Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) User Reviews (828)

This Circle is not quite golden, but it doesn't collapse

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 22 September 2017]

Having really liked/love Matthew Vaughn's previous work, 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' was one of my favourites from him and was surprisingly brilliant, with only the somewhat tasteless ending disappointing. The follow-up and Vaughn's first sequel has enough of what 'Kingsman: The Secret Service' so good and is an entertaining film on its own but at the end of the day it feels like something is missing.

Like some have said already, 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle's' biggest flaw is the length, at nearly two and a half hours (much longer than the first film, which was just over two hours) it does feel too long by about 20-25 minutes or so and it does affect the pacing, which drags in place.

Especially when it tries to cram in a lot, not everything feels necessary and some of the narrative is on the flimsy and not quite as eventful side. For example Eggsy's excursion to Glastonbury did feel dragged out and didn't serve as much point to the story as it could have done. The first film had more content but wasn't bloated and everything served a point.

As enjoyable as the climax was, Poppy's defeat did feel anti-climactic, and Halle Berry is fairly wasted, as is Channing Tatum in what is essentially a pointless plot device role.

However, like 'Kingsman: The Secret Service', 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' has a huge amount to enjoy. It is stylishly and audaciously made, with slick visual effects, very imaginative camera work and editing in the action scenes and audacious production design, if just lacking the operatic grandeur of the first film in the action. Once again, the soundtrack is very groovy and catchy, but is careful not to be overbearing, it is far from one-note too and fits with everything going on very well.

Vaughn does well on the whole directing, particularly on the stylistic elements and making the action as fun as possible. He does struggle maintaining narrative momentum at times however. Very like the first film, he not just achieves the right balance of humour and violence (injecting much needed fun into a genre that has become increasingly serious over the years) and keeping the story absorbing, but but standing out in particular were how he properly allows the audience to properly take in what is happening in the action, without jumping around incoherently or being static, and the huge amount of work that he even puts into the little things.

Action-wise, 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' is fun, especially a nod to the original's bar brawl, the snow gun fight, the opening and the deliciously bonkers climax. At the same, nothing is in the same league as the unforgettable church scene and they lack the unflinching grimness. Here, when it comes to the script, nothing leaves a bad taste in the mouth, it is deliciously irreverent, sometimes raunchy, unrelentingly vulgar, at times, and very witty (like the culture-clash elements), with a plethora of laugh-out-loud funny moments. One does wish that the pacing was tighter and the story more consistently gripping.

Regarding the cast, they are top notch. Colin Firth returns and does a phenomenal job playing against type, Taron Egerton isn't quite as likable as in the original but one is engrossed enough in his journey (the Glastonbury excursion could easily have been trimmed) and Mark Strong has the ability to turn beneath-him material into gold and he is as charismatic as ever. Pedro Pascal has a Burt Reynolds vibe to him and it comes over affectionately and amusingly.

One has to credit Julianne Moore as an understated but played with relish villain and Jeff Bridges once again showing how fine an actor he is. Was pleasantly surprised by Elton John, appreciate him as a singer and his importance in rock 'n' roll but was admittedly expecting him to be a mugging disaster but he sends himself up to scene-stealing entertaining effect.

In conclusion, a fun if inferior sequel where one can see why it has garnered fairly mixed reviews but still better than given credit for. 7/10 Bethany Cox

More satirical spy action hijinks...

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 19 December 2022]

...in this follow up to the hit 2014 film from director and co-writer Matthew Vaughn. Taron Egerton stars as "Eggsy" aka Agent Galahad of the Kingsman Secret Service, a clandestine British intelligence group. After the Kingsman organization is decimated by a surprise attack, Eggsy and tech wiz Merlin (Mark Strong) head to the US to connect with the Statesman group, their American counterparts. Together they must find and defeat the Golden Circle, an international drug cartel headed by the chipper Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore).

While not rising to the high-spirited, manic fun of the first film, this is still worth a look for fans of fast-paced, comedic action films that don't take themselves seriously in the least. In many ways the plot and the villains are a rehash of the prior film, and while the Statesman characters have possibilities, they aren't fleshed out enough. The return of one character that very clearly died in the first film is something I won't go into, although the advertising made no attempt to hide his return. Elton John, as himself, has fun with his role as the unwilling prisoner of Moore's drug lord who's forced to perform his greatest hits on command. This film's centerpiece action sequence, set to John's "Saturday's Alright for Fighting", is well done, but fails to match the first film's Lynyrd Skynyrd "Free Bird" bloodbath.

