This sequel finds Eggsy settling into a more comfortable role. He is set on having a romantic/long-term relationship with Tilde, a young princess he saved in the first Kingsman movie. One evening, Eggsy is attacked by a rejected Kingsman candidate who lost his arm in a skirmish with him in the failed attempt to destroy the world. Charlie Hesketh, the failed candidate, uses his cybernetic arm to access the Kingsman database to find all of the members and destroys the majority of them. Merlin and Eggsy are the only two Kingsman left because they were not at home or on Kingsman’s property when it was destroyed. While Merlin and Eggsy are commiserating over a bottle of whiskey, found in a secret doomsday safe, they find that they are not alone. They have a similar cousin-type organization in the United States who call themselves the “Statesman”. They travel to America to find that the whiskey company is a front for the Statesman.
They are initially greeted by a not so friendly agent Tequila (Channing Tatum) trying to uncover their true identity. After the Statesman realize that Eggsy and Merlin are legitimate, Champagne (Jeff Bridges) offers their services to help find out who destroyed the Kingsman and why. While at the Statesman’s lair, they come to find that Harry is still alive. (Spoiler from the first movie…Harry appeared to be killed when shot in the head.) Apparently, the Statesman have technology to heal damage from bullet wounds. Only problem is, Harry has amnesia and thinks he is a lepidopterist, a butterfly expert. Merlin and Eggsy will need him to remember who he is in order to help them save the world. Meanwhile, Tequila develops a mysterious blue rash that sends him into a manic state and Ginger Ale (Halle Berry), Merlin’s counterpart, is in a race to figure out what is wrong with Tequila.
Julianne Moore plays a psychotic Poppy Adams. Poppy is convinced that all recreational/illegal drugs should be legalized. In order to do this, she blackmails the US president. If he doesn’t convince world leaders, as well as the US, to remove the “war on drugs,” anyone who has a blue rash will die if not given an antidote. Anyone who has done drugs will have developed a blue rash due to tainting of the illegal substances that she sells. Poppy is currently in hiding and watching to see how her plan plays out on a world state. Charlie Hesketh is her right-hand man. The President publicly negotiates with Poppy but is secretly leaving everyone affected with the rash to die, essentially ending war on drugs. In his opinion, he feels that all drug users are “bad” and is willing to sacrifice millions.
Whiskey, a senior Statesman, is sent with the remaining Kingsman to help find the antidote. However, during a skirmish, the antidote is “accidentally” destroyed, and they have to go to “Poppyland,” Poppy’s lair, in order to release the antidote in time.
The Kingsman and Statesman have to work together in order to save the world. Not only is Tequila affected by the blue rash but so are other loved ones and friends. Will they be able to save them in time?
CRITIQUE:
I enjoyed this movie as much as I did the first one. We saw a lot of returning characters. It was clever how they named the Statesman agents. As with the first movie, I would NOT recommend to younger audiences. The action moments were VERY GRAPHIC and DISTURBING!!…yet cheesy for adults and older teens. (Almost comical!) Elton John makes a cameo in the movie as himself. There were also a few more twists in the movie that made it entertaining as well. John Denver fans will also have fun watching this movie.
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Colin Firth, Taron Edgerton, Mark Strong, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore
Review by Julie C.
This action/spy comedy starts out with a probationary secret service agent, Lee Unwin, sacrificing his life to save Harry Hart (Colin Firth) from certain death. Hart blames himself for the death and gives the widow and his young son a medal with a phone number on the back for assistance if needed.