Red Sparrow is a 2018 spy-thriller film directed by Francis Lawrence who worked with Jennifer Lawrence (the star here) on a couple of the Hunger Games movies, but this is a very different beast. Jennifer Lawrence plays Dominika Egorova (in, it has to be said, a not entirely convincing Russian accent), and Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenarts and Charlotte Rampling star as the film's secondary characters. This one is a pretty big departure from what Lawrence has done in the past, although it has to be said that she's making some pretty bold career choices. I'm not the first one to say that, and for a good reason: it's true. After last year's Mother! it appeared as if she was trying purposefully trying to appear in more "mature" films, and believe me, it doesn't get much more mature than Red Sparrow. The film plays out like one of those schlocky exploitation from the seventies, in that there's sexual violence, sex, violence, torture, and all manner o
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a spy-comedy film written by the same team behind the film's prequel, Kingsman: The Secret Service. This time, some of the original cast and some new faces are involved (including Channing Tatum as Agent Tequila, and Julianne Moore as Poppy.)
This time, Eggsy and the other Kingsmen take on a mission which involves defeating a drug lord, when it's discovered that a former Kingsman trainee named Charlie Hesketh is tied to the cartel. The action takes place one year after the first film, and now Eggsy is using the codename 'Galahad,' and is living with the Princess of Sweden, who he's in a relationship with.
In short, The Golden Circle is very similar to the first in the series. The madcap story is there, the tongue-in-cheek comedy and laddish humour are there, and the stylish and fast-paced action sequences are there. As a sequel, it works very well. For Eggsy, the stakes are higher, and there's a real sense of adventure in all of the globetrotting and punchy storytelling.
The main thing I liked about this film is that it's completely ridiculous, but everyone involved knows and they all run with it. There are moments when things happen which seem implausible, even when compared to the film's insane plot and gargantuan set-pieces, but even if you notice these things, it's difficult to care when the film moves so quickly and in such an entertaining way.
If I was to name any problem with the film, it would be that sometimes the humour falls a little flat and as a result of that one or two scenes drag slightly, but in a film with a two hour and twenty minute running time, it's pretty easy to forgive.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is far from being a perfect film, but it's very unique and the action scenes are entertaining and well-choreographed, if not a little style-over-substance on occasion. You shouldn't go into this expecting a future classic, but it's a fairly enjoyable film and you'll most likely get something out of it, especially if you're a fan of the first Kingsman film.
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