The Downfall of the Kingsman Franchise
The King’s Man, the third entry in the Kingsman series, is actually a prequel to the first two films. Yet, it barely feels like a Kingsman film. The entire movie feels somewhat flat. The fight scenes lack style and flair, and it struggles to find its identity within the universe created by Mark Millar and Matthew Vaughn.
Sometimes, the first films in a franchise set an extremely high bar, so high that the subsequent films have trouble reaching it. When you add excessive release problems, caused by an unexpected global pandemic, to a film that doesn’t quite live up to audience expectations, you end up with a recipe for a fairly mediocre reception.
The Kingsman film franchise is an adaptation of a graphic novel series created by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. Millar had already found commercial success with comic-to-film adaptations like Kick-Ass and Wanted. The franchise was actually born from a conversation between Millar and director Matthew Vaughn about the James Bond reboot, Casino Royale. The two were puzzled as to why Casino Royale was marketed as an origin story for James Bond without showing Bond in an MI6 Academy. This was the story they wanted to see. Thus, Kingsman was born.
The film series made a name for itself by featuring highly stylized, high-tech violence in a modern take on the James Bond films of the 1970s. The first film delivered this in spades. But as the series went on, it seemed to lose sight of what made it so successful in the first place.
The first Kingsman film is pretty much perfect as far as action films go. This is likely because it sticks very closely to the source material. It tells an incredible, complete, and relatable origin story while coming full circle in a high-stakes narrative that is interesting, dire, and culturally relevant. Matthew Vaughn’s direction shines through as Taron Egerton’s Eggsy and Colin Firth’s Harry Hart battle their way toward saving the world. The fight choreography throughout the film is second to none—fun, frantic, tense, and charming.
But more importantly, it leaves us wanting more, which we eventually received in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
The Golden Circle: Over the Top?
The second entry in the franchise isn’t necessarily a bad film, but its departure from the source material makes it feel a little lackluster compared to its predecessor. The second comic is titled Kingsman: The Red Diamond, but it shares almost nothing with the film. Kingsman: The Golden Circle feels too over the top at times and plays out more like a parody of spy films than an homage. Vaughn wanted the sequel to feel like one of the Roger Moore Bond films, while the first movie was more of a nod to the Connery-era Bond films. This may have seemed like a logical next step, but it didn’t resonate with audiences.
It’s hard to pinpoint what feels so off about this film. The action and story are present, but the vibe has shifted just enough to pull the movie away from what made the first Kingsman so great.
The film also lacks heart. In The Secret Service, we watched Eggsy rise from an unlikely candidate with humble beginnings to a fully-fledged spy. In The Golden Circle, Eggsy remains largely unchallenged, while his mentor regains his memory after a near-fatal attack. The film is packed with the series’ signature high-tech combat, but without a strong story, these sequences feel like a martial arts special effects showcase with themed weaponry.
The King's Man: A Prequel Misstep
The third entry, The King’s Man, was released in December 2021, and you may not have even noticed its theatrical release because it was so brief. Only 45 days passed between its departure from theaters and its arrival on streaming platforms like Hulu and HBO Max. The theatrical run was truly blink-and-you’ll-miss-it.
The film had eight different release dates. Initially slated for November 8, 2019, it was delayed to 2020, likely due to the Fox-Disney merger. Then, 2020’s pandemic threw every film’s release into flux. After several more delays, the movie finally hit theaters in December 2021, competing with blockbusters like Spider-Man: No Way Home.
When people finally saw The King’s Man, they were confused—it didn’t feel like a Kingsman movie. Part of the appeal of the Kingsman franchise is its modern, violent, and stylized take on James Bond. But The King’s Man was written as an homage to classic adventure films like The Man Who Would Be King and Lawrence of Arabia. Though these are beloved films, they don’t have the same cultural relevance today as James Bond.
Vaughn also tried to tie the adventure pastiche into the Kingsman lore, but the result was strange. It’s like mixing a vodka martini with a hot dog—it doesn’t quite work.
Nothing in The King’s Man really grabs our attention. The early 1900s setting removes the exciting technology that defines Kingsman, and the combat scenes are dull. For example, the fight between Rasputin and Shola is inspired by Russian ballet, but it lacks the style and energy of iconic scenes like the church fight in the first movie. The war sequences are visually impressive, but they feel out of place in a Kingsman film.
Losing the Magic
Kingsman started as a franchise that skillfully walked the line between parody and homage. But this fine balance began to fade in the second film and was almost completely lost in The King’s Man. The franchise, once known for its chaotic and frantic take on spy films, has devolved into something lackluster. The King’s Man simply doesn’t stand up next to its predecessors.
While this film may have been a misstep, there is hope for the future. Kingsman: The Blue Blood is currently in development, with production starting in September 2022 and a hopeful release in early 2023.
