Delivering a sequel that lives up to the reputation of its predecessor is a rare feat in Hollywood, but Kingsman: The Golden Circle appeared to have all of the ingredients to do just that. Not only was director Matthew Vaughn confirmed to return but the original writing team of Vaughn and Jane Goldman were also back on board, as were the core Kingsman cast, with exciting newcomers such as Channing Tatum joining the fun. Furthermore, it was announced that Colin Firth would be reprising his role as super-spy Harry Hart. Manners maketh man, indeed.Alas, reaction to this much-anticipated sequel has been notably less enthusiastic than that enjoyed by the original movie. While the first Kingsman was a quirky, modern slice of comedy-tinged British espionage that triumphed at the box office thanks to positive word of mouth, The Golden Circle has tellingly split fans and critics down the middle.It's worth stressing that in no way is Kingsman 2 a bad film. The action is fast-paced and intense, Taron Egerton is fantastic as protagonist Eggsy and Elton John's extended cameo is glorious but something is undoubtedly missing from the mixture. A certain spirit that made the original movie such an unexpected hit is no longer present, and, under further analysis, there are several other areas in which The Golden Circle falls victim to the dreaded "difficult second album" syndrome.
Going "Bigger"
All too often, sequels fall into the trap of believing everything from the first movie needs to be bigger, louder and more epic but this line of thinking rarely results in a superior film. Such is the case with Kingsman: The Golden Circle and nowhere is this more apparent than in the movie's many fight scenes. In an attempt to outdo the memorable and slick scraps of the original, Vaughn and co. have resorted to CGI magic to bring moments of craziness such as Eggsy's car door skid and Whiskey's "skipping rope" to life. Although these scenes are certainly not lacking in ambition, the punch and authenticity that made the church and pub fights from the original instant classics is sadly missing.
This mentality is also on display in Kingsman 2's use of gadgetry. The franchise's tech has always been firmly rooted in the more madcap realms of spy fiction - gunbrellas and exploding microchips, for instance - but The Golden Circle takes this concept to a whole new level. Poppy Adams' robot henchmen raise some smiles throughout but are poor substitutes for human baddies in the final battle and the Statesmen's headshot-plot-device-gel is simply too convenient. Such futuristic technology but a decent mine sweeper was clearly too much to ask for...
Kingsman's status as a spoof of the spy genre does give it more of a license to thrill when it comes to ridiculous gadgets but even the mighty James Bond had to reign things in after Die Another Day's infamous "invisible car" debacle and Kingsman 3 would benefit from doing the same.
The Villain
To be clear, Julianne Moore is wonderful as arch villain Poppy Adams, striking just the right balance between eccentricity and menace. However, her character is woefully short-changed and underused, especially when compared to Samuel L. Jackson's Richmond Valentine from the first Kingsman. While Valentine felt like a well fleshed-out main character, Poppy remains somewhat one-dimensional, her function purely to give Egerton and Firth someone to fight against.
This problem is typified by the character's lackluster death scene. After being infected with her own deadly virus, Poppy is given minutes to live unless she yields the vital password Eggsy and Harry need to save the world. She does so and promptly collapses to the floor without so much as a whimper, with Colin Firth muttering some half-hearted explanation as to why she died so prematurely.
That would be an anti-climactic demise for any villain but the fact Moore did so much good work beforehand, only to be disposed of literally the second she stopped being useful to the plot is a development that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
Repetition
Much of the original Kingsman's appeal can be attributed to the contrast of its two main story arcs: Eggsy's development as a person and a spy and the Kingsmen's efforts to stop the dastardly Richmond Valentine. However, with Eggsy a fully-fledged secret agent in Kingsman 2, that formula couldn't be repeated. Although a romantic sub-plot does allow the protagonist some additional development, the gap is mostly plugged by extra portions of adrenaline-pumping action and with the aforementioned CGI-heavy approach also an issue, this tactic quickly becomes repetitive.
The Golden Circle more or less abandons the first film's fine balance between character drama and thrilling spy action in favor of a more action-orientated (some might say mainstream) approach but frustratingly, there were a multitude of other potentially interesting areas to explore. An intriguing backstory for Channing Tatum's Tequila is hinted at but never explored. Instead, the character spends most of the movie unconscious. Likewise, Eggsy never truly acknowledges the fact he indirectly caused the downfall of Kingsmen by carelessly leaving a bionic arm lying about.
The Golden Circle also feels somewhat familiar for borrowing several narrative beats from its predecessor. Megalomaniac businessperson whose followers all have a distinctive physical mark on their bodies? Check. One of the good guys turns out to be working with the enemy? Check. Killing off the most likeable character? Sadly, check.
A Lack Of Simplicity
The original Kingsman benefited hugely from not being an overly convoluted affair but the same cannot be said for its sequel, particularly when it comes to Poppy's evil grand masterplan. The drug baroness infects her own narcotics supply with a virus to blackmail the U.S. President into legalizing drugs so that she can be recognized as the stellar businesswoman she is. Ignoring that she's effectively just sabotaged her own enterprise, it's also hard to escape the fact that since there are numerous public figures in the real world that genuinely advocate the legalization of drugs, this is hardly the most villainous of goals.
Perhaps realizing this, the plot throws an insane rogue President into the mix who is quite happy to see the world's drug users wiped out and this is what ultimately spurs the Kingsmen and Statesmen into action. It's an unnecessarily complicated scheme, especially compared to Richmond Valentine's plan from the first film which was beautifully effective in its simplicity. Unfortunately, this added complexity means that our friend Basil Exposition is alive and thriving throughout the movie, with several instance of information being blatantly spoon-fed to the audience.
Poppy's plan isn't the only element of The Golden Circle that could've used more focus. The subplot between Eggsy and his girlfriend Tilde is meant to demonstrate our protagonist's personal growth but the film provides no explanation as to why the couple eventually reconcile. Was it Tilde's near-death experience? Was it Eggsy's emotional voicemail message? Without knowing, it's difficult for the audience to become emotionally invested in the couple's story.
-
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is undoubtedly an entertaining spy action romp but unlike the original, it doesn't make a lasting impact or warrant repeat viewings. Reports of a 3 hour long director's cut could perhaps account for some or all of the above issues and one hopes that edition will eventually see the light of day. Nevertheless, a third movie looks highly probable and it'll be interesting to find out whether the magic and charm that initially endeared legions of movie fans across the globe to this unique franchise can be restored.
