KINGSMAN : THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
Director : Matthew Vaughn
Year : 2017
Genre : Action comedy
Rating : *1/2
Anyone going into Matthew Vaughn's action-comedy caper sequel expecting the same crass yet classy edge that made 2015's 'Kingsmans : The Secret Service' such an unexpected treat is going to leave the cinema feeling little less than crushingly disappointed. Trading in the sharp British wit, biting political satire and endearing characters of the original movie for overblown CGI action sequences, two dimensional archetypes and scenes that frankly stretch the BBFC's rating system to near-breaking point, 'Kingsman : The Golden Circle' is a truly miserable cinematic experience from beginning to end. After taking part in one of the most fake-looking car fights in recent movie history, Taron Egerton's charming agent Eggsy is once again sent on a death-defying mission to save the world - this time from the clutches of Julianne Moore's delicious yet deadly drug-baron Poppy, the leader of the titular organisation who have spiked the planets supply of narcotics with a potentially fatal virus, threatening the lives of millions of users around the globe. What ensues is an overlong, overwrought and overly vulgar explosion-filled caper that sees Eggsy and Merlin (once again played by Mark Strong) travelling the Atlantic to join forces with the Statesman - a stereotypical bunch of whisky-swilling, gun-slinging, catchphrase-laden Yanks portrayed by some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal and Academy Award winners Jeff Bridges and Halle Berry, all of whom are barely given any screen time but whose names look great emblazoned on the posters.
The thing that made 'Kingsman : The Secret Service' so great was that beyond its eye-popping violence and ear-singing foul language, the film was quintessentially British. It was an irreverent yet deceptively sophisticated satire that somehow managed to parody the beloved Bond franchise while still remaining a true-to-form spy adventure. However, by moving the action to America, the franchise has all but been drained of its innate English charm and sense of tongue-in-cheek fun thereby making it all but indistinguishable from the slop-bucket of rubbish action bonanzas we have been force-fed by the major studios. Taron Egerton is a fine actor and once again he delivers a good central performance as Eggsy but his charisma is completely overshadowed by Matthew Vaughn's insistent use of wholly unconvincing computer effects as well as several completely inappropriate moments of laddish smut that almost forced me out of my cinema seat entirely; with one scene set amongst the bustling din of the Glastonbury Music Festival being a particularly detestable few seconds of unforgivable vulgarity which make the contentious final scene of 'The Secret Service' look like a particularly pleasant walk through the park. Throw in a deeply unfunny and narratively pointless cameo by a gurning Elton John as well a running time that almost exceeds the 2 and a half hour mark and you have one of the most pointless and unsatisfying films of 2017. We even get the miraculous return of Colin Firth's previously deceased suave agent Harry Hart - a cynically cheap attempt at fan service that was meant to reinvigorate and breathe new life into the series but ironically has killed it stone dead. Let's hope that this one franchise that can be left to rot in peace.
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