Fun, but feels like the fifth film in a franchise struggling to maintain its relevancy, not the follow-up to what was perhaps the most promising new property in Hollywood.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 29 September 2017]

Read to the end to see my updated thoughts.

'Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)' is essentially all a big joke played on those who took umbrage at the few select sexualised moments from the final act of the first film, a joke whereby everything is consistently ramped up to eleven regardless of its negative impact on the story. This standoffish move is meant to further separate the apparent 'critics' from the so-called 'fans', yet it only successfully provides both categories with a much worse experience. While I and many other 'fans' didn't mind (or at least excused) the passive, clearly satirical crude jests and occasional absurdity of the original picture, we certainly didn't want a follow-up based entirely around what would obviously be considered the weakest aspects of that piece - elements which were only mitigated by the joyous fun found in the brilliance of its subtle yet witty satire and its surprisingly well-developed characters. These pieces of the puzzle are now missing. Though this picture is, at times, passively entertaining, what we're left with is a fairly by-the-numbers 'save the world' plot and a string of odd action set-pieces seemingly incompetently put together. There's abhorrent use of rampant speed ramping that makes things literally look like someone hit the fast-forward button, and haphazardly stitched-together short takes that are supposed to make some sequences look like one fluid shot but instead make them look like cheap cartoons. In his quest to ignore the naysayers, Vaughn disappointingly squanders all of the good will he had built with his predecessor and bizarrely wipes the slate clean relatively early on, wasting time setting up a less interesting new set of characters instead of working with the better characters already expertly established at the end of the prior title. He also reintroduces a previously dead character (seen in the trailers), after making him an amnesiac no less, in a move that should be reserved only for a waning franchise at least five films in that's struggling to maintain its relevancy, not for what was once perhaps the most promising new property in Hollywood.

After revisiting this recently, I can safely say that it's far more fun than I originally gave it credit for. Perhaps it's because my expectations were on the floor, but I really enjoyed the film this time around. Its narrative issues are still present but somehow far less bothersome, while its action is actually really well-achieved for the most part. It leans into its ridiculousness and knows exactly what it is. It's actually a lot of fun. I guess I have to eat the words of my original review (which I'll leave above for posterity's sake), but I gladly will; after all, who doesn't want to enjoy a movie? 7/10.

SILLY SEQUEL: Here are the 10 Top Reasons to watch this crap:

[Dr_Sagan · 26 November 2017]

SILLY SEQUEL: Here are the 10 Top Reasons to go and watch this crap:

(1). You want to see 5 Oscar winning people to the lowest point of their career.

(2). You want to hear Elton John saying constantly "F-ck You".

(3). You want to see a girl telling to a guy that she wants to pee on her.

(4). You want to see 2 people turn to ground meat.

(5). You want to see a man eating a hamburger made from human meat.

(6). You are enjoying lame green screen effects and CGI.

(7). You want to see another spy plot based on a deadly virus.

(8). You are enjoying silly, kindergarten jokes.

(9). You want to experience first hand the "Curse of the Sequels".

(10). You like fake butterflies.

Anyway, despite the (manipulated by the studio?) 7.2 here in IMDb, the consensus is that this movie is terrible.

It has nothing to do with the original, and is just a generic and forgettable action movie, that should probably wait to see on TV, next year.

Entertaining, but never quite reaches the heights of its predecessor

[adamonIMDb · 7/10 · 20 September 2017]

'Kingsman: The Golden Circle' has everything fans of the first film could have possibly wanted and more. Action, humour and special effects are all in abundance and visually it's very impressive. The plot is decent, especially for a sequel, but it never quite reaches the same level as the first film. The British/American theme works well though and there are some very funny cultural jokes and references.

As someone who loved the first 'Kingsman', I'm pleased that the sequel didn't disappoint. It remains true to everything that made the first film such a success, including taking some big risks and thinking out of the box. The end result is an imperfect and at times messy film, but a rewarding and highly entertaining one nonetheless. 'The Golden Circle' is much better than expected but just not quite on the same level as the first film.

Not As Good As The Original But Still Entertaining

[garethvk · 7/10 · 20 September 2017]

Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is back in action for the ultra-secret Kingsman in the new film "Kingsman: The Golden Cirlce". The film opens with a fantastic action and chase sequence through the London streets and shows a franticly paced mix of action and humor.

