Bigger! Better! Bolder! Those are the three words that I would use to describe Kingsman: The Golden Circle. How do you watch Elton John kill a man with a piano and not think “That’s an awesome movie.” Directed by Matthew Vaughn a director who specializes in violence, Kingsman: The Golden Circle delivers an outstanding sequel to the 2014 hit Kingsman: The Secret Service, and a worthy installment in what looks to be a violent trilogy.
The movie starts off how you start off any action spy movie: A car chase. Eggsy, the main character, is walking out of Kingsman Tailors, fixing his tie, only to see his old rival Charlie walking down the street. The only criticism I have for this movie comes from this scene. It was just too damn loud. I recommend anyone who has sensitive hearing should cover their ears during this opening car chase.
Everything back at the Kingsman HQ seems to be going well. Until: BOOM! A rocket hits Kingsman and everything is destroyed. This leads Eggsy and Merlin to find The Statesmen, the American counterpart to Kingsman. At Statesmen, we begin to meet the agents, who are all named strangely after different types of drinks. There is Agent Tequila (Channing Tatum), Agent Whisky (Pedro Pascal), Agent Ginger Ale (Halle Berry), and the head of the pack, Agent “Champ” Champagne (Jeff Bridges).
It is revealed at the Statesmen that Harry, or should I say one-eyed Harry, is alive. The whole Statesmen do a great job at really opening us to the bigger world of Kingsman, and helps expand the creativity which Kingsman is undoubtedly known for. This is especially evident in the new weapons, which include an electric lasso, a metal-detecting bat, and a baseball grenade.
With S.L Jackson gone, the role of antagonist goes to Poppy Adams, a psychopathic criminal played amazingly by Julianne Moore. Poppy is the head of a criminal organization called The Golden Circle, who sells drugs around the world. While having the demeanor of a classic entrepreneur, Poppy is shown to be very merciless and is not hesitant to kill one of her own if they don’t have anymore use. Most importantly, she does so with a big cheesy smile.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is an action-packed movie that keeps the thrills going to the end. Be sure to check it out soon!