Streaming Service: Hulu
Actors: Gemma Arterton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthew Goode, Stanley Tucci, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Rhys Ifans, Daniel Brühl, Olivier Richters, Charles Dance, Tom Hollander, Djimon Hounsou, Harris Dickinson, Alexandra Maria Lara, Alison Steadman, Neil Jackson, Robert Aramayo, Branka Katic
IMDb Blurb: 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.
Selina’s Point of View:
There was minimal doubt that I would like The King’s Man. Aside from the possibility that the director might opt for a different tone, or the new cast might alter things too much, it was going to happen.
I love this series for all the reasons a more serious critic would hate it. I love that caricature aspect. The over-exaggeration of the action/spy genre is something I just adore. I grew up on all the shows, and movies, that offered up the near-invincible spy with the fancy-ass gadgets. Bringing that into modern times and mixing it up with new filming techniques and exceptional fight choreography is a total win in my book.
There was minimal doubt that I would like The King’s Man. Aside from the possibility that the director might opt for a different tone, or the new cast might alter things too much, it was going to happen.
I love this series for all the reasons a more serious critic would hate it. I love that caricature aspect. The over-exaggeration of the action/spy genre is something I just adore. I grew up on all the shows, and movies, that offered up the near-invincible spy with the fancy-ass gadgets. Bringing that into modern times and mixing it up with new filming techniques and exceptional fight choreography is a total win in my book.
The convoluted conflict at the core of a plot that seems basic, but subverts expectations at the most random moments, is a bonus to me. The villains supporting their mostly anticipated motivations with their insane and absurd plots makes it fun. How many times do we have to see the same plan with the same reason behind it before it’s acceptable to see something a little preposterous to counteract it?
Kingsman films are top-tier escapism to me. There are enough scenes that dip into seriousness to make them feel like anything but a parody, while still giving off that ‘turn your brain off and enjoy’ flair.
The King’s Man was exactly all of that. It had moments of glory that sent a chill down my back, huge shocking moments that caused me to exclaim out loud, and great fight choreography. All of it was surrounded with just enough of that caricature feel to make it fit in with the series.
I did find Rasputin to be a bit more cringe than I had hoped for. I don’t know if what went down with that character was the director’s choice, or the actor’s, but the performance did dip a bit more into parody than I’d have preferred.
That was my only issue, though. The whole film did an amazing job explaining core reasons for the existence, and content, of Kingsmen. It was a phenomenal movie, and it did what it needed to as a prequel.
I’m happy to say I’ll be watching The King’s Man again as part of my rewatching of the series. I’ll also be keeping an eye out for the next film, set to be released sometime in 2023.
I will be a Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Stardust, X-Men: First Class) fan for life.
Cat’s Point of View:
The King’s Man
landed squarely in the Top 10 of both Selina and my December 2021 Top 20 lists. In fact, our placements only
varied by 1 spot. Following so many delays (mostly due to the pandemic), it was
such a relief that this production finally hit screens large and small. I was
doing internal cartwheels when it became available on Hulu and Xfinity’s On
Demand.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic
Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience
Score – NoneMetascore – 44%
Metacritic User Score – 5.1/10
IMDB Score – 6.3/10
P.S. – There is a short additional scene in the middle of the credits.
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Movie Trailer:
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