By: Jonathan Pabico
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a disappointing sequel by X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn. The film is crowned with fun, stylized action scenes, but it suffers from some severe drawbacks.
The film’s narrative gets boring after the exhilarating car chase at the beginning. While it’s good to see actors from the first Kingsman, the film is filled with scenes that disrupt the story’s flow. One example is when Merlin (Mark Strong) and Eggsy (Taron Egerton) get drunk as a “Doomsday protocol” after the Kingsman buildings are destroyed. This scene is anti-climatic and only succeeds in already detracting from what could have been a more entertaining spy flick.
“…the film is hindered by its underdeveloped characters and a narrative that becomes stale halfway into the movie.”
Egerton does continue showing charisma in his reprisal of Kingsman super spy Eggsy. Colin Firth’s return as Harry Hart is surprising due to his character’s apparent death in the last instalment. However, Firth’s chemistry with Egerton remains unwavering. They evoke heart from their characters’ father-son relationship and, in the film’s final fight, prove that Eggsy and Hart are the ultimate spy duo.
Unfortunately, the secondary characters are dry. The American spies called Statesmen, who for some reason use alcoholic drinks as code names, lack substantial roles in the story. Agents Tequila (Channing Tatum) and Champagne (Jeff Bridges) have such short appearances that their purpose in the film remains a mystery. While it may be that Vaughn intended Tatum and Bridges to be glorified cameos, their lack of significant screen time is a waste of such talented actors. Pedro Pascal’s performance as Whiskey, however, is more engaging. His fight scenes, where he uses a lasso, help elevate the hyperactive craziness that’s present in almost all the film’s action sequences.
A hilarious surprise appearance is the legendary Elton John. John delivers spunk and light-heartedness in his scenes. His amusing performance overshadows Tatum and Bridges and perhaps the entire movie. John’s unapologetic humour helps make the film a little more worth watching.
A puzzling casting choice is Julianne Moore as Poppy Adams, the leader of the Golden Circle. Moore does deliver a level of creepiness as Adams, but she doesn’t strike me as a right fit for this character. Her portrayal of a two-dimensional villain with insecurity issues, and armed with a “pleasant on the outside, but psychopathic on the inside” persona, doesn’t provide the right platform to show off her Oscar-worthy acting. With Adams’ predictable motive for world domination, there’s little to expect from Moore beyond just playing a stereotypical, egotistical villain.
Even though the action is exhilarating, the film is hindered by its underdeveloped characters and a narrative that becomes stale halfway into the movie. There are also aspects of the film that may cause discomfort. A couple of the scenes feature the graphic deaths of a few characters via meat grinder. These scenes are so upsetting and disturbing to watch that even Quentin Tarantino would feel nauseated if he viewed them. Keep those meat grinder scenes in mind and watch with caution. Overall, Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle doesn’t have much substance, but it’s still worthwhile to watch.
