'The Kingsman' awkward delivery of a near perfect origin

The Kingsman is one of the unique spy film franchises. The plot involves highly trained spies working to protect global peace when the democrats are failing; with a touch of tragedy and hopeful drama.

It certainly isn’t something like James Bond or Jason Bourne but it is still unique and fun in all its right. With that being said, the first two films Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle left a gap in the story without detailed explanation. The origin of Kingsman, which is always highly anticipated, was never broadly explored except for the little hints outlined in the first movie.

The King’s Man is a prequel to the first two films in the Kingsman franchise. The origin of Kingsman was highly anticipated, since it was never fully explored in previous instalments. With completely new characters and introduction, the movie did not quite live up to the hype.

Synopsis

The story takes place during the inception of World War I. Monarchs are waging war against each other and their men lay out their lives mindlessly for their country. The duke of Oxford is one of the men who fought and killed for his country but he later found peace in saving lives rather than taking them. The lives lost here will lead to the creation of the Kingsman Secret Service.

Insight

The film bore a lot of potential. The basic plot is a near perfect origin story. Looking back at the first Kingsman movie, those acquainted can remember that the agency was created by aristocrats who lost those close to them in war. The objective of Kingsman was said to avert possible war using espionage tactics. 2021’s prequel The King’s Man follows this narrative to set up its story. Along with the usual action sequences to fit the tone of the other two movies of the franchise, the plot involves political elements which is a new feature. The political aspects were imbued by using key historical figures from major nations involved in World War 1. While the basic facts from history were intact, details and intricacies were vastly altered.

Surprisingly, for the majority of its runtime, “The King’s Man” is a more classic take on a spy film, focused on intrigue and espionage rather than gadgets and explosives. It also stars Ralph Fiennes, who in another world could have become Bond, and who always gives his best, even when a film doesn’t know what to do with him. However good the premises may have been, it all boils down to the storytelling being too cramped.

Without a doubt, 2021’s The King’s Man is a film with great potential. Audiences are bound to have a great time if they are looking for mindless action, silly humour and a bit of drama. However, looking at it from a cinematic point of view, the movie falls short of delivering the perfect origin despite having a near perfect plot.