Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

I always find it supremely interesting how sometimes, fans of a particular film or burgeoning franchise, immediately christen a forthcoming sequel as good or bad, without even seeing a trailer or hearing any particular plot details. It’s something that I’m as guilty of as well, and I know that I make those pre-judgments based upon how that first film turned out. Because usually the proof is in the pudding. If the movie did just enough cash to warrant a sequel, or it was always planned to have them and the first entry in the saga is mediocre at best, how on earth can we expect it to be worth our while going forward?
 
But when the opening chapter is downright incredible, to the point where you watch the movie multiple times in theaters because you’re hungry for more, then you know deep down in your bones that you’ve witnessed something special and that part two is going to completely and utterly be worth your time and that’s precisely how I felt shortly after it was announced that Kingsman: The Secret Service was going to get a sequel. Because Matthew Vaughn’s first Kingsman film was breathtaking and refreshing and I didn’t see how a sequel could fail in the slightest. But sadly, I was unable to get to the theater in time to see the second chapter of this saga, but thankfully there is the wonder of cable and HBO and thanks to that partnership I was finally able to see if Kingsman: The Golden Circle lived up to the hype I’d built up for it in my mind.
 
As it turns out, it most certainly did, and this is hands down a delightful sequel through and through because it gets a great many things right. First and foremost, I love the fact that everything that happens here feels like a natural progression from the first film. For often times sequels love to reinvent the wheel and try to revolutionize a franchise to blow the fans away. But here, there’s growth for Eggsy, who has clearly settled into his role as a Kingsman and relishes in his new life and he’s confident as a hero now and that confidence is of course put to the test by an evil drug lord named Poppy, who wants the Kingsman out of the way in order to grow her evil empire and well, that’s where things get interesting.

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​Because in many ways, this movie is The Empire Strikes Back of the Kingsman saga since we see the ancient organization disappear from the face of the earth, forcing Eggsy and Merlin to team up with their American counterparts, Statesman, and this is where Eggsy continues to grow and shine. For now he’s without the safety of what he knows, and he’s put to the test in ways he never imagined and this really is the darkest hour for what’s left of Kingsman and I love the fact that the movie went bold like this and gave us a villain ten times worse than Valentine, which is scary in its own right and the wonder of this movie doesn’t quite end with its surprisingly bleak nature. Because this film also features quite the treat by bringing Harry Hart back from the dead, and even that has depth to it.
 
Which is why I’m such a fan of this sequel, because everything has meaning and purpose in this story, which isn’t always something you find in a sequel, and even the elements that continue along from The Secret Service are important and relevant to this story making this sequel a beautifully woven tapestry that gives the audience everything they loved about the first film, all while taking the audience to new heights when it comes to the characters we love. But sadly…the film also finds ways to break our hearts since we do bid farewell to some beloved characters in this tale, something that I had a feeling was going to happen since it’s a darker story, but I was simply unprepared for how this went down, to the point where John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ now breaks my heart every time I hear it.
 
But, all of that aside, the fun and adventure present in the first film is here as well, and by adding America into the mix, we are treated to some incredibly colorful characters in this film since the Statesman are quirky and hilarious and this film also confirms that Elton John is a genuine badass and Julianne Moore is simply a terrifying delight as Poppy, and well…if you couldn’t tell just yet, I absolutely loved this movie. and I’m definitely kicking myself in the pants for not seeing it in theaters right away, because I could have enjoyed the wonder of this story a whole lot sooner. And if this is the potential ending for the saga, as the finale of this film implies, what a way to go out and I’ll be revisiting this film and its predecessor often, now that they’re both in my collection… 

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