The King's Man is a 2021 action thriller directed by Matthew Vaughn, from a screenplay by Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek, and a story by Vaughn. The third installment in the Kingsman film series, which is based on the comic book The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, the film serves as a prequel to 2014's Kingsman: The Secret Service and 2017's Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Vaughn, who previously directed the first two films in the franchise as well as 2010’s Kick-Ass and 2011’s X-Men: First Class, has proven himself a formidable force behind the camera.

In the early years of the 20th century, the Kingsman agency is formed to stand against a cabal plotting a war to wipe out millions.

The cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance.

The King's Man released in theaters on December 22nd, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

THE GOOD

I’m a big fan of The Kingsman franchise, and I remember being blown away by the debut film, Kingsman: The Secret Service, which released in 2014. To be honest I wasn’t quite sure which to expect when I originally watched the trailer for the first film, but it checked off every box for me as far as what I want in a movie theater experience. I was also very pleased with the sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which released in 2017 and introduced a few new faces. Fast forward a long four years and we finally have the third installment, The King's Man, which is a prequel to the first film. I have been waiting to scratch that Kingsman itch so I knew I had to see this the first day it hit theaters. So, was it worth the wait? Find out below!

I’ll be the first to admit, I had my reservations after sitting down in my seat at the theater for a few reasons. First off the early reactions were very hot and cold, but I tend to take those with a grain of salt for obvious reasons preferring to form my own opinions, and also it can be extremely difficult to make a high quality prequel for such a polarizing franchise. With all of that being said I’ll stop beating around the bush, I absolutely loved this movie. Talented director Matthew Vaughn is back in the drivers seat yet again which is huge for this franchise. Simply put, this is how you do a prequel. The King's Man delivers fans of the franchise everything they were hoping for, and then some.

This franchise is built on stylish and well-executed fight scenes and over-the-top violence, which you can rest assured is aplenty here. This may also be the most vulgar film in the franchise as far as the dialogue, as it is well-deserving of the R-rating. For that reason, The King’s Man is not for the faint of heart, but neither were the first two films if I’m being honest. Because the film is originally based on a comic, scenes often shed the barrier of realism which is part of why it is so much fun to experience. It blurs the line of reality and imagination in such a unique and interesting way. I was also pumped with the satisfying conclusion and the post-credits scene, which has me beyond excited for the next film in the franchise.

The King’s Man is a film that hits hard, and a few scenes in particular left me on the edge of my seat with my mouth wide open thinking “did that really just happen?!”. I attribute this to the fact that viewer investment is top-notch by the time you are roughly half way through the film. The primary storyline itself which takes place in the early 1900’s is heavy as it is rooted in some great historic moments in world history. Ralph Fiennes, who plays the Duke of Oxford, Orlando Oxford, creates a secret spy organization with the intention of protecting the United Kingdom and the British Empire from the surely devastating effects of World War I, also known as the Great War. Orlando is at the mercy of trying to find a way to convince President Woodrow Wilson to join the war, as a way to fuel his efforts which drives the primary storyline.

Because of his fathers allegiances, Dickinson’s character wants nothing more than to join the military to fight for his country, which brings me to my favorite scene in the film without question which felt like it was cut directly from the 2019 war drama 1917 (preview and trailer here) mixed with a little bit of Hacksaw Ridge. I realize that is high praise, but you will see what I mean once you watch The King’s Man. I can’t wait to see this movie again just to watch that incredible scene one more time. I really liked how well they were able to tell the origin story of The Kingsman, a secret organization built on trust and integrity that just happens to be based out of a tailor shop.

Another staple of The Kingsman films is the acting, as the tone was set with 2014’s debut film Kingsman: The Secret Service, headlined by Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine, and Mark Strong. That cast is a difficult group to follow when putting together a prequel set well before the original, but they did a damn nice job if you ask me. Firth is a tough act to follow, but who better to step into that role than the talented Ralph Fiennes, who is nothing short of fantastic. Aside from Fiennes the other primary role is given to Harris Dickinson, who is a bit of a up-and-coming talent. This is by far his biggest role, previously playing a role in the 2017 indie drama Beach Rats and the 2018 FX drama series Trust, based on the story of John Paul Getty III. He may be far from a recognizable actor, but I was impressed with his performance and more importantly his chemistry with Fiennes, who plays his overbearing father. Dickinson looks the part and definitely won me over. I hope this kid gets more opportunities going forward.

