Thursday, March 28, 2024

Movie Review: ‘The King’s Man’ Still Exists And It Was Worth The Wait


Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writers: Matthew Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, and Rhys Ifans

Synopsis: In the early years of the 20th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against a cabal plotting a war to wipe out millions.

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Yes, you read the headline correctly. This is a review of the long-awaited The King’s Man. Say goodbye to the sleepless nights and the constant delays (six to be exact). All is well with the world, and another crazy adventure with the kingsman awaits. Fans have been patiently waiting nearly 25 months for the next chapter of the Kingsman franchise to hit the silver screen, and rightfully so. I have to be honest, after the previous entry into the franchise, I was a bit worried. And the fact that this title kept pushing farther and farther away from a concrete release date made it seem like this film would have gone straight to store shelves. But thankfully, 21st-Century Fox stuck to their guns. And it was worth the wait. 

The King’s Man is the type of movie that finds its footing in the latter half of the film. As this is serving as a prequel to the previous Kingsman films, I think it tells a well-founded story for the franchise. There is a great deal of lore to explore within this story as well as character building. The movie does a great job of world building and conveying to the audience who is who on screen. It seems like the narrative should be easy to follow along. However, the film has a horrible pacing issue within the first act and a half of the story. As much as I appreciated the world building and characters; the pacing felt disorganized and jumbled. I knew who these characters were but the setup for what’s to come was nerve-wracking and I almost lost interest. Luckily that feeling passed towards the last half of the film.  

 I like to think of this as the first semester back from school after a summer break. Things are messy and cluttered when the year kicks off. But then second semester rolls around and you have found your sense of belonging and routine to finish out the year. The second half of this movie was everything I’ve always wanted out of this franchise. It had heart, laughter and was riddled with easter eggs for hardcore fans to recognize. 

When the film finally found its footing, The King’s Man stuck to it. The camera work during the action scenes were enjoyable as well as the soundtrack that accompanied it. I never thought I would consider Ralph Fiennes in an action-type role, but he delivers on all fronts. His dialogue and the backstory of his characters made me enjoy this film that much more. His charismatic and stern attitude provided amazing chemistry along with Djimon Hounsou, Gemma Arterton, and Harris Dickinson.

Action scenes are the number one attribute to any good Kingsman film and this one delivers on all fronts. It’s quick, witty, and overall a good time. It might seem outlandish at times but it’s always good to remember this franchise is based on a comic book written by Mark Millar. So it only makes sense that we would get some quirky and unorthodox fighting styles. The action isn’t what you would call relatable or realistic, but hey it works. 

The King’s Man might be my favorite of the franchise, thus far. Despite its pacing issues in the first part of the film, there are true high points. There is a lot to be said about characters and the journey they take and, because of this, it is a prequel done correctly. The film does a good job of subverting expectations and delivers a few twists that I never saw coming. It delivers high-class action and witty British banter that will keep you engaged throughout this expedition. Ralph Fiennes steals the show and displays an excellent performance. The post-credit scene is up to interpretation, but I would love to have more adventures with The Kingsman agency. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait too long for another installment!

Grade: C+

 

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