane Goldman, join forces for the second time in this sequel. The duo was responsible for the massively successful Kingsman: Secret Service and have struck gold for the second time. Like most sequels, it’s not as good as the first but it is a solid action comedy. As fans of Kingsman: Secret Service, we’ve witnessed a lot of the action and jokes before so it’s not quite as mind-blowing. If you’re unfamiliar with the first movie we recommend watching it before embarking on the sequel. Though it is not necessary to enjoy the sequel you will miss some of the funniest jokes and most important reveals.
If you are a fan of Kingsman: Secret Service and saw the trailer then you already know Harry Hart is back! Not in a flashback or some god awful time machine rouse. There is a logical reasonable explanation for his return. Before you roll your eyes far enough to see yesterday admit to yourself that you are excited about this. Batman, Jon Snow, Jesus, heroes come back all the time. Besides this is a movie about secret spies agencies who never get caught while disrupting entire cities, using sci-fi technology and limitless funding that somehow manage to fly everywhere without passports or security. Just get lost in the fantasy poking holes may not be the best idea, it would ruin the fun.
Harry Hart may be back but Valentine is still dead as far as we know. As a result, we have a ferocious new villain, Poppy. Julianne Moore takes on the role of drug Queenpin Poppy, a fiendish maniac that grinds up her enemies and serves them to her goons, literally. Like most villains, she’s a certified nut job with a cruel sense of humor. We are introduced to her in her lair just moments before she forces a disloyal associate into a meat grinder. When’s she’s not busy turning her enemies into burger meat, she’s trying to force world leaders to do her bidding.
In addition to Poppy, we are also introduced to the Statesmen, Kingsman’s American counterpart. While the Kingsman are dubbed with the names of Knights, the Statesmen’s names come from beverages. Halle Berry is mild-mannered but sweet, tech Ginger Ale and beefy heartthrob Channing Tatum is the unpredictable Tequila. With him, you either have an epic night or a horrific morning. Despite being prominently featured in the trailers, neither gets much camera time. Berry pops in occasionally and Tatum is in a coma of some sort for most of the movie. The plot is all about Eggsy, grieving losses, kicking ass and somehow maintaining a monogamous relationship all while serving as a secret service agent. As a character, Eggsy has grown tremendously from the first film. He’s more polished, but still the cheeky bastard we loved before. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the franchise or seeing the Kingsman universe for the first time, prepare for nonstop action crazy one-liners and a fun time at the movies. Kingsman is a modern take on the spy genre that is worth seeing. Its the sexy love child of James Bond and Austin Powers that we never knew we needed.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle hits theaters this Friday, September 22.