Eversince a Kingsman sequel was decided, I was kind of looking forward to that, because the first Kingsman movie, The Secret Service, made quite an impression on me.
Though my enthusiasm was initially dampened because “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” got dismal reviews online, I did manage to have a good time watching it.
You have got to admit that the entire movie was built on a rather dubious story line. Warning, major spoilers ahead, but I guess that’s fine because I always do movie review long after the movie start showing on the theaters =P
Dubious Point 1: Eggsy and Tilde’s Relationship
I really didn’t expect that Eggsy and Princess Tilde’s relationship would continue.
I thought the depiction of Eggsy’s getting some after “saving the world” in the end of the first movie was completely unnecessary and kind of tasteless.
Now that it actually made a plot in the second movie, it still feels more like a filler than the actual direction of the movie. You know, like when Rachel first dated Joey in “Friends”, we all thought it was only going to last 2 episodes max, but it turned out to be quite serious and long lasting.
Dubious Point 2: Poppy Adams the Drug Dealer
I didn’t understand why the Villain, Poppy the drug dealer queen, should live all isolated in the middle of nowhere. Is that true in real life? As far as I know (not that I know a lot),drug dealers live well in the middle of normal neighborhoods. In fact, the more successful of them always have other business as a cover and live even somewhat respectfully. If Richmond Valentine, the first movie villain from the first movie could in fact led a double life like that, why can’t Poppy?
The introduction scene to Poppy’s character near the beginning of the story using meat grinder reminded me to why I ultimately deemed the first Kingsman movie “vulgar and cheap” after the lively first two third. It was really grotesque, and regretfully, it seems to be the trademark of this movie. Cheap, over the top gory or carnal scenes treated with a bit of playfulness seem to be what makes Kingsman, Kingsman. The only redeeming thing was at the end, the meat grinder once again played a role, so it wasn’t entirely meaningless.
Dubious Point 3: Eggsy’s hook up with Clara
I was going to say, why a resourceful Secret Service like Kingsman can be so easily annihilated, but that goes without saying, so, moving on.
In order to track Poppy down, Eggsy had to seduced Charlie Hesketh’s girlfriend, Clara. Statesman Agent, Whiskey, tried first with wretched result.
That is understandable, but why must Clara fell for Eggsy, when she has a hot ass boyfriend like Charlie? (If we were about to go back, why must Tilde fell for Eggsy? What has Eggsy specifically done to charm her so? But, moving on). All Eggsy did was mentioning about their spirit animals and Clara switched to the aggressive side just like that.
In the end Eggsy had more trouble in trying to turn down her over enthusiastic advance than in wooing her.
Dubious Point 4: Harry Hart, The Return of
An important character came back from death was quite cliche at the first place. I know many fans were really hoping for Harry’s comeback, so the producer really just did their job fulfilling the market’s wish. But if you really need to bring him back, did you really need to kill him at the first place?
But I’d give a plus point for ”Alpha Gel”, which is claimed to be the substance that saved Harry’s live and repair his brain. It sounded very much like bullshit at the beginning, but the bullshitness level went down a little when it also served to give some preliminary insight to why Agent Whiskey opposed the free vaccine distribution, and why Harry was right in shooting him down.
Still related to the return of Harry, is it really, REALLY necessary to kill Roxy and Merlin? I feel their characters still have so much potentials, and I’m really not ready for the death of the two of them. Will they just disappear for this installment, then return in the next movie (if any)? I very much like the idea of Roxy and Merlin returning, but after Harry returned, it would be just too ridiculous if you bring back other two characters from death.
What made The Golden Circle Enjoyable Overall
The action scenes were good, not incredible or something, but good enough. I just couldn’t help to think that in the first scene where Eggsy fought failed-Kingsman-candidate-turned-bad Charlie Hesketh inside a car, the fast paced punches and dodges were very similar to old fashioned kungfu fight in narrow space scenes.
I do think this kind of fight choreography can be very riveting, and wouldn’t get old in the face of CG created scene because of the different niche. But if Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s movies have been creating this kind of breathless fight since waaaay before, of course newer movies need to be better and more creative each time. Kingsman didn’t bring it to the next level, but enough to spice things up.
Some dialogues were pretty witty (as in funny), though I doubt younger audience would get the “Country Road” reference, or feel for it as much as intended.
I also enjoyed the British feel of the movie. I said it before, but Kingsman gives taste like Enid Blyton’s stories made to silver screen with modern package, and I liked it.
The emotional conflicts were also depicted well, though it was super weird to see Harry as a helpless old man instead of his usual capable self.
Score: 7/10
Lastly, I’m not the first to comment on this and I hope someday this would be heeded. But 21 cineplex chain did little to nothing to make sure the age restriction is in force.
The movie can be rated NC-17 and irresponsible parents could still bring their underage kids to watch it.
This caught my attention now and then when I go to the movie theater, but last time there are three elementary school age kids sat in the seats right next to me, with their parents sat on their other side.
As I watched the meat grinder scene, and then, more so in the Glastonbury scene where Eggsy was forced to pleasure Clara, the lines “What the hell? Why are the parents okay with their kids watching this? Won’t this be normalized inside their little heads and they think it’s okay to act out these kind of things outside the movies??” kept replaying on my head.
If our country can force e-money as the only payment method in every toll gate, 21 Cineplex and other movie theater chains certainly can instruct their staff to filter underage audience at every theater entry.
In October, there is just one more movie I particularly look forward to watch, “Happy Death Day” which trailer was shown before “Kingsman” started.
I was busy in September, because there was a company event, but I also had a revelation that I was the shortest member in our department!
I thought I was taller than a couple of them but group picture certainly shows otherwise.
Anyway, photo session is always a lot of fun.
I also went to Ghibli Exhibition at Pacific Place Mall. I have a couple ideas to write about it in more details, but now, it is enough to say that “Spirited Away” is still my number one Ghibli movie and one of my favorite movies of all time.
I guess the nostalgic value and the circumstance in which I watched it will forever make “Spirited Away” irreplaceable, but I hope someday I’ll find a Ghibli movie that I adore just as much, if not more.
peachflowerblooming 