Directed By Matthew Vaughn

Starring – Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans

The Plot – In the early years of the 20th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against a cabal plotting a war to wipe out millions.

Rated R for sequences of strong and bloody violence, adult language, and some sexual material

The King’s Man | Official Red Band Trailer | 20th Century Studios – YouTube

POSITIVES

While very little about this third installment of the franchise remains faithfully familiar to the integrity of the product, the thrilling set pieces from Vaughn once again inspire with breathtaking exhilaration. Vaughn’s personal distinction amongst the herd affords him an exaggerated emphasis in his action sequences that cements a balance of fluid camera movements and smooth, free-flowing choreography that are every bit as brunt and unforgiving, as they are introspectively immersive. When the action takes center stage, this film is at the peak of its capabilities, especially with the benefit of many diverse sets and geographic settings painting an abundance of compromising positions inside of the heft of its World War I stakes and circumstances. Speaking of which, the production design paints an authentically believable pallet of imagery in the form of the colorful textures of Ben Davis’ grainy cinematography, as well as the masterful threads of the wardrobe and costume design, which both flourish with them something unique and particular to the series that has never been attempted. The styles themselves eliciting three-piece suits and button-up gowns are meaningful enough, but the influence of wartime threads, especially in those of the Central Powers, are downright exceptional, proving not only that Vaughn has done his homework in channeling such a distinct time period, but also that the luster of the lens doesn’t go unfulfilled, despite “The King’s Man” supplanting the cheapest budget of the entire franchise. Finally, the cast themselves are charming and endearing, despite a majority of which working against the hinderances of minimal-to-no characterization. Fiennes is the exception in this instance, sifting through an abundance of emotions as a result of an arc that supplants many unpredictable instances. The charm and sophistication of his typical demeanor is certainly at play, but the interior struggle of a pacifist existing in a violently disparaging world is all the more compelling, cementing what is certainly his best work since “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. The indistinguishable Rhys Ifans is also a breath of fresh air, chewing up the scenery and the characters with a complete lack of disregard, while supplanting the single greatest Bond villain that never was, as a result of an egregious-but-endearing personality stemming from the embodiment of evil.

NEGATIVES

How could a series with this much excitement and adrenaline feel so dryly dull by the third act of its trilogy? It starts with a disjointed screenplay that feels like as many as three films are fighting for the attention of one focus, with each of them lacking the kind of momentum or synergy at prescribing something compelling for the benefit of the audience. This not only brings with it several sharp contrasts of tonal inconsistency, made even more jarring by the film’s inability to ever reach the ones channeled during the first two films, but also supplants with it pocketed moments of boredom as a result of the inability to indulge in arc’s that literally disappear from the narrative for twenty to thirty minutes at a time, without warning. Scenes of borderline slapstick humor in the physicality of fight sequences are transitioned to scenes of loss and overwhelming grief, creating an inconsistency that undercuts the effectiveness of each, while confusing audiences with the sharp spontaneity of scenes that don’t necessarily feel edited to complement one another. Speaking of confusion, I often struggled at even distinguishing how this was a Kingsman story to begin with. Sure, there are a couple of scenes that take place at the familiar tailor store, but if those are edited out of the film like they could be quite easily, without losing anything, would the film still feel like a Kingsman movie? For my money, I was hoping for more of a linear link to the characters and world-building of the world we previously fell head over heels with. Failure to do so only makes this film feel like an entirely different movie all together, and one that was rewritten drastically to include Kingsman as a point of emphasis in the dynamic. It’s also terribly traumatic that we’re given very little time and exposition to grow with these characters. This is most reflective on Honsou’s Shola and Arterton’s Polly, whom each feel like enormously missed opportunities in fleshing out the humanity of two characters with such a visceral vulgarity in the gifts they continuously elicit. Being such a fan of Arterton, I was unfortunately disappointed that I never truly learned anything about her character outside of her physicality, resulting in a complete lack of investment towards hers and others well-being, which in turn underscores the stakes and heft of the conflict all together.

OVERALL

The ambitious, strange, and overstuffed “King’s Man” periodically contains some of the magic woven into it that made its predecessors a revolutionary force in action cinema. With stunning direction from the always exciting Vaughn, the film should be better than it actually is. Unfortunately, a stitched together script, minimal characterization, and lack of chemistry within the connective tissue of the lore makes for a jarring experiment with the timeline, and one I’m sure I won’t be revisiting any time soon.

My Grade: 4/10 or D