Kingsman is a franchise created by director Matthew Vaughn, based on the comic-book series by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, and here's how we rank the first three Kingsman movies. The first comic, titled "The Secret Service" was released in 2012, which focused on street thug Gary "Eggsy" Unwin who is taken in by his uncle to train him as a superspy for the Kingsman organization. The comic was later rebranded "Kingsman" after the success of the first film, highlighting the title more prominently. Vaughn had previously adapted Millar's Kick-Ass into a feature and went to work on Kingsman: The Secret Service, writing a script with his frequent writing partner Jane Goldman. The film adaptation changed a number of elements from the comic, but still followed the basic premise, set-up, and overall concept, building out the world of the Kingsman for the big screen. Vaughn would then go on to direct the sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, as well as the newly-released prequel, The King's Man.
Millar is the prolific comic writer who had a long run at Marvel and DC before moving on to creator-owned books through Image comics with his Millarworld imprint. Millar wrote Marvel's Civil War, Old Man Logan, and was one of the architects of The Ultimates (aka The Avengers), all of which served as major inspiration for their film adaptations. Millar recently signed a deal with Netflix to develop several adaptations of his books, including the recently-canceled Jupiter's Legacy. Vaughn is the director of a number of stylish hits, including a number of comic-book adaptations. His vibrant, action-heavy lean with cheeky comedy is present in the majority of his films, from Layer Cake, Stardust, X-Men: First Class, and Kick-Ass (which will soon be rebooted), which translates exceptionally to the Kingsman franchise.
The series boosts an all-star cast across all three films, starting with the lead of the first two, Taron Egerton as Eggsy. Kingsman: The Secret Service served as Egerton's big acting break and launched him into stardom, while he had the benefit of working with veteran actors in supporting roles. Colin Firth plays well against type as Eggsy's uncle and mentor, Harry Hart, playing an action star for the first time in his career. Samuel L. Jackson and Sofia Boutella play the main villains of the first film, with Mark Strong, Michael Caine, and Mark Hamill also in attendance. The Golden Circle brought back Egerton and Firth, as well as Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Sir Elton John, Pedro Pascal, Bruce Greenwood, and Emily Watson. The latest film, The King's Man, a prequel to the first two, features a new cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Charles Dance, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew Goode, and Harris Dickinson, rounding out a strong franchise assemblage.
3. The King's Man
Vaughn's prequel to the first two films, The King's Man, is a mixed bag, as it's the most serious of the franchise, with a strong emotional disposition and far less humor. It attempts to recreate the hyperkinetic energy of the original films to varying degrees of success, but the inconsistent tone often makes it feel out of place, as The King's Man can't decide if it wants audiences to take it seriously or just have fun. Ralph Fiennes is the lead, Orlando Oxford, the founder of The Kingsman organization, who attempts to manipulate world events without resorting to violence, ultimately finding that his hand may be forced for lasting results. The film co-stars Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou, Harris Dickinson, Matthew Goode, and Rhys Ifans (as a deliciously fun version of Rasputin), who all pull their weight, but it's not enough to overcome the charm, style, action, and pacing of the previous entries, regardless of their star power.
2. Kingsman: The Golden Circle
The first sequel in the series, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, finds Eggsy now a full-fledged Kingsman facing issues of loss and commitment, while attempting to track down and stop a ruthless drug dealer (Julianne Moore) who blackmails the world after releasing a potently addictive drug. Eggsy, again played by Egerton, falls easily back into the role, once again aided by Mark Strong's no-nonsense Merlin, as they venture to America to team up with their Kingsman counterparts, The Statesman, which include Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Halle Berry, and Jeff Bridges, all doing their best Southern drawl. The action is just as over-the-top as the first film with Henry Jackman's signature themes working in the southern angle to great effect. The story is far more convoluted than The Secret Service and feels overstuffed with characters, but the return of Colin Firth's Harry and a wild final act make up for the frequently silly things (like an outrageous Elton John over-swearing in every scene) and brings back the energetic style that made the first film so fun, even if it can't quite surpass it.
1. Kingsman: The Secret Service
Vaughn takes the premise of Millar's comic and spins it into a true action/spy yarn with Kingmsan: The Secret Service, complete with crazy gadgets, colorful villains, enigmatic heroes, raunchy humor, and style to spare. Egerton's Eggsy is as charming as he is dangerous, making for a hero to root for that also has an edge. Firth's turn as Harry, a refined Kingsman agent, makes for some great genre-defying work for the actor, who goes against type as a Bond-like superspy. Samuel L. Jackson plays the villain-with-a-lisp with spirited goofiness, while Sofia Boutella's Gazelle makes for a great gimmick villain. The music, energy, and intense action make The Secret Service an exciting watch, especially when Harry takes down an entire church full of brainwashed baddies all by himself in a single take to Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird", creating of the the coolest action sequences ever put to film. Henry Jackman's score creates a solid signature Kingsman theme, which gives the film more weight as a franchise starter, which is handled deftly by Vaughn's manic vigor, making The Secret Service the best of the bunch.