Review of Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) by Davidwashere — 22 Sep 2017

While I wasn't too crazy for the first Kingsman film, I did enjoy the first movie. And I like this movie...to an extent. I wouldn't say it's as bad as what critics are making it out (even though the reception isn't terrible), it's passable more than watchable.

Like many other sequels, this one falls under the pitfall of trying to match the first movie in terms of playing it safe recreating the memorable scenes and less of world building and continuing the story in an interesting way. Sure some of this movie's greatest strengths is what made the first movie great, balls out action sequences and a tongue-in-cheek take on Bond-esque spy movies, as well as it's major flaw in that the first movie was not as subversive as it thinks it is. However, like many sequels, the excitement is gone as we've seen what the first movie did as this movie tries to recreate the over-the-top bloodbath of the first. And unfortunately, unlike the first movie, the big bad is terrible! Julianne Moore, I will give her this, is trying with what she was given, but she wasn't given a lot. This movie tried to have a quirky villain like Samuel L. Jackson's character in the last movie, but instead of having the big bad be a threat to our heroes, like Samuel was, the big bad in the Golden Circle is about as threatening as a fly without it's wings. She's like a mom-type with a knack for 50s retro, but she's just too nice to be evil. Manic happiness can work as a threatening bad guy, but any menace for her character is completely gone. Again, the problem isn't Julianne Moore, she tries her best, but she was given little to work with. Also if you were looking forward to Channing Tatum in this movie, you'll be dissapointed as he's barely in it. He gets axed off (he didn't die, but was poisoned and put in a cryo chamber) and I guess were supposed to care for him but he gets little proper development. Hell the Statesmen in general feel like an afterthought than a fleshed out idea.

Again this movie isn't bad. The action is still fun, there are some funny gags and scenes, and the returning cast (Firth, Egerton, and Strong) do a good job once again, and all the scenes with Elton John are pretty great, however there is little excitement to be had with this repeat of a movie. It's not bad, but there really isn't much to have me come back and watch it again. I can see some people enjoy this movie as it is watchable, but for me I think I'll just stick with the first movie.