The film then shifts into setup mode and the next hour or so is very light on action and instead focuses on Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong), dealing with a devastating attack on the Kingsman from a drug dealer called Poppy (Julianne Moore), who runs her empire with a ruthless and manic style from a 50s themed lair complete with robotic guards and a retro diner and theater.

Poppy runs an organization called The Golden Circle and she has unleashed a devastating plague on the world in an attempt to force the U.S. President to legalize all drugs which would allow her unlimited power and money to further her global agenda.

With their ranks depleted, Eggsy and Merlin head to the states to enlist the help if their U.S. counterparts, the Statesman who while at first reluctant, soon accept the two into their confidence and plan a mission to end the threat Poppy presents once and for all. Of course complications arise for Eggsy such as his girlfriend and her parents as well as the revelation that Harry (Colin Firth) is alive but suffering amnesia and thus having no memory of his past life and skills in the service of the Kingsman.

One would think that with this setup and cast including the arrivals of Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, and Halle Berry, the film would be a slam dunk to surpass the original. Sadly this is not the case. Writer/Director Matthew Vaughn has opted for a film that has a very large gap of it related to setup and exposition. The film opens and concludes with a nice action sequence, but there is really not much in between to get the adrenaline rush going. The original film had the fantastic church sequence that became one of the most talked about moments of the film and sadly the sequel offers nothing nearly as memorable. The other issue is that the villain is not nearly as memorable nor interesting as Samuel L. Jackson was to say nothing of his sword footed henchman from the original.

There are some amusing moments in the film but It seems that the new cast was not used to their full potential and that the large gaps of the film that lacked any action was a real setback especially with how well the film opened.

In the end the film is an enjoyable but flawed effort that fails to live up to the original but does manage to offer some decent entertainment for those who set realistic expectations.

Good sequel but strange decisions.

[bijsterboschjaap · 7/10 · 21 September 2017]

The first Kingsman was very good and the second part didn't disappoint either. The action and effects were comparable with the first movie but think the story of the second movie was not that good. The movie had a nice pace of action from start to end and the acting was very good.

In the first movie Samual L. Jackson was outstanding as the bad guy but think this movie lacked someone like that.

Enjoyable, but lost the charm of the original

[Darryl_Lazakar01 · 7/10 · 23 September 2017]

Kingsman: The Secret Service is one of the surprise hit of 2015. It's unexpectedly good, with great humor, acting, action, and chemistry with other actors. So when director Matthew Vaughn decides to do a follow-up, I was pretty excited to see Eggsy and co. kicking ass once again. Being dubbed as a "proper" spy movie, the movie has since build a lot of excitement, but does it lived up to the hype?

The answer, is a simple no.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is indeed enjoyable, but it has plenty of flaws that makes the movie fail to deliver it's promise as a "proper" spy movie.

To start, everyone did very well in delivering their roles. Taron Egerton once again stole women's hearts as the likable Eggsy. Colin Firth returns as Harry Hart and his reintroduction is actually made sense imo, and he did a great job portraying him. Mark Strong did a great job as Merlin. Hally Berry, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Pedro Pascal also did a great job, though I'll admit that Channing Tatum's character is just a simple plot device. Julianne Moore as Poppy, though not menacing, also did a very good job. The biggest surprise is Elton John. He's the "Joker" in the movie, and he did very well.

The action scenes were over-the-top, sometimes idiotic, but very enjoyable, though this brings to one of my cons. The cinematography is fantastic it's very well shot, though the action scenes has plenty of angle cuts, and the editing was also great.

But, as stated before, the flaws in the movie makes the movie fail to meet our expectations. Most of this is because the terrible marketing campaign, that reveals some of the twists and turns of the movie that should have worked (even Matthew Vaughn agrees). The CGI is mostly used to blend several cuts into seemingly one single shot, and despite it actually worked in the first movie, it failed here because the transition is so noticeable. The action scenes were also over- stylized, featuring more slow-fast- zoom camera-work that again, worked on the first, but failed here because it's overused. There's also a sex scene that I felt out of place, and it's most likely brings a lot of controversy. A character (nope, not Tatum's) in this movie is also very bad in terms of her character because it serves nothing but motivation for Eggsy to save the world again, and the worst part, is that this character is not even a important character in the first movie, but she has more screen time than some of the main characters from the first movie and even the new characters as well.

(SPOILER ALERT. not really, but if you think it was, there you go) Also, the movie takes a unnecessary and questionable move by killing not one, but TWO main characters from the first movie (three, if you include another memorable thing from the first movie), in which one felt very unnecessary, and the other felt like the character has to die.

