Review: 'The King's Man' is a thrill ride for the ages

Posted Friday, February 25, 2022 at 3:34 PM Central
Last updated Friday, February 25, 2022 at 3:36 PM Central

by John Couture

When Kingsman: The Secret Service came out in 2015, I had no expectations whatsoever. I was a huge fan of Kick-Ass, so I was already pumped for the next big thing from promising young filmmaker Matthew Vaughn.

What transpired was something that I don't think most audiences were prepared to experience. Combining the ultra violence from Kick-Ass and the comic book world in general with the genteel world of James Bond was such a massive hit that a sequel was a given.

When Kingsman: The Golden Circle kept the good times rolling, it was inevitable that more Kingsman were soon to see the light of day but I doubt many envisioned the direction that Vaughn would take the franchise.

Enter The King's Man. Gone are the stars of the franchise Colin Firth and Taron Egerton, but in their stead were historical figures such as Rasputin, King George and Tsar Nicholas. The results were much the same as the first two movies, even if the pandemic-suppressed box office didn't show the same support as it did for the previous two films.

As a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather to plot a war to wipe out millions, one man must race against time to stop them. Discover the origins of the very first independent intelligence agency in The King's Man.

If there's one evil historical figure that has sort of been underserved on the big screen lately, it's Rasputin. The cleric, monk, con-man who certainly had his hands all over World War I and some say that his death led directly to the Bolshevik Revolution, is as much of a curiosity as he is an enigma.

In short, he was the perfect historical figure to serve as the antagonist in Vaughn's latest thriller. Also, World War II has been oversaturated in modern films with little to no attention given to World War I. Sure, there have stand alone films here and there, but to set a massive "what if" historical fiction action thriller at the precipice of war in Europe is a daring move and one that paid off spectacularly.

Rhys Ifans was tapped to play Rasputin and initially I balked at the idea of the wiry comedian playing such a complex character, but my concerns were ill-founded. Known more for being comedic relief, Rhys had to rely upon his dramatic chops for Rasputin and he smashed it out of the park.

Don't get me wrong, Rasputin does have a bit of comic relief and The King's Man lives up to the comic brilliance of its predecessors, but Rhys took his ability up a notch and the movie is all the better for it. He owned the role so much that I really can't imagine another actor that I would rather see play Rasputin now.

And the acting accolades don't end there.

Continuing the paternal theme of the first two Kingsman films, Ralph Fiennes plays the wisened old spy who passes the secret lineage down to Harris Dickinson. Much like Taron Egerton when he did the first film, Harris is a relative newcomer (especially to American audiences), but he's no slouch.

Both Fiennes and Dickinson channel the same energy from the first two movies and the results speak for themselves. Their onscreen chemistry helps to sell the absurd action to an audience who is too afraid to breathe lest they miss an important beat.

While it's hard to say with Dickinson's path will continue along the same superstardom trajectory that Egerton's did following his Kingsman films, I wouldn't bet against it. There's just something about these roles that resonate with audiences.

With a true sequel to the first two Kingsman films in the works for next year, it remains to be seen if we will see any more films set in the past. But, given the success of The King's Man and how the story is left, something tells me that we might see some of the Kingsman antics in World War II.

And really, do you think Matthew Vaughn would pass up the opportunity to enjoy some ultra-violence at Hitler's expense? Me neither.

The King's Man is now available on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD.