User Review

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