Kingsman: The Golden Circle
3.5/4
Starring: Taron Edgerton, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Edward Holcroft, Hanna Alstrom, Pedro Pascal, Jeff Bridges, Elton John
Rated R for Sequences of Strong Violence, Drug Content, Language Throughout, and Some Sexual Material
I suppose it takes a special couple of Brits to effectively parody American culture (specifically the South), but director and co-writer Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman do so with flair. It may not be mean, but it's definitely on point. This isn't one long lampoon into Americana, but the barbs are fresh and knowing, and lead to some of the biggest laughs.
Eggsy (Edgerton) has settled into life as a Kingsman. He goes to work during the day and on missions when the occasion calls for it, but usually he's hanging with his mates and his new girlfriend, Tilde (Alstrom), who just so happens to be a princess. However, trouble occurs when he is attacked by Charlie (Holcroft), a Kingsman reject gone bad. He's working for Poppy (Moore), who is behind every drug sale in the world. For as yet unknown reasons, she has just destroyed every base of the Kingsman, and the only two members left are Eggsy and Merlin (Strong). They have no choice but to seek the aid of their American counterparts: The Statesmen, which includes Tequila (Tatum), Ginger (Berry) and Whiskey (Pascal), and is led by Champagne, which is usually shortened to Champ (Bridges). They have to work together to find out what Poppy's end goal is and stop her before it's too late.
I didn't like "Kingsman: The Secret Service" all that much. Despite some effective performances and moments, it was essentially an origin story of the spy parody genre, which has been done so often that even the self-aware angle is passe. "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" works for two reasons: one, it better balances being a spy thriller and a self-parody of one, and it finds a new angle for its satirical spin. Let's face it, everyone knows that the Brits have a reputation of having a stiff upper lip, so parodying that is boring. But taking that point of view and using it to look at American culture is something that we haven't seen. The salty language, sloppy dress, Southern clichés, the "get tough" view of governance, all are lampooned with precision aim, but Vaughn and Goldman aren't savage. They want us to laugh at ourselves, and we do.
The performances are solid, if unspectacular. Taron Edgerton makes an effective, if not very memorable, hero. Mark Strong steals all the scenes he's in; known mainly for playing sinister villains ("Kick-Ass" is an example, and also directed by his good friend Matthew Vaughn), he's very sympathetic here. Colin Firth is flat. Like in the first film, he takes the role too seriously. There's no sense of humor or parody in his performance. Julianne Moore is good as the flaky Poppy, but this isn't one of her best performances. Edward Holcroft is suitably vicious, and the American members of the cast are just fine. The real star of the movie is Elton John. Yes, that Elton John. Held as a captive by Poppy, he gets many of the film's best moments (usually when lobbing f-bombs towards Poppy). And he gets an action scene or two. The bit where he jump kicks one of Poppy's goons while dressed as a peacock is worth the price of admission in and of itself.
At two hours or so, this movie might have been a contender for my top 10 list this year (seeing as how slim the pickings have been in 2017, it might make the list anyway). But it's 2.5 hours long. There's a lot of excess fat that, while entertaining, could have been cut. Not every character needs their own backstory. Also, some of the action scenes are too fast for the camera to track, causing blur and eye strain (no 3D, thank God), and some images are suspiciously out of focus.
That said, I had a great time with this movie, and left the theater with a big smile on my face. I haven't had this much fun at the movies all year.
Starring: Taron Edgerton, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Edward Holcroft, Hanna Alstrom, Pedro Pascal, Jeff Bridges, Elton John
Rated R for Sequences of Strong Violence, Drug Content, Language Throughout, and Some Sexual Material
I suppose it takes a special couple of Brits to effectively parody American culture (specifically the South), but director and co-writer Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman do so with flair. It may not be mean, but it's definitely on point. This isn't one long lampoon into Americana, but the barbs are fresh and knowing, and lead to some of the biggest laughs.
Eggsy (Edgerton) has settled into life as a Kingsman. He goes to work during the day and on missions when the occasion calls for it, but usually he's hanging with his mates and his new girlfriend, Tilde (Alstrom), who just so happens to be a princess. However, trouble occurs when he is attacked by Charlie (Holcroft), a Kingsman reject gone bad. He's working for Poppy (Moore), who is behind every drug sale in the world. For as yet unknown reasons, she has just destroyed every base of the Kingsman, and the only two members left are Eggsy and Merlin (Strong). They have no choice but to seek the aid of their American counterparts: The Statesmen, which includes Tequila (Tatum), Ginger (Berry) and Whiskey (Pascal), and is led by Champagne, which is usually shortened to Champ (Bridges). They have to work together to find out what Poppy's end goal is and stop her before it's too late.
I didn't like "Kingsman: The Secret Service" all that much. Despite some effective performances and moments, it was essentially an origin story of the spy parody genre, which has been done so often that even the self-aware angle is passe. "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" works for two reasons: one, it better balances being a spy thriller and a self-parody of one, and it finds a new angle for its satirical spin. Let's face it, everyone knows that the Brits have a reputation of having a stiff upper lip, so parodying that is boring. But taking that point of view and using it to look at American culture is something that we haven't seen. The salty language, sloppy dress, Southern clichés, the "get tough" view of governance, all are lampooned with precision aim, but Vaughn and Goldman aren't savage. They want us to laugh at ourselves, and we do.
The performances are solid, if unspectacular. Taron Edgerton makes an effective, if not very memorable, hero. Mark Strong steals all the scenes he's in; known mainly for playing sinister villains ("Kick-Ass" is an example, and also directed by his good friend Matthew Vaughn), he's very sympathetic here. Colin Firth is flat. Like in the first film, he takes the role too seriously. There's no sense of humor or parody in his performance. Julianne Moore is good as the flaky Poppy, but this isn't one of her best performances. Edward Holcroft is suitably vicious, and the American members of the cast are just fine. The real star of the movie is Elton John. Yes, that Elton John. Held as a captive by Poppy, he gets many of the film's best moments (usually when lobbing f-bombs towards Poppy). And he gets an action scene or two. The bit where he jump kicks one of Poppy's goons while dressed as a peacock is worth the price of admission in and of itself.
At two hours or so, this movie might have been a contender for my top 10 list this year (seeing as how slim the pickings have been in 2017, it might make the list anyway). But it's 2.5 hours long. There's a lot of excess fat that, while entertaining, could have been cut. Not every character needs their own backstory. Also, some of the action scenes are too fast for the camera to track, causing blur and eye strain (no 3D, thank God), and some images are suspiciously out of focus.
That said, I had a great time with this movie, and left the theater with a big smile on my face. I haven't had this much fun at the movies all year.
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