If you thought that “Kingsman: The Secret Service” was bloody good (emphasis on the bloody), “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is very much like the first movie. If anything, it’s shinier, funnier, and more action-packed!
Based on a comic book series created by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, “Kingsman” tells the story of a covert group of British secret agents saving the world from a global disaster. While “The Secret Service” centred on a young chap named Gary “Eggsy” Unwin getting inducted into the secret organisation, “The Golden Circle” sees him as a full-fledged Kingsman agent.
The official synopsis is as follows:
“With their headquarters destroyed and the world held hostage, members of Kingsman find new allies when they discover a spy organisation in the United States known as Statesman. In an adventure that tests their strength and wits, the elite secret agents from both sides of the pond band together to battle a ruthless enemy and save the day, something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy.”
To pump up your excitement, here are our highlights from watching the 2nd instalment – everything from our favourite character, thoughts on the big bad, and the future of this franchise. Do note that there may be some minor spoilers, so read at your own risk.
1. The bombing of the headquarters is just the appetiser
Obliterated by a missile launch. Boom!
As seen in the trailer, this is what happens when the secret spy organisation is exposed. At the very beginning of the sequel, the Kingsmen are reduced to rubble. Quite a bold gambit, no? “It felt like the right thing to do. We’re not Bond, we do what feels right. We’re allowed to push the rules and reinvent things,” said director Matthew Vaughn.
2. What is The Golden Circle?
The Golden Circle is essentially a secret drug cartel that is situated on top of a mountain in the middle of an unknown jungle. The entire area is adorned with the retro 1950s vibe. The organisation keeps the identity of their henchmen a secret by eliminating their finger prints and having their teeth filed down. Plus, the wrong-doers also have an expensive tattoo of a circle made of 24-karat gold, hence, The Golden Circle.
Unbeknownst to the President of United States and the rest of the world, The Golden Circle has already become a monopoly on the industry of illegal substances. This brings us to the next point – who’s the head honcho?
3. Poppy is one cray cray villain
Described as “Martha Stewart on crack”, the ruthless Poppy (played by Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore) is the criminal mastermind behind The Golden Circle. Poppy has a pleasant demeanour and near constant smile, but don’t be fooled by her Stepford Wives persona. She’s stone cold evil and her psychopathic punishments reflects her brutal intentions as well as her intelligence.
This villainous character is vastly different than the one Samuel L. Jackson played. Jackson was quite memorable as Richmond Valentine, the genocidal bleeding heart who wasn’t morally right but had a point. In comparison, Moore’s Poppy is more intimidating. Speaking of which, she also has 2 vicious robot dogs named Bennie and Jet.
4. Eggsy is going to need some help
The American side of the Kingsman coin: meet the Statesman. pic.twitter.com/R290utL3gg
— The King's Man (@KingsmanMovie) July 17, 2017
Saddle up with the Statesman, #Kingsman’s American cousins. pic.twitter.com/QW8bO0blXT
— The King's Man (@KingsmanMovie) August 28, 2017
After the annihilation of the British headquarters, Eggsy (played by Taron Egerton) and Merlin (played by Mark Strong) must figure out their next move. They decide to team up with their American counterparts in the Statesman.
Led by their leader Champ (played by Jeff Bridges), who likes tossing his hat, the USA team consists of Southern secret agent Tequila (played by Channing Tatum), whip-cracking cowboy Whiskey (played by Pedro Pascal), and tech guru Ginger Ale (played by Halle Berry), who’s basically the female version of Merlin.
So what happens when the UK meets USA? According to Vaughn, the result is “a healthy rivalry with cultural clashes”. The filmmaker continued, “There’s a great line that Churchill said about America: The only thing we really have in common between England and America is the language, and even that’s debatable”.
5. Someone is back from the dead
Oh yes peeps, Harry Hart is definitely back!
After Colin Firth’s character was seemingly killed off in the first film, his return was confirmed via a teaser poster. Subsequently, the Kingsman’s number one secret agent was also revealed in the trailer wearing an eyepatch over the eye he was shot at. Harry is back, but he’s not the Harry we knew. To quote Vaughn, “He’s Harry Hart, but he ain’t Galahad”.
6. “Kingsman 2” will also bring back this key character
People don’t seem to stay dead do they?
Antagonist Charlie Hesketh (played by Edward Holcroft) will return as Eggsy’s stuck-up nemesis. If you recall, Charlie and Eggsy were always at odds with one another during their Kingsman training. However, he was sent home after failing a crucial test, but later reappeared at Valentine’s party. This time, he’s back with a shaven head and an amazing new robotic arm. Better watch out Eggsy!
7. Believe it or not, Elton John is our favourite character in the sequel
You heard us right. Elton John is playing himself in “The Golden Circle”. Many would presume that the Grammy winner’s appearance is just a cameo, but he actually has a significant role.
Vaughn initially wanted to include the legendary musician in the first movie. “I had an idea of, ‘Who’s the worst celebrity you’d want to have locked in a cell?’ And I came up with Elton John, and having Elton John throwing these huge tantrums. And then I wanted to do an action scene of Elton John kicking the living daylights out of people,” he said. Thankfully, audiences will get to see a whole lot of this flamboyant pop star in this film.
8. “Kingsman 2” will feature a deleted scene from “The Secret Service”
In speaking with Den of Geek, Egerton revealed that the “Kingsman” sequel will be utilising a deleted scene from the first movie. “Matthew (Vaughn) knows and likes Elton, and knows that he brings something that fits the tone of the ‘Kingsman’ world. I think I can say that there’s a deleted scene from the first one, that I personally thought shouldn’t have been cut, and that’s now in the 2nd film. But what it is… I don’t think I can say,” the 27-year-old Brit told the publication.
We’ll leave it to you to figure out exactly which scene is Egerton referring to.
9. The Lego remake of the “The Golden Circle” is absolutely awesome
Last week, Huxley Berg Studios released a Lego recreation of “The Golden Circle” red band trailer and it even included the dramatic car chase scene. The execution and effects were spot on. After watching the impressive fan-made trailer, would you be interested in a full animated sequence of “Kingsman”?
10. “Kingsman 3” is already planned
Wait what? Is “Kingsman” a trilogy?
Most franchises don’t end at 2 films, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that 20th Century Fox already have plans for “Kingsman 3”. In a recent interview, Vaughn shared that he has already written the first draft of the screenplay for the 3rd instalment. “When we were writing it, we were thinking about ‘Kingsman 3’ too. This is the bridge, if we can pull it off and get to make another one,” the director was quoted as saying. Of course, the primary factor will be the box office.
Enjoy the trailer:
“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” debuts on 21st September 2017.
For more information, hit up the movie’s website and Facebook page.
Sources: Empire Online, /Film, Screen Rant (1)(2), Movie Web (1)(2)/ Featured image: Fox.
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