A Prequel Not Bogged Down by Franchise Woes and Stands On Its Own (The King's Man)

Action director, Matthew Vaughn, returns to the helm the prequel The King's Man, a period piece foretelling the founding of the Kingsman spy organization apart of the franchise of the same name that made Taron Egerton a household name. Unlike the predecessors, this prequel takes place in the early 1900s, taking place during the First World War featuring characters audiences aren't familiar with. Luckily, the actors portraying this new ensemble are recognizable as well as trustworthy to get us invested with developments, whether it's through narrative or the characters themselves.

Fans of The Secret Service and The Golden Circle will find this origin story entertaining but hard to say when it comes to newcomers especially since a considerable chunk of the opening 20 to 30 minutes spends most of its time setting up a lot, especially when it comes to characters and their motivations. After many delays caused by the pandemic, audiences might have lost interest in waiting for this feature that some might have given up. Unfortunately, those who lost interest and didn't make up the chance to catch this on the big screen is a regret one cannot take back.

Although it starts off slow, The King's Man is fun. When watching this prequel, it almost seems like the film wasn't part of such a franchise due to its period theme as it mostly bears resemblance to most war films. However, the spy elements are subtle but present. We cannot expect much from these characters since they are barely at a beginning of an espionage intelligence group but the spy thriller elements may lack, it still pays off the genre classically by the third act. 

When it comes to our franchise newcomers, Ralph Fiennes is the overprotective father we all need. After rewatching the Harry Potter movies recently, it almost seems that Fiennes has been typecasted as a maniacal villain but this time around, he takes such a warm 360 turn. I am slightly disappointed with Gemma Arterton's inclusion in the film but if there is a sequel to the prequel, exploring her capabilities would be one hell of a treat. Teasing her badassery in the minuscule efforts was unfortunate but seeing her on the big screen once again was a blessing nonetheless. Hard to say the same with Djimon Honsou. This guy seems to be everywhere these days, blockbuster wise and he tends to be given such memorable roles, whether a supporting or main one. 

The real highlight of this film is Rhys Ifans's portrayal as the notorious Rasputin. His inclusion in the film is limited but he manages to steal the screen in the most unconventional way possible (by unconventional I mean scandalous in the form of the Malaysian Censorship Board's understanding of the word). From my perspective, it's safe to say that from this scene onwards, the film picks up and provides the right amount of charm and comedy the previous Kingsman had, adhering to the freedom given with an R rating. 

When it comes to direction, King's Man does not feel like a Matthew Vaughn film, with the exception of the action scenes, of course. When it comes to comparing this film to the others in the franchise, this prequel feels less like a spy thriller but more like yet another fictional story set before, during, or after one of the World Wars. However, Vaughn's writing subtly reminds us of the film's main genre via the third and final act in a satisfying yet classical way.   

In a nutshell, The King's Man is a much different entry to the spy franchise, and it's all the more reason to catch it on the big screen, despite its seemingly unappealing first 20 minutes. Even if it sets up potential stories or hides easter eggs to analyze, The King's Man stands on its own as a memorable to either start 2022 or end 2021 (for me, it was the latter). Unfortunately, it might not be enjoyable for everyone due to its choice of pacing, considering since the other Kingsman films were action-packed and fun but do me a favor, don't leave the theater because of your comfort zones.