ON HER MAJESTY'S SECOND-CHOICE SERVICE

The darling of the action genre only a few years ago, the “Kingsman” franchise returns once more to deliver a frantic, graphic and comic twist on the traditional spy movie. It’s a shame this latest mission relies on all the same gadgets as it’s last one.

“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is the 2017 sequel to the 2014 blockbuster that returning director Matthew Vaughn flexed his penchant for gratuitous violence and the crude realities of international espionage. In this film, he exhibits all the fantastic elements of the original; incredibly well coordinated stunts, cheeky wit and vibrant characters with unique kinks. However, there’s hardly anything new. What made the first film a spark amongst a sluggish genre is replicated here with little creativity, or go so far to take itself too seriously (which should prove impossible).

We are immediately thrust into the quintessential unbridled action sequences of Kingsman from the first scene. Our chav-turned-spy hero Eggsy (Egerton) is forced to deal with a blast from the past on top of a dinner with his girlfriend’s parents. The use of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” is quite meta at this point, setting the tone for the rest of the film, a loud, blaring piece of work that quite figuratively assaults the senses. And almost too suddenly, the Kingsman agency Britain-wide is decimated. It’s quite a violent shift in pacing that sees the loss of secondary, yet notable, characters without so much of a hint of foreplay. While that may just be the swagger of the ‘Kingsman’ franchise, it does set a precedent as the film wears on. The re-introduction of perennially classic characters such as Merlin (Strong) and Hilde (Alström) make for some of the films better moments between actors. Strong in particular excels in his slightly-more involved role this time around, bringing dry humour and a sense of presence to all his scenes. What the film lacks though is the welcome aura of Galahad/Harry (Firth), who’s trailer-spoiled re-appearance to the sequel is a somewhat confusing experience. With some back-tracking and exposition we learn how he survived a headshot, but it’s not until he recovers from his amnesia near the last third or so that the chemistry that worked so well in 2014 returns to this installment.

It’s difficult to critique across the vast ensemble that this sequel has produced. The American counterpart of Statesman is a predictably brash foil to the classy Kingsman agency, and much is it’s cohort. The use of talented actors such as Tatum and Bridges is wasted here, much in favour of involvement in a third film, but nonetheless a slight shame. A focus on the tech-savvy Ginger Ale (Berry) shows that her acting has not elevated as much as hoped, yet still a decent showing amongst a wide and talented group. Much of the focus however is on Agent Whiskey (Pascal) who brings some of his infectious and trademark charm to the role, albeit a character that is probably given too much weighting in terms of screen-time. The film’s villain however, cartel matriarch Poppy (Moore) feels like the true victim here, lacking both genuine charisma and narrative that even the seemingly weak Samuel L Jackson enjoyed in the previous movie. Her character proves quite unlikeable and engineers a plot slightly less engaging than what we were entertained with in 2014. It proves another uber-talented cast member perhaps going to waste.

But while the film’s action sequences, English wit and subversion of spy tropes continues to entertain, there are still some underlying shortcomings. This film suffers from some serious pacing issues, with movement through set-pieces and storylines working as frantically as the on-screen action. With a noticeable lull in the film’s middle, as well as over-bloated run-time of 141 (!) minutes, sustaining the sense of intense fun and frenzy proves too much for the work. There are a lot of refreshing twists on archetypal action film, from Presidents not-giving-a-F to inventive preparations of a classic burger, yet the originality that made the original so great is a serious lacking aspect.

Come for the thrills. Stay for the exceedingly-long run-time. Enjoy the absolutely bombastic Elton John cameo.