Movie Review: The King's Man

Movie Number 4 of 2022

Movie: The King's Man

Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Garden

Stars: 3.5

I'm a fan of the first two Kingsman movies (Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle) so I was going to give this origin story a go, despite the dodgy reviews and rather unkind remarks.

Needless to say, I went in with low expectations and was happily surprised. This isn't a great film, but there are quite a few redeeming features to it which kept me entertained. Jay found it boring. Me, I'm a bit kinder to some action films  - and this one took my fancy. The violence was stylised enough to not turn my stomach or keep me awake, and I loved the historical basis of the film, despite an at times dodgy script. It's just a matter if the goodies winning over the baddies both in the film and in my reaction to it.

So what is this about? Basically this film shows how the Kingsman got it all together - an elite group of spies who operate outside of politics to keep the world safe. 

It starts in the Boer War, when Duke Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) makes a promise to his dying wife that their son, Conrad (Harris Dickinson) will not participate in War. Oxford was an active soldier, but after the death of his wife he became a pacifist, staying away from the dreadful things the British Army was capable of at the turn of the 20th Century. Of course, Conrad being a young man wants to join up, much to his father's chagrin. But we know that things are happening behind the scenes. The servants are in on what ever is going on. Polly the Nanny (Gemma Arterton) and Shola the butler (Djimon Hounsou) are up to something, as they teach Conrad advanced ways of protecting himself and others. 

And then there is the plot which the movie is based on centered around the start of the First World War. Tom Hollander is wonderful as King George V, Tzar Nicholas II and Kaiser Wilhelm - all related and all a bit strange. The latter was under the spell of Rasputin, played by an almost unidentifiable Rhys Ifans. 

And the silliness continues. There is revenge, heartbreak and a very cool final shoot out in a really great location, in which the ultimate baddie is finally vanquished. 

I get why people haven't reacted to this with the same gusto as they have the first two Kingsman movies. It's not got a great rating on RottenTomatoes.com, but I see some value in there. 

For one, I love that my curiousity has been piqued around the history of the times. I really liked all that and I've spent a bit of time looking up the actual history of the times. Fascinating stuff. 

Secondly, the main cast are great, and do their best with the rather dodgy script. 

Next, the action scenes are great. The violence which peppers the first two films is there, but it's that stylised, funny, "bang-bang-you're-dead" action that I can deal with. 

And lastly, as I have a bit of a think for Ralph Fiennes, why wouldn't I like this. His delivery of a Wilfred Owen poem got right into me. 

This isn't the best film, but I did enjoy it, against my better judgement. It's a bit of mindless eye-candy which is just what I needed on a warm Friday night. It isn't for everybody. But what film is?

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