Overall, the movie is entertaining, indeed. But the movie lost it's charm, and just nowhere near as good as the first one. For casual moviegoers, this is an enjoyable movie, but for a Kingsman fan like me, it's disappointing.

Final Score: 7/10

Not as good as the first one, but still a very enjoyable action spy flick

[exilexx · 8/10 · 20 September 2017]

I found the golden circle to be a bit too cliché in some parts, and the antagonist's role to be somewhat forced. There was plenty of good action and humor though with awesome references to the first movie. For anyone considering watching this who hasn't seen the first part, please make sure you see it first so you're much more "in" on what's happening with this one.

Fun and entertaining sequel

[lynseylinzlu · 7/10 · 20 September 2017]

Like many others I'm sure, I went into Kingsman 2 apprehensively.As a massive fan of the first I was concerned that like many other sequels, it would disappoint.I left entertained and pleasantly surprised HOWEVER it is not without its flaws .

The story briefly- Eggsy (a brilliant again Taron Egerton)and Merlin have to team up with the American Kingsman 'The Statesmen' to get to the bottom of a virus being spread by Poppy, our films 'bad guy' played by a wonderfully evil Julianne Moore. There are some twists and turns along the way (the trailers already spoil the surprise return of Harry Hart but I will not give details of how this happens)some of which you wont expect (others are pretty obvious but more on that in a minute!)

What I liked- For me it was great to revisit loved characters from the first and there are some interesting new characters. It is a fun film that is very reflective of the fact it is comic book material.It entertains with some great OTT action sequences and some real laugh out loud moments.The acting is strong and this helps to carry the story which somewhat engages. What will surprise many (as it did me) is the emotion to the film. It delivers some real emotionally charged moments and one scene delivers a particularly powerful gut punch.

Where it does fall down-as already mentioned the story isn't the strongest and at points falls apart from too many players and some obvious plot twists.This creates a longer run time than the film can carry so it does lag at points. A good 20 minutes shorter would have made for a higher rating from myself. The action scenes whilst great also are very apparently CGI heavy which might bother some. It also does that cheeky thing of selling on some certain big stars which whilst this wasn't a particular draw for me, it might disappoint some to find they are actually only in the film for a few short scenes (those who see it will get exactly who I am talking about!!) To me it is comparable to Guardians of the Galaxy 2- some great moments that make you glad you decided to return, but it doesn't quite deliver on the story. That being said I would still recommend Kingsman 2 and would revisit this film again in the future as well as hope for a further installment.

Great cast, pretty awful movie

[dziemke · 4/10 · 21 October 2017]

I hated to see such great actors coming together in a pretty bad movie. The plot was silly and some of the characters were overdone and equally silly (Poppy). The Elton cameo was good for the first scene then was way over done. So many things wrong after a pretty good first movie. Please don't make another one.

A solid follow-up to the 2015 film

[MrDHWong · 8/10 · 21 September 2017]

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is the sequel to the 2015 film Kingsman: The Secret Service. Once again directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men First Class), it is a solid sequel that contains just as much enjoyment and humour as its predecessor.

One year after the events of the first film, the Kingsman's spy headquarters is fatally attacked by an unknown entity. With most of the organisation now dead, the surviving agents Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and his trainer Merlin (Mark Strong) travel abroad to team up with Statesman, their American counterparts, in an effort to bring this mysterious new enemy to justice and save the world once again.

Featuring the same ridiculously over-the-top action and unique British charm, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a worthy follow-up to the 2015 film. Matthew Vaughn's slick, fast- paced direction showcases his talent for cleverly choreographed fight scenes and quirky comic relief, which few other directors would be able to replicate successfully. I am hopeful that he returns to direct the third installment. However, similar to Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.2, the film does lack some of the freshness and surprise that was in the original, plus its runtime of 141 minutes does make it drag at times. The cast of characters, both new and old, lend themselves to some highly entertaining situations, including a hilarious performance from Elton John playing a fictionalised version of himself. The real stand-out, though, was Julianne Moore as the film's villain. It's so rare to see her play such an evil character so effectively and so much fun to watch, considering her reputation for usually playing likable roles.

I rate it 8/10

Sequel tries to recapture lightning of original, gets lesser but still fun product

[regula1 · 7/10 · 21 September 2017]

This movie feels familiar, and on two counts it is.

