Review of Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) by Thequietgamer — 01 Mar 2018

A case of sequelitis can't keep a good Kingsman down, but it can prevent him from reaching previously attained heights. Matthew Vaugh manages to add even more absurd elements on top of the ones already instilled by it's predecessor whilst simultaneously expanding the world of private intelligence services. While the shear ridiculousness can be quite funny and at times makes for a riotous experience, it doesn't make up for the lack of the original's kinetic, spectacular action. With the exception of Pedro Pascal gunning down henchman in Italy, there's nothing that matches even the earliest bar fight scene in the first Kingsman and a lot of the potential excitement over what is here gets robbed by the appearance of too much CGI. That's the real disappointment with The Golden Circle, but one can't help noticing that the writing isn't as sharp either.

Eggsy's latest mission to save the world feels a little too by the numbers. Julianne Moore does her best as the film's main villain, but ultimately goes underutilized. Her character lacks presence in the plot and that causes her to feel much less threatening than Samuel Jackson did in the original. I appreciate all of the returning faces though. Even the ones that don't make sense (I'm looking at you Colin Firth). I loved the inclusion of Hanna Alström in a larger role here. It's a pretty cool move that makes the Kingsman a spy movie series where the women are more than just conquests meant to disappear and be replaced from film to film. It also makes Eggsy feel a little more honorable and a whole lot more likable as a result. I was surprised by just how much I had grown to love the characters. It's The Golden Circle's surprise strength and will undoubtedly be what keeps the franchise going in spite of already diminishing returns.

Moving to the U.S. and introducing viewers to the Statesman does just enough to keep this sequel afloat. It's still plenty funny and there are one or two really exciting action sequences unlike anything else out there. It's just lacking the original's freshness and creativity even in it's most inventive scenarios. Kingsman 3 will really need to step up it's game across the board, but I can still say that The Golden Circle is a good movie. It's got a charming cast, gonzo technology, insanity around every corner, and Elton John himself. It's kind of hard to not have fun with it.