After the success of Kingsman and its sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, director Matthew Vaughn returns to the spy-adventure series in this prequel. However, it lacks the charisma of series lead Taron Egerton and the working class resonance which made the films so rewarding in the first place.
★★✰✰✰
The King’s Man is the long-awaited prequel to the Kingsman franchise. It might not the highest priority for one to see among recent releases, but it proves to be an exhilarating spy film—if only for Vaughn’s unique direction of action sequences, the plethora of interesting characters and a cheeky smattering of political intrigue. Set during the First World War following the creation of the titular spy organisation and the introduction of the family that started it all (the Oxfords), the film tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Kingsman interference in the political power plays that led to the outbreak of WW1. As the original films often surrounded a life-or-death situation, the thread is continued, but this time within a historical setting.
Introducing us to a new era within the franchise, this adaption is innovative whilst carrying an air of familiarity that entices new and old audiences alike. As a genre-blending prequel, Hollywood stars like Ralph Fiennes, Djimon Hounsou and Gemma Arterton join up-and-coming actors like Harris Dickinson to produce an immersive journey that focuses on themes of familial love and the effects of world conflict. Dickinson performed the role of a young aristocrat attempting to assert himself under the decisive, overly protective Orlando (Ralph Fiennes) with skill. Dickinson’s performance remains stoic enough to embody the son of an aristocrat, yet emotional and dare-devil enough to be a youngster that spurred such action within Orlando.
It is clear the Oxfords, although representing the roots of Kingsman, cannot appeal to the masses the way protagonist Eggsy in Kingsman did. After all, he was a working class boy in an aristocratic world, and although the Oxfords are sympathetic, they’re not quite as lovable as Taron Egerton was in the first two films. However, The King’s Man is filled with much more diverting plots than just a aristocratic father-and-son, mainly the beginnings of the First World War and the politics that come with it. The building intensity brought by Conrad’s desire to fight for his country, the consistent nods to a ‘masked’ villain, and the heavy presence of monarchical and government structures in conflict mesh to create an intriguing, if overly-bloated plot.
However, the heaviness of the plot made the messaging disjointed, even coming across a bit dated with the subtle glorification of fighting for ones’ country, despite that being in aid of the plot. It may look visually impressive, but it felt more pro-war in the characters’ delight in meddling with international affairs rather than the anti-war sentiment it was attempting to convey with its throwaway mention of the Red Cross.
Vaughn brought his distinct directorial style. Like the iconic fight scene in Kingsman, with Colin Firth decisively engaging in bloody-warfare with church-goers in a fast-paced montage, the wackiness continued in The King’s Man. With inclusions such as a niche breed of goat that lives on a sheer cliff face, the mysterious ‘masked’ villain throughout, and a futuristic underground code-cracking facility, the strangeness complimented the realness of the horrors and death of war—with those sacrificed for the sake of political machinations orchestrated by those in power.
The film fell short with the depiction of its side characters, choosing to focus on a multitude of villains and creating a plot that was oversaturated rather than complex.
Replacing the likeability of Taron Egerton’s character Eggsy proved a hard task. Had Djimon Hounsou and Gemma Arterton’s been utilised, The King’s Man would have held the same spark that was captured in the original Kingsmen. Yet, Gemma Arterton’s Polly acts as another example of the stereotypical representation of women in the mother/love interest role. Unlike the intimidation and awe Julianne Moore’s villainous portrayal brought to life in The Kingsman: The Secret Circle, Polly is a codebreaker, but one confined as a nanny with romantic feelings for her employer—something you would expect in Downtown Abbey, not part of an action-spy franchise. Along with the severely underutilised Djimon Hounsou who plays Shola, it seemed the film fell short with the depiction of its side characters, choosing to focus on a multitude of villains and creating a plot that was oversaturated rather than complex.
The talented Tom Hollander plays three warring cousins; a comical and successful add-on to an extensive filmography (yet it is clear his role in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest remains his most notable villainous portrayal). He aided in disrupting the usual calm and impenetrable representation of the monarchy, a pleasing dynamic in a film that likes to play with expectations and tropes. The spy film villain is Scottish and not Russian (shocking!). The King’s Man is filled with other famous faces: Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, Daniel Brühl to name a few, along with an extremely odd depiction of Rasputin by Rhys Ifans, one likely intended to be comical rather than disturbing.
Fans of Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging and The Devil Wears Prada will be thrilled to see appearances from the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Stanley Tucci. A sequel was likely intended to explore these minor characters, one that could redeem the less favourable parts of this film.
In a genre full of a lot of realism, horror and perhaps some idealistic endings, it is nice to see those mixtures transformed into a truly fun visual experience for a spy film. Vaughn’s use of close-up action shots and dramatic close-combat sequences ensured this. With a predictable reveal, an oddly sexual element and underutilised characters, it left a lot to be desired.
The Verdict
The King’s Man delivers on the action front, drawing connections with the original films. Vaughn’s directorial style shines in this action-packed, quirky venture into the politics of WW1 and the invention of the Kingsmen. Yet the mixed messaging leaves the film as a weaker entry in the franchise.
Words by Annabel Smith
The King’s Man is now showing in cinemas.
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.