Outside of the overly serious James Bond and Jason Bourne franchises that have become staples of action cinema, there isn’t much else in the way of spy representation when it comes to modern movies. That was until Matthew Vaughn’s 2014 film “Kingsman: The Secret Service†gave the secret agent character model a brand new look.
The new sequel, titled “Kingsman: The Golden Circleâ€, was finally released Friday and sees Eggsy and Merlin back to succeed the Kingsman program before their organization is targeted by a terrorist organization run by Poppy Adams, a happy-go-lucky drug lord played by Julianne Moore.
The original “Kingsman†was certainly a game changer for action flicks in the 2010s, “The Golden Circle†mainly sticks to the winning formula of its predecessor, while offering a few tricks up its sleeve to please audiences. All returning characters are in peak form, namely Taron Egerton as Eggsy, whose performance could easily be used as an audition tape for a role as the next Bond.
Beat Em’ Up
“The Golden Circle†essentially plays as an R-rated cartoon, and as for fans of the original film’s brutal over-the-top violence, there’s plenty of that here, with much of it borrowing from the now iconic “Free Bird†driven church scene. The film’s opening scene in particular, which pays homage to the recently departed Artist Formerly Known as Prince, sets the tone perfectly, in a car chase that will surely go down as one of the best of the year. That’s right, even in a year that boasted “Baby Driver†as one of its best.
With this cartoony tone, many of the actors seem to be having a blast, with Julianne Moore bringing a performance which we don’t typically see from the Academy Award-winning actress. Her cheerfully creepy demeanor brings a threat unlike anything the Kingsman have seen before, which at the climax of the film allows for some tense moments.
Across the Pond
“The Golden Circle†also extends the lore by adding the Americanized version of the Kingsman who go by the Statesman. Led by Jeff Bridges, who goes by the name Champagne, the Statesmen bring an intriguing new element to the franchise. Channing Tatum, who plays Tequila, in particular is extremely charismatic in the role, although his screen time is sadly not quite as advertised. Similarly, Halle Berry’s role was a little disappointing, as such a high profile role should have acted as a comeback of sorts, but instead ends up being rather basic.
That being said, “The Golden Circle†adds up the be a fun time at the cinema as Matthew Vaughn at this point in his career certainly knows how to please an audience. The film is able to maintain the action comedy tone throughout, and features some big laughs, which with the help of an extended cameo from Elton John, will land big time with audiences. For a franchise that has now become so reliant on over-the-top big budget fun, “The Golden Circle†delivers, and if you have anything to say about it, well, you might just have to pay a trip to Poppy Land.
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