The Golden Circle is the sequel to the unexpected success story Kingsman: The Secret Service, which was a humorous satire of spy movie tropes with serious undertones mixed in. It knew when to be serious and when to be so serious it was funny. That, combined with some excellent cinematography, made The Secret Service a thoroughly enjoyable film.

The Golden Circle has all of these things as well, but while still fun it just comes off feeling like a lesser imitation of the original.

Which is where the second count of familiarity comes in: 2017 had another one of these sequels repeat the same formula with lesser results, namely Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Curiously, both original films (Kingsman: The Secret Service and Guardians of the Galaxy) premiered in 2014 with both sequels coming out this year.

Now, that's not to say that Guardians Vol. 2 wasn't fun, and The Golden Circle has plenty of fun as well.

The film finds the Kingsman on the receiving end of a ruthless Julianne Moore as Poppy, a leader of a drug cartel who wants all drugs to be legalized. Her leverage: her drugs will kill all of its users, of which there are hundreds of millions worldwide. With the Kingsmen's UK resources destroyed, it's up to Taron Egerton's Eggsy and Mark Strong's Merlin to team up with the Statesmen, the US intelligence service featuring Jeff Bridges's Champ, Channing Tatum's Tequila, and Halle Berry's Ginger Ale.

There are fast-paced, well-shot action scenes throughout, as with the original Kingsman, the standout being the taxi chase at the beginning. The dialogue is fun, but it hits a few sour notes along the way, especially in its parodying of a certain political figure which comes off as ham-fisted and forced.

The pacing of this film is a problem. At 2 hours 21 minutes, it definitely feels too long, especially when there are one too many big set pieces that feel like they should be the stage for the finale but end up being not.

Finally, there's a right way and a wrong way to do callbacks to the previous film in a sequel. It's OK to be overt, as long as it's balanced with other, more subtle references as well. Unfortunately, The Golden Circle tends to pound you over the head with callbacks, including literally splicing in footage from the first film in reference to characters who are supposed to be important, but for the life of me you can't possibly remember where they popped up in the first film unless you watch it right before seeing this one.

Overall, I would say that there is nothing truly objectionable about this film (although throwing in lots of F-Bombs doesn't automatically equal comedy), but this film may just serve as a reminder of a much more solid film that came before it rather than standing on its own merits.

Lame, Forced comedy fills this instantly forgettable sequel

[franciswaterson · 3/10 · 24 September 2017]

Why is it that so many fun, inspired originals are followed by such lame, poorly written (and juvenile) sequels?

The first one was a hugely entertaining spy flick with some comedy in it to be sure, but this one puts the accent on the comedy, and is impossible to take seriously whatsoever. This would not have really been an issue if it was genuinely funny; but instead of wit and clever wordplay, we are 'treated' to an abundance of uninspired, vulgar and childish humour. Elton John repeatedly dropping the F-Bomb (Please, don't go on), a attractive woman asking someone to urinate on her (I can't stop laughing), or an old man stating that he has just soiled himself (Stop, my sides are hurting). Actually, my head hurt after sitting through 141 minutes of this. (Well over half an hour too long). I recommend waiting for Netflix.

Awful. Truly Awful.

[risky-41422 · 6/10 · 16 September 2018]

First movie was great fun, this one is utterly awful. Rubbish plot, don't get me started with the implantation scene at Glastonbury - wtf? Stupid film, terrible characters and I can't believe I watched it. Do not waste your time.

Decent enough action film but lacking punch from it's original.

[Safcinexile · 7/10 · 20 September 2017]

Firstly let me say, you know what you going in to see so don't expect any Oscar performances but still decent enough sequel, although I think they must have decided to play it safe and toned down the violence and swearing that made it's predecessor successful.

The cast knew what they were doing and appeared to play everything tongue in cheek, rather than take it too seriously by the looks of things, which probably made it more enjoyable to watch.

A few laugh out loud moments, especially from, surprisingly, Elton John's kick-arse scene and a scene involving a heart racing snow lift escape, agents in distress and an elderly gentleman's bowel movement!

My main plus was Julianne Moore, she probably was surprise package of the movie, for me her role as the protagonist was perfect, not as over the top as Samuel L Jackson, more understated and less in your face, which for me worked better. Shame her death was a bit anti-climatic.

Story itself was by the numbers and there were a couple of plot holes and ending predictable but if you switch off your brain and just enjoy the movie for what it is, then it's worth watching.

