Three years ago, I was wowed by Kingsman: The Secret Service, a film with a talented cast, lots of panache and action mixed with humour. At the time, I predicted the film (and any inevitable sequels) would eclipse James Bond and his now boring franchise.
With Kingsman: The Golden Circle, my prophecy has proven true – this is a worthy successor to the first film.
Director Matthew Vaughan clearly knows how to create dynamic action scenes. The film kicks off with a high-speed car chase through the heart of London. Easily one of the best sequences I’ve seen, it provided a gripping opening. Throughout the film a series of stunningly choreographed hand to hand combat scenes kept me glued to the screen.
Conflict alone cannot sustain a film like this, and thankfully the superb cast provided some fantastic characterisations.
Once again Taron Egerton (as Eggsy) is a joy to watch as the suave secret agent with a heart of pure chav.
There are two standouts in this film – Julianne Moore is delightful as Poppy Adams, the insane supervillain possessing a sweet smile and a seemingly beguiling nature who turns psychopathic in an instant.
And then there is Elton John playing a fictionalised version of himself. After being kidnapped and forced to perform one-man concerts for Poppy he turns rogue and we see a devilish, bad-tempered superhero who manages to steal the show.
The Kingsman films sit right on the fulcrum of the spy genre – on one side we have the likes of James Bond and Mission Impossible and on the other is Austin Powers. Kingsman provides the car chases, mayhem, and gadgets of the first two, but also the unashamed tongue in cheek piss takes that Mike Myers takes to the extreme.
For me Kingsman gets the balance just right and does for the action/spy genre what Deadpool did for the Marvel comic-book-turned-film genre – it provides a much-needed dose of pure entertainment.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
141 Minutes
Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Halle Berry, Elton John, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges
Directed by: Matthew Vaughan
https://youtu.be/4PggfbzJcvA
