Much like its predecessor, Kingsman: The Golden Circle mixes moments that are entertainingly gonzo with ones that are just icky and combines it all in a flawed but sometimes enjoyable mess.
After an attack on the Kingsmen wipes them all out except Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong), the two must join forces with the Kingsmen’s American counterpart, the Statesmen (featuring Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Pedro Pascal, and Channing Tatum). But, in a surprise divulged by the trailer, it turns out Eggsy and Merlin aren’t the lone surviving Kingsmen after all. They must unite to do battle against an insane drug lord (Julianne Moore, having fun) who is threatening the lives of millions.
At its best, Kingsman: The Golden Circle has a manic creative energy to it. It also features a rare celebrity cameo that actually adds something to the picture (the celeb in question actually has stuff to do regarding the plot and it’s mostly funny). But at 141 minutes, the movie is overstuffed. Subplots and some secondary characters seem to go nowhere. And sometimes the craziness is just ugliness.
If you’re a fan of the original, you will probably find enough to enjoy here. But everyone else can wait until the blu-ray comes out or when the film is available to stream.
