Kingsman: The Golden Circle * * 1/2

I really enjoyed the first Kingsman Film, except for the ending. I found the ending disappointing. It just pushed things a wee bit too far and changed an exciting concept into a ridiculous one. The unfortunate thing about Kingsman The Golden Circle (Kingsman II) is that it continues (in style and spirit) where the first one left off. Like it hasn’t sobered up.

Not so Jolly Good this time.

       You get a bit of the fun stuff: A gentleman teaching villains a lesson or two, the importance of remembering your manners, and showing the same sense of Gentlemanly style whether you’re having dinner with Royalty, or kicking the shit out of someone.  

        Other than the opening scenes we don’t get much of London, which was partly what made the first Kingsmen so charming.  It had an old-school “England is best” charm about it.

       This is more Trans-Atlantic.  It’s mostly set in America and Italy where they work in association with their U.S. counterparts - “The Statesmen”.
Just as the Kingsmen are typified as dapper English gents, The Statesmen are amusingly stereotyped as Cowboys.  The Kingsmen disguise themselves as Savile Row tailors, The Statesmen disguise themselves as Bourbon Distillers.

      The story is about a crazy lady, Poppy, who lives in the South American jungle.  She has become the world's richest and most powerful woman through the culture and selling of narcotics. She’s like an exaggerated female version of Pablo Escobar. She has her own nuclear arsenal and is holding the world to ransom because she wants drugs to be legalised.  (As alcohol and tobacco are legal her argument makes sense, but it hardly makes sense when you consider she is  someone who is doing very well out of an illicit industry).  Poppy is obsessed with 1950’s American Iconography and has built her jungle hideaway to reflect that.

        The Kingsmen have received a near fatal blow from Poppy and there are only two Kingsmen left - Merlin and the young Eggsy, who are given a clue that they will receive help if they go to Kentucky and connect with The Statesmen.

      Harry comes into the drama a bit later but he is rather damaged after the beating he received in the first Kingsman and now he is not as accurate in aim, which is somewhat amusing, especially when they recreate the amazing pub fight from the first Kingsmen.

       There is a cameo from Elton John,  quite a bit of slapping and shooting, and amazing acrobatics during the fights, but overall it just doesn’t satisfy as much as the first.  Maybe the concept makes it a bit of a souffle?  Also at 141 minutes it does tend to overstay its welcome, which is not very Gentlemanly at all.