The hype was real for the highly anticipated sequel to 2014’s surprise hit Kingsman: The Secret Service. Loosely based on characters from the British comic series Kingsman, written by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, Golden Circle picks up not more than a few years after the first film with Eggsy (Taron Egerton) as a full-fledged Kingsman spy. After the death of his mentor, Harry Hart, (Colin Firth) in the first film, Eggsy inherited Hart’s title of Agent Galahad, following almost exactly in his footsteps. Golden Circle, however, does not follow in the exact footsteps of its predecessor and instead deals with Eggsy coming to terms with the complete obliteration of the Kingsman agency and where to go from there.
Secret Service was a self-reflexive commentary on the spy genre (mainly James Bond) that was entertaining, action-packed, funny, inventive, and full of references to other spy films. Golden Circle is an entertaining, action-packed, funny extravaganza of a sequel that built upon the world established in the first film and deepened the characters’ relationships with each other, though it did suffer from a few missed opportunities. Golden Circle lacks the surprise and self-reflexiveness that made Secret Service such a surprisingly delightful watch, though the political commentary is still present.
Contrary to stoic playboy James Bond, Eggsy struggles to contain his emotions throughout the entire film, is committed and honest to his girlfriend, and allows himself to build ties with the people around him. Golden Circle reminds us that spies are people too, even if they’re people who use ridiculously useful gadgets and kill a heck of a lot of people.
Like the last film, there’s over-the-top gore, action scenes full of tracking shots and slow-motion, great character chemistry, an eccentric villain, and a tight script, with the addition of various American actors who are all great in their respective roles. Julianne Moore in particular does a great job as antagonist Poppy Adams, though her character remains isolated throughout most of the movie. Had she had the chance to interact more with the protagonists, she could have outshone everyone.
Golden Circle also introduced several Americans through the U.S. Kingsman counterpart: the Statesman. Among these agents were the highly underused Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, and Halle Berry. Tatum in particular was marketed heavily in the trailers, but lacked the implied screen time, which was disappointing, as what I saw of him was promising.
Both Firth and Egerton reprise their roles and are just as convincing as they were the first time. Mark Strong was a stand-out as Merlin, the Kingsman’s tech support.
One thing I really loved about the film were the action sequences. Well-choreographed, well-timed, and well-shot with long takes and tracking shots, Golden Circle bedazzles the viewer with captivating spectacle that matches, if not surpasses, that of the first film. Utilizing weapons like lassos and whips, Golden Circle creates inventive fight scenes and impressive feats that stun and awe.
Some parts of the film did seem a tad over-the-top, but that might be the point. It was so ridiculous that it was funny. At a lengthy two hours and 21 minutes, Golden Circle surprisingly does not feel the weight of its run time. Instead, it keeps your attention through plot, character, and undeniably cool action sequences. It even manages to feel like a superhero movie at times.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a stellar sequel and a potentially great standalone. If you liked the first one, chances are you’ll like the second one.