Will be nice to if we get to see more of The Statesmen if they decide to make another film (which is more than likely) hope Matthew Vaughan would behind the scenes again if they do and possibly improve some this sequel flaws.

Manners.. maketh... man

The Most Fun I Have Had in a Long Time

[robin-walton98 · 7/10 · 20 September 2017]

This film is simply pure entertainment. Mathew Vaughn has made another great movie. It begins just as the last film ends with an impressive if not opportunistic car chase in the Taxi throughout London ending with Eggsy swimming through the London sewers all so that he can see his mates in Camden one last time and set the drug fuelled story of this film rolling.

This film doesn't bring anything new in terms of plot direction or a developed baddie with meaningful motivations but these aren't what made Kingsman: The Secret Service great and they sure aren't what made this great either.

It's brilliant because the script did not lose its unique British vernacular that set the first film apart from so many other spy comedies. It's still a British film dominated by British acting, I was surprised how little Channing Tatum was in it given how prevalent he was in the trailer, and in fact takes small pops at America throughout. This film will only hold out as long as America can laugh at its stupid stereotypes, which are meant to be funny for all, like us Bits have to in most Blockbuster movies.

Granted the CGI was glaringly obvious throughout the film and was slightly painful in certain scenes, but it allowed the film to create these brilliantly imagined and engaging action scenes in which the first film based it success and word of mouth upon. Without it, the action scenes would be gun fights like we have seen hundreds of times before. Although there is no scene on the same level as the church scene in the first film, the Diner scene at the end does come close with Pedro Pascal's "skipping rope" as a weapon adding something new and slightly sickening as he cuts through one Italian guard like a hot knife would through butter.

Finally, this being a year for big failed celebrity cameos in movie and TV (Ed Sheeran in GOT and David Beckham in King Arthur in particular), Elton John in this film is hilarious and plays a much bigger role than I expected, which I was all for seeing just how funny he was with the scene of him and Colin Firth killing the Robot Dog being my personal favourite.

If you take this movie too seriously with some again comparing it to 007, you will be disappointed as of course it's not going to have the same class or sophistication as Fleming's novels. That is what makes it different as it does not try to copy that or make a mockery of it either. The Kingsman films now stand on their own.

Crazy, over-the-top and fun

[tom-43722 · 7/10 · 30 September 2017]

It's clear that Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Elton John and Julianne Moore were all having the time of their lives filming this. The movie's over-the-top style, which did well at capturing the spirit of the first film, allowed them all to have fun with their characters. However, when a more serious scene presented itself, like when Merlin had to sacrifice himself or when Harry revealed that he had felt like he was leaving nothing behind when Valentine shot him in the previous film, they still brought the heart and emotional weight needed to convey what the characters were going through. From a character standpoint, my favourite scene was when Eggsy managed to remind Harry of who he was. That was a very touching scene that brought a smile to my face and showed that, while this film is mostly just meant to be an over-the-top action comedy, it still knew when to tone it down and allow us to appreciate the bonds between the characters.

I thought bringing Colin Firth back was a bit risky since Harry got shot in the head in the first film but their explanation for the healing of his head wound, although rushed, was at least brought back again later rather than just shoved into the film for convenience and then abandoned. Too bad it was applied to one of the films villains. What did slightly bother me about Harry's resurrection is how and why Halle Berry's character (by the way, that woman looks damn good for her age) even found and bothered to bring him back in the first place. But overall, it doesn't matter. Colin Firth brought back the dashing Kingsman agent but added a layer of vulnerability to him that we didn't see in the previous film.

Julianne Moore, another woman who is aging well, is mostly known for her skills as a dramatic actress but this movie showed that she can also be balls to the wall psychotic. Poppy Adams was a complete psychopath who could do terrible things with a smile on her face and was clearly having tremendous fun being the villain. I also liked the jab they made to corrupt politicians with the scumbag president.

Overall, this is a good sequel. Not perfect but clearly the performers were enjoying themselves so it's easy to enjoy it along with them.

Just as good as the First!

[ross_the_red-854-939314 · 8/10 · 21 September 2017]

After seeing the trailers for the sequel, I was worried that it would not be able to hold a candle to the first film, which I thought was superb. The long running time also had me slightly concerned.

As it turned out, there was no need to worry, as I really enjoyed the film. Time flew by and the story line kept me hooked the whole way through! Eggsy is a brilliant character and is for me personally, the star of the show, with Merlin coming a close second. Elton John's cameo was also brilliant and provided much laughter.

