The second movie in the “Kingsman” spy franchise was released on September 22, 2017, and reactions are mixed to say the least. The previous iteration knew it wanted to be a James Bond and classic British spy movie parody, while The Golden Circle had no idea what it wanted to be. It jumped from being the spy parody everyone loved, to its own serious spy movie, which is what the original Kingsman was making fun of in the first place.
In my opinion, the acting was a bit of a disappointment. While Taron Egerton and Mark Strong did a great job with their returning characters, Colin Firth was unsatisfying. A serious complaint I share other fans have is the villain. The previous evildoer, Richmond Valentine (played by Samuel L. Jackson) was praised for his performance, while Julianne Moore’s depiction of Poppy, a cool, psychopathic drug lord was underwhelming. Moore failed to live up to the crazy characteristics Jackson brought to the table with Valentine.
The final thing I think brought the movie to its knees was the plot and plot holes. Both the resurrection of Colin Firth’s role and all but two of the Kingsmen being wiped out by Poppy’s organization are spoiled in the trailer. That’s two major plot points that would have wowed audiences in theatres.
Colin Firth’s character, Harry Hart, was a badass in the previous movie, while this movie reduced Harry to a bumbling agent who can’t land a punch, until he is magically cured without explanation. There’s almost no backstory to the Statesmen— the Kingsman’s alcoholic, whip wielding counterpart— other than the fact that the Kingsman have never heard of them, even though they are part of the same organization.
That being said, exhilarating action scenes, and witty humor, make the movie an enjoyable night out with friends looking to watch an entertaining movie.