Movie Review: The King’s Man

The King’s Man is a prequel to the earlier films in the series that began with Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and continued with Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017). The release of this latest film in the series was delayed considerably due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is hard to understand exactly why the end product was ultimately released as it proves to be completely devoid of the wit and humor that made the first two films the unexpected gems that they were.

In The King’s Man, Orlando, the Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) promises his wife on her deathbed that he will keep their son safe. To do so, Orlando devotes his life to pacifism and guides his son to do the same. However, as World War I begins to gather momentum, pulling more and more countries into the mix, the now older Conrad (Harris Dickinson) feels the pull to serve his country against his father’s wishes and devises a way to serve on the front lines without his father’s consent.

Unbeknownst to Conrad though, Orlando is actually the architect of a network of spies sequestered in the service industry that might be the key to bringing the war to an early end. Orlando’s team, which includes his loyal servants Shola (Djimon Hounsou) and Polly (Gemma Arterton) – and eventually Conrad – ultimately end up being the only thing that may have a chance of stopping the nefarious plot orchestrated by the sinister Rasputin (Rhys Ifans) before the entire world descends into chaos.

Ralph Fiennes in “The King’s Man.” Photo Credit: © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

While the story feels, at least on the surface, as though it could be intriguing spy thriller, there is very little that is enacted throughout the film to make it such. Instead, the film straddles a blurry, often non-existent line between the traits of a straight-up action film and the more light-hearted tone of its predecessors with very little success. Although the screenplay by Karl Gajdusek and Matthew Vaughn (who also directed this and the previous two installments) does offer the occasional entertaining passage – a few of the moments on the well-executed battlefield are brief highlights of the film – everything else feels lackadaisical and unfocused.

None of the actors featured in the film fair any better than the story as they seem as though they are as befuddled by the hodge-podge of a film they are stuck in, as is everyone else. Ultimately, The King’s Man offers viewers very little of the charm, wit, and entertainment value that was far more plentiful in its predecessors.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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