Kingsman: The Golden Circle

A View To Overkill

- Jim Blakey

Sequels are often touted as bigger and better than the films that preceded them. Budgets are boosted, more famous names can be coaxed into sharing the screen with the established cast, and there’s the temptation to ramp up the set-pieces.

So it is with Matthew Vaughn’s first stab at a follow-up (we’re not counting Kick-Ass 2, as he only produced it), which takes what largely worked (and a lot of what didn’t) about Kingsman: The Secret Service, and subsequently dials everything up to an extraordinary degree.

If you enjoyed the street tough-turned-spy stylings of Taron Egerton last time round, then the chances are you’ll be happy to see him back as Gary “Eggsy” Unwin, here a fully fledged member of elite, bespoke intelligence agency Kingsman. Egerton remains likeable and enthusiastic in the role, even as he’s confronted by a doomsday scenario hatched by Julianne Moore’s nostalgia-loving drugs kingpin. Fortunately, he still has loyal gadget expert and dry-witted Scot Merlin (Mark Strong) by his side, and the two continue to share an easy chemistry.