The King's Man

If all those amazing visual ideas, the surprisingly resolved situations and the sweetly over-the-top humour were wrapped in something called a meaningful plot and not a twisted alternate reality pulled out of someone’s ass like from the pen of a drunken Vondruška, I'd be happy. Give Vaughn the next Bond movie, really, the guy's got it. (04/01/2022)

If the script of the third Kingsman was a bit better than horrible, it could have been a solid ride, because Vaughn is able to reflect the contemporary political situation through his specific craft, he wittily alternates recent history and is not afraid to use subtle and daring humour and a distinctive directorial style to appeal to a wide range of audiences. In this respect, it’s perfect, but we want more from a film like this than ironed-out visuals with a plethora of familiar faces in the breakneck action scenes, which are good and some even fantastic. (05/04/2022)

Somehow it just isn’t what it used to be. Setting it in the World War I gave it a more earthy feel, but Vaughn just isn’t trying as hard anymore. While the first part was overflowing with visual finesse and sly jabs, this movie is mostly serious. But the story has a couple of interesting twists and hats off to the respect for historical events, but if it weren’t for Rasputin, there would be nothing to praise. And of course we know how the Great War ended up and it’s unreasonable to expect the opposite from Tarantino here. (02/15/2022)

Matthew Vaughn is, in a word, a unique director! His films are instantly recognizable from miles away; his style is that distinct. I welcomed the return to the First World War era with open arms, as films set in this historical period aren't very common. From an acting perspective, I have no complaints—Fiennes in the lead role is brilliant. I admit that the style of jumping between locations in the story doesn’t always work, but for the most part, it doesn’t detract from the overall experience. The individual scenes are perfect, whether it’s the mythical Siberian figure Rasputin (played flawlessly by Rhys Ifans) or the luxuriously shot action, especially the trench scene with knives, axes, and hammers (which I absolutely loved). The film also includes a shocking twist that almost knocked me out of my seat (no one could have seen that coming). It’s definitely not perfect entertainment (even within the Kingsman universe, it doesn’t rank as the best installment), but it still has a lot to offer. Vaughn is far from running out of creative steam. For me, it’s 8/10. (03/26/2022)

I'm somewhat puzzled about my rating for this movie because there are a few potential reasons behind it. It could be that I wasn't in the right mood, or perhaps Matthew Vaughn isn't what he used to be (though I'm reluctant to believe that), or maybe the spy genre is just becoming a bit worn out. Whatever the case, this third glimpse into the world of the most secretive of secret services didn't quite captivate me as its predecessors did, and the third star was mainly earned by the stellar cast. I did find it amusing how the plot included numerous historical figures, but the story itself felt afflicted with acute clichés and excessive melodrama. The main plotline was painfully predictable, and the film's runtime seemed overly long for what it offered. I found myself getting quite bored during some stretched-out parts; even the highly anticipated sword-fighting at the end felt like it could have been trimmed down. Overall, I was left wanting more from this movie. / Lesson learned: There's always a Scot behind everything. 3*- (03/01/2022)