Kingsman: The Golden Circle 2017

     The first film Kingman: The Secret Service of 2015 was based on a comic book.  A psychotic criminal Poppy Adams blows up the headquarters for the Kingsman.  She is a dealer on the black market for many different type of illegal drugs.  The remaining Kingman agents flee to an allied secret organization based in Kentucky called Statesman.  The Kingsman and the Statesman groups will work together against the Golden Circle headed by Poppy.  Her most recent action is to lace her drugs with a toxin that first causes a blue rash to appear on her drug clients.  The next stage for the client is paralysis and then death.  Poppy is offering an antidote to the world if the President of the United States ends his country’s war on drugs.  She also wants her cartel to have immunity from prosecution.  The President believes it will be a blessing to have all illegal drug users disappear from the planet??

     My first comment is that Halle Berry as character Ginger Ale working for the Kingsman should’ve asked for a much better wig!!  I could say a LOT of things about it but I will restrain myself.  There is a LOT of action in this film and somewhat seems like a Bond film?  There is a LOT of CGI and there are some complaints that it is terrible.  Their preference would be hand to hand action instead.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

141 min, Action directed by Matthew Vaughn with Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Gordon Alexander, Hanna Alstrom, Calvin Demba, Thomas Turgoose, Tobi Bakare, Julianne Moore, Keith Allen, Michael Gambon.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, 52% critic 66% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1*, Amazon 3* with 776 reviews, Metacritc 44 out of 100 with 44 critics 6.5 out of 10 with 409 reviews, Empireonline 4* of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in Surrey, London, Herforshire, Birmingham, England, UK; Valle d’Aosta and Mont Blanc, Alps, Italy; South Glamorgan, Whales, UK; Schwerin, Germany; Italy.  Bjorn Granath has the role as the King of Sweden and this is his last film.  He passed away in early 2017 after a short illness.  Director Matthew Vaughn revealed that there will be a third Kingman film.  The villain will be Dwayne Johnson and there may also be a Statesman spin-off.  The original cut had a run-time of three hours and forty minutes.  FOX asked Vaughn if he wanted to split the movie into two separate films?  He said no and edited out 79 minutes.  Julianne Moore said she based her character portrayal on Gene Hackman’s performance as Lex Luthor in the Superman films.  Estimated production budget was $104 million with a worldwide gross of $410.8 million for a profit of  $306.8 million.  Nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film with results pending.