The King’s Man – A Disappointingly Dull Prequel

Initially scheduled to be released on November 15th, 2019, the prequel for the Kingsman franchise was since rescheduled 5 more times but now, The King’s Man is now upon us. That being said, the question is do we still care after all this time? While the answer to that question is not for this reviewer to decide, this film has bits and pieces of what made the franchise what it was though for the most part, the film is essentially a shell of what the franchise used to be. In spite of a period setting, the film is a disappointment on so many levels that was still not without its moments. As with most prequels of popular franchises, it banks on their fans and their willingness to go back and learn more. Since the end result is already known, it has to present a compelling enough journey to that point. As far as this film was concerned, it was all about rushing to that inevitable moment with very little concern about how it got there.

As mentioned, The King’s Man is a prequel to the Kingsman franchise focusing on the creation of the titular independent intelligence agency as a result of the exploits of Duke Orlando Oxford (Fiennes). A disillusioned solider and current pacifist, all he wanted was to protect his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson), much to the detriment of their relationship. As the nation was on the brink of war, Orlando, an ally to England’s King George (Tom Hollander), saw his son slip further and further away over his dream to fight for his country. Unfortunately, the film throws audiences a lot in the way of moving parts and exposition in order set up the film world and a needlessly convoluted story which could easily get dull very quickly. Instead of being a fun, anti-Bond type of film, the film tries to be that and an anti-war commentary but fails at both.

Meanwhile, The King’s Man gave characters a bland villain to rally around, a leader of a cabal with a cringe-worthy Scottish accent who mostly hid in the shadows as his cronies did his dirty work. At the middle of everything, it doesn’t really matter what happens as the revolving door of bland villains over the course of the film barely move the needle in terms of excitement with the exception of the one revealed in the trailers, a ridiculous gypsy named Grigori Rasputin (Rhys Ifans). He was absolutely entertaining to watch but his time was criminally short in what was disappointing in and of itself based on his prominence in the trailers and the poster. At the end of the day, the dynamic between Orlando and Conrad keeps the film going albeit barely if only as a means to push the former forward, leading to a much better second half.

That second half saw Orlando Oxford and his team, including a maid named Polly (Arterton) and his servant and confidant Shola (Hounsou). That dynamic was by far the best part of the film and The King’s Man would have been much better if it was just about them (though we may get that depending on this film’s success however the film’s 5 previous delays may suggest otherwise). They were a blast to watch as was Orlando’s character arc despite it being rushed. This was primarily due to Fiennes’ magnetic performance as Orlando while Arterton and Hounsou were delights as Polly and Shola. Fiennes’ charm and charisma made for such a compelling character to watch and connect with. The few action sequences were great and well-shot but were even better with him taking part.

At the end of the day, The King’s Man has the pieces but is an overall misfire. Who would have pegged Ralph Fiennes as an action star?

still courtesy of 20th Century Studios

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.