The King's Man

Periaatteessa ihan ok, Ralph Fiennes on karismaattinen sankari ja tarina kulkee mukavasti. Juoni on turhan yliampuva, loppuratkaisu ja pääpahis hiukan hölmöjä ja pateettisen lapsellinen outro irrallinen, mutta muuten ihan ok toimintapläjäys. Toimintakohtaukset hyviä (parhaita ovat sapelitaistelu ja Rasputinin ripaska), eivätkä tunnu niin löysiltä kuin vaikkapa viimeisimmässä Indiana Jonesissa. Elokuva olisi pärjännyt hyvin ilman Gemma Artertonin, Djimon Hounsoun ja ennen kaikkea Aaron Taylor-Johnsonin hahmoja, mutta jatko-osa taitaa olla luvassa. (24.11.2023)

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. (15.02.2022)

I like Matthew Vaughn and I will continue to like him, but I can't really enjoy this prequel to Kingsman. On one hand, I have to praise the action, which, however, cannot surprise anyone, including myself – Vaughn has a talent for it. And at least the dance fight with Rasputin is truly applause-worthy. He also manages to sell a century-old past full of gentlemen, lunatics, funny cars, and the end of an era. But about the rest? That's exactly what I don't really know. It still looks nice, it has a fast pace and I wasn't bored, but that's not enough for me when it comes to Vaughn. The story surprises at most with its absurd twists, but due to the use of real historical events, it fails to build tension because – unsurprisingly – Austria-Hungary doesn't end up winning World War I. So, it's not very thrilling and, unfortunately, not even funny or bold like the first installment. The King’s Man the weakest of Vaughn's films. And above all, it’s quite unnecessary. (05.01.2022)

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. (31.03.2022)

I freaking loved it! I finally got to see the film and after the mixed reviews, I have to say that I am absolutely satisfied and with only minor reservations. The first Kingsman is one my top 10 movies of all time, so of course I love the whole franchise, it's pretty close to my heart and setting it in WWI was a great idea. Matthew Vaughn is a director with a distinctive style and I enjoy his playful and creative direction immensely, definitely the direction I would go in if I were a director. The characters this time may not be as likable as in the original, Harris Dickinson is no Taron Egerton, and Ralph Fiennes is not as good as Colin Firth, but I could live with that. Visually, the film is again driven to technical perfection and absolute refinement, Vaughn's alternate history fascinated me (despite being obviously fiction, it felt believable and entertaining and the cameos by well-known historical figures were great). You have to wait a bit longer for the action, but once it comes, the director once again had me wrapped up around all his fingers. The action is always varied, well shot, insanely stylish to the point of being luxurious, and I'm tempted to do it all again after watching it. A crazy dance with Rasputin, a downright delicious fight with various combat weapons in the trenches (that had me screaming like a bitch), one of my new favorite action scenes, and then of course the half hour screaming finale that has everything I expect from a proper ending. It's a little disappointing that this time Vaughn tamed the gore and didn't add much humour either, but he pretty much made up for it with an uncompromising twist that no one expects. The villains also deserve praise (Rasputin was brilliant) and I found the whole spy story against the backdrop of WWI very entertaining and thoroughly developed. A few people complain about how slow it is, but I found it more brisk and action packed than The Batman, so high satisfaction for me, I could handle an extra 30 minutes. Story 4/5, Action 5/5, Humor 3/5, Violence 3/5, Fun 5/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 5/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 4/5. 9/10. (14.03.2022)