After multiple delays, the third movie in the Kingsman franchise is just weeks away from arriving. However, rather than follow up on what went down in 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle (not to worry though, a direct sequel is on the way), our next adventure in this action-packed world will be set a century earlier, with The King’s Man showing how the title spy organization was formed during World War I. Well, the first reactions for the latest Kingsman entry have arrived, and it sounds like this prequel is a mixed cinematic offering among the early viewers.
Starting off, CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes counts himself among the biggest supporters for The King’s Man, noting that while there are tonal difference between the prequel and its predecessors, there’s plenty to enjoy in the movie, including Ralph Fiennes’ performance as Orlando, Duke of Oxford.
#TheKingsMan ABSOLUTELY SLAPS! A little more serious than the first two, but still enough bawdy humor and insanely fun action to bring it home. Also, Ralph Fiennes is now M AND Bond, and it’s thrilling to no end. If you’re already a Kingsman fan, this is still your jam. pic.twitter.com/BjQ7NtNNOVDecember 6, 2021
Then there are the folks who thought that The King’s Man was a middle-tier movie at best. In other words, while you may find it better than Kingsman: The Golden Circle, that doesn’t mean it will come close to the kind of warm reception Kingsman: The Secret Service earned.
#TheKingsMan: Feels like 3 tonally different movies in 1. Some of it’s good (loved the fight scenes), some of it’s weird (Rhys Ifans makes some CHOICES here), & some of it’s bad (plot takes a while to get going). Better than the awful Kingsman 2, not as good as the original. pic.twitter.com/GxPTZPzxWzDecember 6, 2021
Still, not everyone is going to walk out of The King’s Man and have any praise to throw in its direction. For instance, take the below commentary about how it didn’t do enough to strengthen the Kingsman world and was ultimately a forgettable product.
I was not a fan of The King’s Man. I love the first two films & Vaughn’s work overall but this prequel doesn’t particularly enrich that mythology. The action is fun when it happens but there isn’t a ton and the story is awkwardly disjointed. I forgot about it the moment it ended pic.twitter.com/0Wu9RQLqIsDecember 6, 2021
But as mentioned earlier, The King’s Man is being met with more mixed reception rather than full-blown derision. Among the movie’s highlights mentioned in various tweets is Rhys Ifans’ performance as Grigori Rasputin.
Saw #TheKingsMan a while back. Don’t have a lot positive to say, but Rhys Ifans’ Rasputin is spectacular. Just so slippery and slimy you wanna spread him on old toast. The squat dance fighting and vomit (yep) is especially fun, but…exactly as it sounds. YMMV. pic.twitter.com/2QUeB5nN1UDecember 6, 2021
So yes, The King’s Man is certainly not without its issues, but depending on how invested you are in the Kingsman franchise or are simply looking for an action movie to enjoy on the big screen, there might be enough entertaining elements to make it worth your while.
The King’s Man blends real-life history to the heightened Kingsman world to mostly successful results. At times, the story meanders, but there’s genuine surprises, three Tom Hollander performances and Rhys Ifans being outrageous as Rasputin. What more do you want? #TheKingsMan pic.twitter.com/JafaRODzP5December 6, 2021
These are just a handful of the early reactions for 20th Century Studios’ The King’s Man that are out now, so feel free to browse around Twitter to learn what others thought of the movie. In addition to the aforementioned Ralph Fiennes and Rhys Ifans, the prequel’s cast also includes Harris Dickinson, Gemma Arterton, Djimon Honsou, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Daniel Brühl, Charles Dance and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Just like with the first two Kingsman movies, Matthew Vaughn directed and co-wrote the script, though this time around, Karl Gajdusek was his writing partner rather than Jane Goldman.
You’ll be able to judge The King’s Man for yourself when it arrives in theaters on December 22, but keep an eye out for CinemaBlend’s full review beforehand. For those of you looking further ahead into the future, read through our 2022 release schedule to see which of next year’s movies catch your eye.