The first film managed to pull-off a charming, self-aware tribute to the over-the-top spy films of old. Newspaper Associate, Robert Cairns, looks at Kingsman: The Golden Circle to see if it’s managed to keep its charm despite being bigger and better than before.

It’s fair to say that 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service shocked the world with the news that its combination of working-class vulgarity with gentlemanly swagger and ridiculous gadgets was actually a good idea. But without the factor of surprise to guide it, the second dosage of all things Kingsman had an awful lot of expectation to appease; a weight it effortlessly carries.

On the surface, Kingsman: The Golden Circle ticks all the right boxes. It is hard not to be totally awed by the intense stunt choreography of the epic fight scenes that its older brother so unexpectedly promised, nor is it possible to be unmoved by the constant barrage of laughs or the Country and Westernised soundtrack that mirrors the indulgent action so perfectly.

Yet, there is an irritating dimension to the film that is impossible to ignore, the voice of some disembodied, snot-nosed critic relentlessly whispering in your ear that something’s wrong- some hyper-rational reason that you should not be enjoying the onslaught before you. Whether it’s the fact that the plot traverses the globe so incoherently that it’s clear the Kingsman have recently invested in teleportation and expositional technology, or the fact that a large majority of the ‘star’ cast members are given less lines than your average frequenter of Canal Mills, there’s a definite sense that this sequel should not be appealing.

But you’d have to be mad not to look beyond these criticisms and see Kingsman: The Golden Circle for the raw fun-fest that it so undeniably is. It’s the over-the-top weaponry and almost indestructible heroes, the stylish realisation of every James Bond wannabe’s dreams, the blatant disregard for the audience’s intelligence… It’s Elton John in a bird suit telling Julianne Moore to “Fuck Off” for God’s sake!

That’s what makes you wave goodbye to Kingsman: The Golden Circle with an irrepressible smile on your face and a weight off your shoulders that you didn’t even know was there in the first place.

Robert Cairns

(Image courtesy of Chicago Now)