Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) Movie Review

Official Kingsman: The Golden Circle Poster

Our favorite umbrella-wielding, international crime-fighting ultra-secret organization is back! And with it, you get a splashy, irreverent and cartoonish sequel to 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service (click here to read our take on the first movie). Once you get your hands on a ticket you need to hold on tight, because you are in for one hell of a ride!

Official Kingsman Promotional Banner

The Golden Circle feels authentic, volatile and explosive, and all thanks to Matthew Vaughn, who retains directorial duties from the first film. His style of filmmaking is all there: ranging from the awe-inspiring camerawork on the action sequences to the very sharp and tongue-in-cheek dialogue exchanges. The movie kicks in and we are following Eggsy (Taron Egerton), as he leaves the Kingsman tailor shop, only then to be asked to go for a ride, by Charlie (Edward Holcroft), a former Kingsman recruit gone rogue. It won’t be a nice ride, I’m afraid…

Still of Taron Egerton as Eggsy while shooting Kingsman

Moments later, I am witnessing a frenetic car-chase sequence through the streets of London, with highly stylish music playing on the background. Needlessly to say, the signature camera moves are set in motion, with every punch thrown and every tire burnt. This opening scene reminded me how much I had enjoyed the first film, capturing the essence of the franchise. However, in order to maintain a franchise fresh, you need to shake things up and revamp the whole structure, if needed. And that is exactly what is done here.

Are you team Kingsman or team Statesman?

The Kingsman headquarters are quick to get blown up by drug cartel leader, Poppy. Julianne Moore portrays Poppy in a ridiculously over the top way but, somehow, it works. She is wacky and ruthless, eager to earn herself a position on the political stage; she feels like it is her time to shine. Remember when Valentine had Gazelle helping him, in the first movie? Well, Poppy has two robot dogs and an army of loyal henchman (she also kidnapped a very famous singer who basically has an extended cameo and I believe chewed up a lot of unnecessary screen time).

Still of new baddie Poppy, played by Julianne Moore

Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong), the remaining British agents, follow protocol and eventually meet their agency’s American counterpart, the Statesman. The Statesman, administrated by Champagne (a shaved Jeff Bridges), has monumental resources, due to the profit coming from the alcohol business. You may have guessed it by now, but they have special codenames, much like the Kingsman. We have Agent Tequila, played by Channing Tatum, Officer Ginger Ale (Halle Berry) and Agent Whiskey, brought to life by Narcos’ star, Pedro Pascal.

Amazing outfits worn by Taron Egerton, Colin Firth and Pedro Pascal

I felt like Tequila was vastly under-utilized, contrary to what was being pictured on the trailers, and Ginger Ale brought nothing new to the table, despite Berry’s decent performance. Agent Whiskey, on the other hand, ended up being one of the most fleshed out characters of the bunch with his gun-wielding and lasso-whipping sequences. Pascal is flawless, once again. Speaking of the trailers, we all knew that Colin Firth would be back, but the question was: how could they pull it off? 

Weapon of choice? An umbrella, of course! 

Well, without entering spoiler territory, I can say that the explanation given to the audience is actually satisfying and it works within the universe the filmmakers created. Colin shows us a more fragile side to Harry, giving us a vulnerable performance, but by no means weak. Quite the opposite; his portrayal of the character provides us with the tension needed for us to continue emotionally invested in these characters.

Edward Holcroft and Taron Egerton going at it

The soundtrack is louder this time, with some bold song choices fitting the scenes like a glove. Also worthy of mention is the costume design, which is stellar and spot on. Unfortunately, not everything is gold-plated. The film suffers from pacing issues, mainly during the second act where some scenes tend to drag. I believe the film would have been slicker and better overall, had it cut about 10 minutes of its running time.

Still of Pedro Pascal shooting the snowy troops

Kingsman: The Golden Circle works and establishes itself as a solid action flick, living up to the original’s freshness. Filled with references and creativity while also tying up loose ends, the film packs quite the punch! What a way to end this summer’s blockbuster era. Looking forward to a possible third entry in this gadget-based franchise.

With that being said, I rate this movie with a B+. What about you? Have you seen Kingsman: The Golden Circle? Make sure you jump into the comments’ section down below and leave your thoughts.