Film Review: Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Director: Matthew Vaughn

20th Century Fox
In Theaters: 09.22

It’s been a little more than two and a half years since we saw Eggsy (Taron Egerton) transform into an elite member of the underground intelligence agency known as the Kingsman. In this continuation, we discover that Harry Hart (Colin Firth) survived his gunshot wound, Merlin (Mark Strong) is still assisting to help save the world, Poppy (Julianne Moore) is a global drug lord insistent on making her occupation legal, and the British entity has a cousin organization in America deemed The Statesman. The action in this second chapter is on par with its predecessor with wild car chases, enticing snowy mountain escapes and a meat grinder that can fit an entire adult-sized individual. You’ll just have to see it for yourself. The tone of the film comes across like an over-the-top James Bond flick with goofy gadgets, ridiculous sexual innuendo and explosions galore. It’s pretty much when Roger Moore was in his heyday. Julianne Moore plays an exaggerated villain with a creepy smile who is obsessed with the 1950s and Elton John. Trust me, you will never look at The Rocket Man in the same light after watching this caricature of a film. The laughs are still present, as they were in the original, but once again, the running time is the film’s biggest hindrance because most films cannot sustain 141 minutes. Big points go to Pedro Pascal, Channing Tatum and Jeff Bridges for portraying the Red, White and Blue version of spies, complete with fancy six-shooters and electrified lassos. Along with The Pinball Wizard’s execution, you will never listen to John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” or Cameo’s “Word Up” the same way ever again. –Jimmy Martin