If you looking for a film that will keep you entertained, provide plenty of action and a barrel of laughs then give this a go.

Definitely Not As Good As The Original But Still Really Fun

[TheJediWay9 · 7/10 · 20 September 2017]

"Kingsman: The Golden Circle" is the sequel to the 2015's surprisingly good hit action film "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and brings the cast back to take down former drug cartel leader Poppy who has attacked the Kingsman headquarters and they need to investigate her scheme to prevent a virus from spreading across the world.

I really loved the first film. It was unique, original, and just damn fun. Matthew Vaughn really has that knack. I went in with great expectations for the sequel and walked out really liking it, though I didn't love it.

From a technical standpoint this film looks amazing. Matthew Vaughn can craft great action sequences and film them with a hand-held camera where everything remains in plain sight. His special effects and visual effects teams are spot on in handling such scenes, and the set design is also really cool, especially the headquarters for the Statesman.

The acting is also really good. Colin Firth, Taron Edgerton, Mark Strong, Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, and even Halle Berry who I don't even like as an actress turn in really good performances. You can tell they are all having fun with their roles which they should because it's a ridiculous action movie, and I think that really let some of the weaker links like Berry to shine. Julianne Moore is also an actress I don't like, and I did think she was overselling her performance a bit.

My problem with the movie has nothing to do with the technical aspects like direction, camera work, acting, editing, or visual effects. What it really boils down to is the writing and how some story elements are handled.

For instance, it feels like this film is trying way to hard to harken back to what made the original so great without coming up with any fresh ideas of its own. This movie takes everything everyone loved about the first one, puts it in this movie, and makes it bigger by trying to be better. Yeah, it is bigger...but bigger does mean better. An example of this is towards the end of the film when there is an action scene that is trying to replicate the church scene from the first one, except the scale of the action scene in this one is bigger. There were a lot of scenes like that in here and I don't think Vaughn really thought of how to make things better while still being bigger. The villain was also kind of a drag. It was just Samuel L Jackson from the first one, but instead of him it's Julianne Moore. Her overall plan just comes across as ranging from silly and ridiculous to pretentious and overstuffed. That's where the film really falters and at times it does have some pacing issues especially towards the second act. There's some stuff with Elton John that both works and doesn't work, and that switches up the pacing at times.

Like I said, there is nothing wrong technically with this movie. I just think it needed some rewrites particularly with its villain and its story.

Overall I am going to give "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" a B.

For a more in depth analysis of the film you can check out my review of the film on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tooIzhvdbmM

What a disappointment

[moviesmq · 1/10 · 19 October 2017]

I loved the first Kingsman movie. It was full of action, fun, jokes and the actors did a great job. I came into this movie theater hoping to delight myself with a sequel that would at least match the first installment. As soon as the first scene came on the screen, I knew I had been fooled and it would end up being some of the most dreadful 2 hours in my movies watching history! I was right. This movie might have some actions but every moment is "telephoned" long in advance. The story is absolutely stupid. I wish it would be possible to request a full refund when a movie is that bad and that each refund is counted towards its overall success/failure. It is not fair that people are getting paid with my money receiving millions of dollars for such a poor performance. The day this option becomes possible we might finally see some serious work being done in the movie industry!

Kingsman The Golden Circle: How is this stuff so good?

[Platypuschow · 8/10 · 11 May 2018]

Going into the first movie I assumed the worst, with a spate of similiar dreadful films I expected the absolute pits. A movie about a chav piece of trash becoming a secret agent? Riiiiight.

Yet somehow, someway it worked. From it's fantastic supporting cast including Colin Firth and the excellent Mark Strong to the script to the hyper energetic over the top action sequences.

I almost hated myself for enjoying it so much and going into The Golden Circle I kind of hoped it would fail, instead it excelled and even beat it's predecessor.

With the same cast plus the additions of Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry and the entirely awful Channing Tatum the movie knocks it out of the park once again with the same formula (Now with 50% less chaviness).

Our hero now takes on the evil drug baroness Julianne Moore and features lots of cameos including Elton John and Keith Allen. Robot dogs, laser lassos, killer dance drugs, all the same level of over the top'ness remain and it all works so very well.

I don't want to like this franchise, I shake my fist in the air and curse to give it such a high rating again but Kingsman is pure gold.

