Review of Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) by Connor S — 03 Dec 2017

I never actually saw the first Kingsman movie, but everyone I know who has enjoyed it. Still, I didn't really know what to expect, but it left me pleasantly surprised.

While most action movies these days use the action as a crutch, Kingsman turns it into an art form. The movie uses every visual trick in the book to enhance the fight scenes. It is especially fond of slow motion, which it uses at key moments to bedazzle and draw out the excitement. Even when things are calm, the visual effects are superb. The picture quality is bright and sharp, and the CGI is usually almost life-like. Another thing the movie does well is how it handles its characters. Many of them are more than just James Bond archetypes. A few even go through their own character arcs. Kingsman also isn't afraid to take risks with its cast. Unfortunately, though, much of the original characters get shafted in favor of the new American characters. At least the Americans provide plenty of material for jokes. The only glaring downside is the movie's length; it's about 2 and a half hours long. The same techniques that make the action so good also run the risk of making the movie seem formulaic and tedious. Even then, this movie's worth the price of admission, especially given everything else that was in theaters.