Kingsman: The Golden Circle

If you thought Kingsman: The Secret Service was a bit over-the-top, and you liked that aspect of it, you’ll be happy to know that things were just getting started with Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation of the Mark Millar/Dave Gibbons graphic novel The Secret Service. Kingsman: The Golden Circle is an example of a sequel pulling out all of the stops, going into severe overkill mode, and holding together quite nicely to deliver a fun time for those who like their movies a little nasty. It’s too long at 141 minutes, and a pug dies, but the action snaps with expert precision, and the cast kicks ass. That cast includes Taron Egerton as Eggsy, Harry Hart’s (Colin Firth) young recruit from the first film. The Kingsman, an underground, sharply dressed spy agency in England, remains in operation after the death of Harry, who took a bullet to the head in the first chapter. Eggsy has settled down with a royal girlfriend (Hanna Alstrom), and has segued comfortably into the life of a secret agent. Then, as things often go when you’re just starting to enjoy your job, things start sucking badly as missiles destroy Kingsman headquarters and strongholds, leaving behind only Eggsy and techy Merlin (Mark Strong). Eggsy and Merlin wind up in America, where they meet the Statesman, secret agent allies doing a similar spying service for the U.S.A. The task force includes Tequila (Channing Tatum), Ginger (Halle Berry) and Champ (Jeff Bridges). Harry, despite apparently dying in the first film, makes a comeback, and the movie is better for it.