‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Misses Most Important Parts of Predecessor Outside of Shock Value

Until now, Matthew Vaughn has avoided directing sequels to his own films. He was in line to change this by directing X-Men: Days of Future Past, after directing X-Men: First Class, but jumped ship to reportedly make the first film in this series happen before someone beat him to the idea. The decision paid off for everyone involved as Kingsman: The Secret Service was a surprise hit and won big in the box office. The combination beautifully depicted fight scenes and big performances proved potent. Luckily, both of these are also present in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Unfortunately, the sequel lacks the human element that made audiences fall in love the first time around while ignoring the clear flaws. After becoming an official Kingsman in the first film, Gary “Eggsy” Unwin is now a seasoned agent in the revitalized organization. He’s in a relationship with the princess he – um, *cough*– got acquainted with the last time we saw him. The happy times don’t last long, however, as a plot to destroy the organization quickly goes into effect. This requires Eggsy and Merlin to find reinforcements in The Statesmen, a U.S. organization similar to their own. Y’know, if you switch out the suits, oxfords and Arthurian code names for boot-cut jeans, cowboy boots, and code names like “Tequila,” “Ginger Ale” and “Champagne.” *shivers* The film is still fun to watch, especially the last half which is full of the kinds of action scenes that stole the show. Although, it should be stated nothin…