A return to form for the King’s Man

Posted on 15th May 2022

Director Matthew Vaughan appears to have, unusually, listened to critics of the earlier Kingsmen films, retaining the stiff upper lip of the protagonist, while dispensing with much of the leering, laddish attitude that marred what was otherwise a fine caper. Instead we get a classic wartime action-adventure, which steps away the damage done by a feeble sequel.

The King’s Man takes the action back to the turn of the last century, and the origins of the secret society of the first two films. Ralph Fiennes is a fine stand in for the Colin Firth role, lending the film a gravitas that flies in the face of some of its wild plot developments. While key events of the Great War are woven into the narrative, they are presented in such an outlandish fashion, it;s hard to take great exception to the liberties taken. The plot is cocktail of plot twists, set pieces and red herrings, but is never dull. On the contrary, such is Vaughan’s wild imagination that you never quite know what is coming next.

Stylishly shot, packed full of cameos and never in danger of taking itself too seriously, it’s a film made to enjoy rather analyse, and bodes well for further films in a series that previously felt like it had run its course