The Good:

Great cast (Not you Tatum)

Well written

Great action sequences

The Bad:

Channing Tatum

Still chavvy

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Elton John needs to stick to singing

Headshots are easily fixed with clingfilm

Not as surprising as the original but The Golden Circle still offers a wild ride

[eddie_baggins · 6/10 · 21 September 2017]

The release of Kingsman: The Secret Service in 2014 surprised us all.

Based on a relatively obscure comic book series, Matthew Vaughan's ultra-violent and wickedly depraved action comedy was a breath of fresh air for cinema-goers with its inventively over the top action, larger than life characters and unique approach to its genre sparking glowing audience reactions and a box-office haul north of $400 million dollars.

With audiences clambering for more Kingsman action, Vaughan and his team return for the Golden Circle, a sequel that doesn't sully the name of the original but one that also feels rather bloated in parts and loses the element of surprise that made the first Kingsman such an unexpectedly wild ride.

Clocking in at roughly 140 minutes, Golden Circle sees Taron Egerton's Eggsy and Mark Strong's Merlin make a trip to the USA in search of their sister-agency The Statesman, after their British safe houses are destroyed by Julianne Moore's lunatic drug baron Poppy.

Recruiting newcomers Pedro Pascal, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry and the Texan-drawl slinging Jeff Bridges along with the returning Colin Firth, The Golden Circle freshens things up in a cast sense but keeps the formula very much the same, as the two agencies look to uncover the truth behind Poppy's nefarious plans to hold the world hostage via a deadly drug strand.

The most glaringly obvious thing about Golden Circle and the return to this crazy world is the fact it's nowhere near as funny The Secret Service.

It's not to say there aren't laughs in Golden Circle (and a particularly long winded pop star cameo); they can often be found in circumstances and situations that shouldn't be humorous which is a staple of Vaughan's works, but it doesn't balance the act of action and comedy as well as Vaughan's first Kingsman ride.

At well over the two hour mark, those expecting a bullet-a-minute action extravaganza as well will be a little disappointed. Things start out with a bang with a thrilling car chase and there are sporadically scattered action scenes throughout but those expecting a finale as eye popping as the first film or even a scene that matches it with famous church fight from the original will be left disappointed.

It's possible we were just spoilt by Vaughan's first foray into the Kingsman universe as the ability for the film to remove itself from reality yet remain grounded around robot dogs and dancing drug addled victims with glaring blue veins is quiet the feat, while Vaughan's handiwork when the action kicks up is second-to-none, and even though the film could've chopped a further 30 minutes in the editing suite, it's hard not to enjoy a frenetic finale in a bizarre 50's Americana setting while seeing renowned actors like Julianne Moore having such fun with their roles makes sure Golden Circle is always a cut-above even when its flirting the line of losing itself within its self-created whirlpool of colour and insanity.

Final Say –

Ticking all the Kingsman boxes that fans of the original will be seeking to check off, The Golden Circle may not provide on the same level of the first film but anyone that loved Eggsy's debut in the high body count adventure will enjoy this new trip, while those that weren't fans should stay very far away from this freshly minted exercise in the hyper-real and super energized spy caper.

3 freshly cooked burgers out of 5

Long, Boring and Overrated

[claudio_carvalho · 3/10 · 2 December 2017]

"Kingsman: The Golden Circle" is a long, boring and overrated film. The story is silly and the jokes are unfunny, wasting a cast with famous names and countless cameos. This spoof of 007 and other agent movies never works since it is too violent for a comedy and too dumb to be taken as a serious espionage movie. The good thing is that the viewer can take a nap along the boredom and will not miss anything. The lead couple has no chemistry and the romance is also terrible. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Kingsman: O Círculo Dourado" ("Kingsman: The Golden Circle")

A feel good comedy spy film with lots of adventures

[Gordon-11 · 21 September 2017]

This film tells the story of a group of private secret agents, who have to find out and destroy a plot to kill millions of people through poisoned illegal drugs.

"Kingsman: The Golden Circle" is really everything. It is bloody and violent, but funnily enough these events actually induce laughs. The wonderful gadgets they have are reminiscent of James Bond, but in this film it's just more stylish, an a hint of outrageousness that makes it hilarious and adrenaline pumping at the same time. The lead characters are charismatic and very handsome. They look super smart in their suits. The fights are really cool, very choreographed to the point of getting me amazed by what I see in the screen. It's got many big names too, and even Elton John who provides much comic relief. In short, I enjoyed every second of this film. It's a blockbuster that has everything to please the crowd.