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Created Oct 07, 2017 08:54PM PST • Edited Nov 18, 2018 11:59AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Really Great 4.5

   Kingsman II is a fully-realized exercise in high style, low blows, expensive tricks and lots of big laughs. You could call it a brilliant blockbuster, in the British sense of brilliant: bright, bold, brisk, buttoned down.

   • Brilliant casting: The ensemble includes big stars old and new, with Elton John as we’ve always wanted. Halle Berry is one brilliant casting choice among many. Taron Egerton solidifies his major moviestar status. Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Colin Firth & Julianne Moore radiate charisma.
   • Brilliant storyline: The admirably complex and bodaciously bawdy screenplay once again tweaks the Left, following in the bold footsteps of Kingsman I – an eco-crazy then, a drug queen now.
   • Brilliant action: $100 million action movies are damn near a monthly occurrence nowadays, but The Golden Circle gives us action we haven’t seen before, highly inventive stuff. Fresh, not filler!

   Kingsman: The Golden Circle may be craven as hell, but it doesn’t waste a dime of the king’s ransom that Matthew Vaughn used to make it. At this rate, James Bond & Co. are going to have a hard time keeping up.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   Kingsmen

   • Taron Egerton is like a young Brad Pitt, if Brad were British. Taron plays street to suite. He’s damn charming and convincingly lethal. Taron Egerton’s career is going to be fun to watch.
   • Colin Firth returns as Egerton’s role model. James Bond he’s not, but he makes a perfectly acceptable denatured substitute, per my review of Kingsman I. His character has changed, not him.
   • Mark Strong improves from Episode I, going out in grand style, as seen in the nearby video.
   • Michael Gambon barely registers as an elder Kingsman.
   • Sophie Cookson cameos as Targon’s fellow agent Roxy. Sophie sharpens up any production.

   Statesmen

   • Channing Tatum represents America as Agent Tequila the Statesman. We expect a lot more Tequila in Episode III.
   • Pedro Pascal underwhelms as Agent Jack Daniels / Whiskey.
   • Halle Berry is understated and delightful as Ginger Ale, the Statesman’s Q. I’m looking forward to lots more Ginger Ale in Episode III.
   • Jeff Bridges anchors the team as its elder statesman, Champagne or “Champ”.

   Others

   • Julianne Moore delivers a sufficiently odious villain, never mind that she plays Earth’s drug queen like she’s got a battery-powered appliance in her panties. The woman never stops smiling.
   • Elton John creates a big moment for himself as Himself. The bitch is back and better than before.
   • Edward Holcroft disappoints as a Kingsman gone bad.
   • Hanna Alström charms as Crown Princess Tilde of Sweden, and Taron Egerton’s girlfriend.
   • Björn Granath & Lena Endre are way upper-crust as the King & Queen of Sweden, Tilde’s parents.
   • Poppy Delevingne underwhelms as a high-class girl who lets herself go at Glastonbury.
   • Bruce Greenwood does less well than usual as the President of the United States.
   • Emily Watson plays his Chief of Staff.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Great 4.0

10. Film

    Really Great 4.5

    Matthew Vaughn & Jane Goldman are in their Golden Age with The Golden Circle.

    They’ve got their irony dial permanently set to 11, with more ideas than a three hour film can contain. Edited down just shy of 2 1/2, it transgresses in such grand style that we forgive its considerable excesses.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

12. Play Great 4.0

13. Music Great 4.0

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 2.9

    More than a bit of the ultra makes Kingsman II more than a bit sordid. Exploding heads, that sort of thing.

17. Sex Titillating 1.8

18. Violence Savage 4.4

19. Rudeness Profane 2.6

21. Reality

    Supernatural 3.3

    For its second episode, Kingsman continues to sport a super-surreal rFactor, due to supernatural PhysioReality combined with highly surreal Circumstantial and BioReality. Comic book roots, you know.

    Politically, it leans right, which is the most transgressive thing you can do in Hollywood these days.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.8

23. Biological Surreal 3.0

24. Physical Supernatural 4.0