The KINGSMAN sequel sacrifices structure and slathers on the spectacle.
I loved Kingsman. Well, mostly, aside from a wildly misjudged running joke about anal sex, I loved Kingsman. Yes yes, smutty humor works, but there is a time and place, a smart buildup and payoff, not just being crude for crudeness’ sake. But it was a film that shook off the stiffness of James Bond and unleashed a more vibrant, cartoonish take on the Gentleman Spy. A sequel was expected, if not welcomed, and the results are…mixed.
Synopsis
Kingsman: The Secret Service introduced the world to Kingsman. In Kingsman: The Golden Circle, our heroes face a new challenge when their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage. Their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US called Statesman, and in a new adventure, these two elite, secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy in order to save the world, something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy. Kingsman: The Golden Circle stars Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Halle Berry, with Elton John and Channing Tatum, and Jeff Bridges.
It’s expected that a sequel will go bigger in terms of stakes, setpieces, and scale. Kingsman: the Golden Circle certainly delivers on these fronts, but as it slathers in more and more, the film becomes messier, losing structure and sense. It isn’t helped byhow much of it feels familiar, rehashing many of the ideas from the first film, while wasting much of the goodwill it earned. This time out, it’s yet another megalomaniac billionaire looking to wipe out a portion of the population. The Martha Stewart-inspired Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore), has a secret agency of her own, one that she unleashes to wipe-out the Kingsmen, to allow her plans to further her drug trafficking network to go legit. She laces her own supply with a toxin and withholds the supply, putting millions of lives at stake, in order to force the US Government to legalize (and monetize) recreational drug use. Eggsy/Galahad and Merlin (Mark Strong), as the only survivors of the Kingsman organization, are forced to initiate an emergency fail-safe, one that leads them to their American brethren, the Statesmen. Enlisting their aid, they look to foil Poppy’s plans as the toxin’s effects spreads through all levels of society, in all regions of the world.
The usually reliable Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn crafted a screenplay that veers from one plot point, set piece, or location to another with little to truly tie it together. Structurally a mess, narratively derivative and bloated, it’s feasting upon its own predecessor to fuel itself. One moment of noble sacrifice aside, the film lacks any emotional heft, instead embracing cartoonish violence. There is a interesting plot strand which begins an examination of US drug policy, the harshness of sentencing for recreational drug use, and taking advantage of Poppy’s threat to do some societal purge of miscreants, but the only real exploration of it is some overt mustache twirling within the White House.
There are nuggets of good ideas in there, notably expanding on the secret spy world of the Kingsmen with their American brethren, the Statesmen. Some nice flourishes are present in their take on the Kingsmen, from gear, codenames, and cover story, but again it’s pretty superficial craft, with no depth or real exploration. Even characters played by newcomers Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, and Jeff Bridges get pretty minimal screentime; only Pedro Pascal’s Agent Whiskey gets an arc. There are moments that impress, big action sequences, snazzy costumes and gadgets, colorful characters, and (occasionally successful) puns aplenty, but they’re all lost in this mess that strives to recapture the fun and originality of the original, but misses the mark by a mile.
The Package
The image quality here is impressive, colors are truly vibrant, detail is superb, blacks and contrast all commendable. The clarity does show up some of the shortcomings in the CGI-heavy sequences though, where softness is apparent. Special features include:
- KINGSMAN: INSIDE THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (Multi-chaptered Documentary): Short and snappy featurettes spanning various aspects of the film including special effects, casting, weapons, costumes, locations, and more.
- Black Cab Chaos: Anatomy of a Killer Chase: Just shy of 13 minutes, it opens up the making of the chase sequence that opens the film.
- Kingsman Archives Concept Art: Sets, Costumes (36 Images)
- Kingsman Archives Stills: Behind The Scenes, Sets, Props, The Cast (52 Images): Both these final features offer interactive galleries to peruse different facets of the production.
- Theatrical trailers.
- Digital download code.
The Package
Kingsman The Golden Circle was something of a disappointment, slathering on excess for spectacle’s sake while sacrificing originality and structure. But, anyone who did approve of the sequel will find this release to be pleasing enough, with superb picture quality and an amount of extras so indulgent it would impress even Elton John.
Kingsman: the Golden Circle is available on Blu-ray from December 12th.