For a movie that redefined spy movies, Kingsman: The Secret Service, turned me into a fan in a snap of a finger. It was stylish, quirky, and action-packed. It is also the reason for my high expectations for its sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle. 

Matthew Vaughn returns to direct the much-anticipated sequel to the 2015 hit movie. Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, and Mark Strong return as the core of the suited secret organization. Julianne Moore joins in as the enigmatic and charming villain Poppy Adams. Kingsman has been operating for quite a while now and it’s no surprise that they raised a roster of enemies. One of which took the entire organization down.
Through the discovery of a secret protocol, the remaining member- Eggsy and Merlin- flew all the way to Kentucky in the United States to work with their “cousins”, the Statesman.

The American Cousins

Champagne (Jeff Bridges) leads the Statesman, a cowboy-hat-trotting counterpart of the Kingsman. Tequila (Channing Tatum) fell victim into the effects of Poppy’s multi-drug mix, affecting the initial plan to work alongside Eggsy to stop Poppy’s evil plan. Whiskey (Pedro Pascal) partnered with him instead in the quest. The addition of this organization was a smart move in expanding the story’s universe. The script painted their stark difference with the Kingsman in terms of fashion, attitude, and even motivations.

The Secret Service has the intolerant to blood Valentine (Samuel L Jackson) and The Golden Circle brings in Moore as the underrated drug head, Poppy. Poppy’s screen presence shone all throughout. Behind her innocent charm and sweet smile is a sinister woman who’ll show no qualms about throwing people down a meat grinder. And yes, keeping Sir Elton John a hostage makes her extra villainous.

Of humor and shocks

Every Matthew Vaughn fan knows that he does not hold back on gore and slight subversive humor. The Golden Circle kept the tradition alive- from human patty to vaginal trackers. Other viewers will no doubt be repulsed by it but it can also be one of those ‘Damn, you did not!” moments. The humor in the sequel is still spot-on while its greatest development is in the action sequences. The first movie introduced us with a cool choreography and stunning cinematography of the action. The sequel, however, took all of that and doubled up the fun and adrenaline.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a worthy sequel to its successful 2015 movie. It is funny. The action scenes are breathtaking and the story is strikingly relevant. It is too relevant that it hits too close to home.

Comments