Film Review: The King's Man

This review contains minor story spoilers for the film. No major plot points will be discussed.

I have a favorable opinion of the Kingsman franchise. I've watched both of the previous movies and I thoroughly enjoyed them. When the film The King's Man was announced, I honestly was only mildly interested. This opinion of mine changed when I was watching a YouTube video, and a trailer for it played as an ad. I could've easily skipped it, but this trailer in particular focused on none other than Grigori Rasputin (played by the wonderfully talented Rhys Ifans). In just under two minutes I watched a supercut of the character's lines and exploits in the film, scored by the amazingly catchy "Rasputin" by Boney M. I was entranced and delighted by his creepy charm and magnetic quality. And just like that, I made plans to see the film.

Writing this just a few days after viewing, I can safely say that The King's Man is not only a must-watch for series fans, but also a great jumping-on point for those who thought the previous two films were a little too 'millennial,' as my girlfriend put it.

Story: The film centers around the Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) and his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson), as well as two of the Oxford servants, Polly (Gemma Arterton) and Shola (Djimon Hounsou). After a brief intro scene from Conrad's childhood, we watch as the characters react as the world descends into the throes of World War I. Fearful of his traumatic past, The Duke takes a vow of pacifism and smothers his own son in safety from the darkness of the world. Tension and challenges arrive when The Duke receives intel from his long time friend, Kitchener (Charles Dance), that there might be an attempt on the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. As history has shown us, this attempt proved successful, and drove the various nations involved with Austria to war with each other. However, this assassination was not simply random. There are darker forces at play behind the scenes of the war, and the Duke of Oxford is soon confronted by a sobering reality: he can no longer remain passive in this conflict.

Overall, I was very impressed with the story this film had to tell. World War I is a fascinating time period for this kind of "spy movie", and I admit that I learned a lot about the politics and various aspects of the war itself. And despite the potential to lose the viewer amidst the war's bigger picture, the film manages to frame it as an intimate affair between family. This was done in several scenes where it establishes that the Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, King George of Britain, and Czar Nicholas of Russia are all cousins, who played war games with each other as children.

Action: This is a crucial part of films like these, and I'm pleased to say that The King's Man does not leave you wanting for it. Although there are plenty of scenes with old men standing around tables discussing strategy and whatnot, the film's action scenes are dripping with bombast and spectacle, and plenty of blood. The film does not pull its punches, however, and the camera does not pull away when people are shot or killed. For this reason, viewers who are intolerant of these elements may wish to skip out on the film.

A hallmark of good action filmmaking is solid fight choreography and dynamic camera angles. The King's Man has both of these in spades. The film's gunfights are well and good, but the action truly shines when characters engage in tense, knife-edge brawls in close combat. One scene in particular had my jaw drop, where two characters were locked in a sword fight. Several shots were done with the cameras fixed on the sword blades themselves, capturing the viewer in this sensation of raw physical momentum and force.

Criticism: My only real criticism with the movie lies with its villains. As demonstrated by the film's marketing, Rasputin plays a major part in the plot. Rhys Ifans does such an outstanding job of bringing the mad monk to life on the screen, but that comes with a cost. I was so enraptured and spoiled by Rasputin that I felt disappointed by the other antagonists. Compared to him, they felt a bit like cardboard cut-outs, not well-fleshed out or given much character depth.

Viewers might also be put off by the disproportionate distribution of action scenes between the first and second halves of the movie. I was not bothered by this, but some might be bored in the first half, where most of the drama comes from the conflict between nations and the rising tension between Conrad and the Duke.

Conclusion: The King's Man, while not breaking any significant barriers in the field of filmmaking, does tell a well-thought-out, interesting story and is hammered home by stunningly-executed action. I wholeheartedly recommend this film for anyone who likes the previous Kingsman films or anyone who enjoys a good spy movie.