Veteran actor Djimon Hounsou is amazing as usual, and his relationship with Fiennes was a big reason why The King’s Man works so well. He has been in a ton of blockbuster films including Guardians of the Galaxy, The Legend of Tarzan, and Captain Marvel, and even though he always plays supporting roles, his presence is always felt. I really enjoyed Rhys Ifans in his unrecognizable role as the despicable Grigori Rasputin. He is the perfect villain that you will simply love to hate. Fun fact, he is also Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man as well as the recently released Spider-Man: No Way Home (full review here). Actress Gemma Arterton is fantastic as usual, and Daniel Brühl literally plays his trademark role of Baron Zemo from the MCU, and that is perfectly fine with me. The rest of the supporting cast was great as well with no real issues to speak of.

The technical side of things is where The King’s Man really shines. I mentioned it a bit already, but the fight scenes are glorious throughout the film. They do take advantage of CGI when needed, but the stunts feel as raw and violent as they look which was huge for me. As a fan of the franchise I was sucked in by the signature style of the films as it relates to the action sequences and that element is alive and well for the prequel. I really enjoyed the creative use of slow-motion during certain pivotal scenes which helped maximize their effectiveness. I also have to give praise to the cinematography for The King’s Man, it is simply fantastic and maybe my favorite element of the film, aside from the over-the-top violence and vulgar language of course. Cinematographer Ben Davis may not be a household name for average movie fans, but he should be. A native of London, England, just like director Matthew Vaughn, he received several nominations for his work on the 2017 dark comedy drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (full review and trailer here) . He has worked on several standout films including Kick-Ass, Seven Psychopaths, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and most recently Marvel’s Eternals (full review here), just to name a few. Bottom line, this guy is a true talent and if his name is attached to a film, it is worth a look. The opening of pretty much every scene is is just so beautiful and immerses in the audience in such a way that is hard to describe. I was also thrilled with the soundtrack and score from Jason Ballantine and Robert Hall, yet another trademark of The Kingsman films.

THE BAD

The King’s Man is not without its drawbacks, but in my opinion they are much less severe than the majority of critics would lead you to believe. it starts off a bit slow and doesn’t really have that true “Kingsman” feel for at least the first half or so of the film, but by the end I felt like this made sense as it is a prequel after all. You have to remain patient and the payoff is absolutely worth it. The writing also feels a bit forced at times which may be the cause of a few decisions in the editing room, which has an impact on the overall character development, but again it is far from detrimental. People often disagree with me on this, but as a lover of movies across all genres, I have the ability to watch a film and understand the overall intention and unique style which has a lasting impact with a film like this. I mean if you can’t handle extreme violence and vulgar dialogue, you will hate The King’s Man. Just like if you don’t like animated films, you should probably avoid Sing 2 . Simple as that. I mean, is this notion really all that complicated?

THE VERDICT

Visually stimulating from start to finish and as violent as ever, The King’s Man is a hard-hitting prequel that will surely satisfy fans as well as newcomers looking for an exciting and immersive theater experience. This franchise is unique in so many ways, and I have been a big fan from day one. It offers a heavy dose of what I look for in a movie, from the riveting action sequences, to the creative and fearless dialogue. I had a ton of fun with this movie, and in many ways it felt like a really cool history lesson. If they had movies like The King’s Man during history class during my high school years, I would’ve taken less naps and probably learned a lot more.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but after watching this movie and sticking around for the post-credits scene, I cannot wait for the inevitable sequel. Long live The Kingsman! Bottom line, don’t let these pessimistic critics deter you from seeing The King’s Man in theaters, you’ll thank me later.