THE KING’S MAN – Rated R – 2h 10m

This Review is brought to you by Kathy Kaiser

DIRECTOR:  Matthew Vaughn

WRITERS:  Matthew Vaughn, Kari Gajdusek

Based on the comic book THE SECRET SERVICE by Mark Millar

STARRING:  Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Harris Dickinson, Djimon Hounsou

As this prequal begins, we find our favorite Kingsman, Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes), as a young family man, with his wife, and young son Conrad (Alexander Shaw) in tow.  When war breaks out, Orlando finds himself raising his young son alone, becoming the over-protective parent most children dread.  And as Conrad (Harris Dickinson) grows, he longs to serve his country as the war in Europe rages on. 

Orlando is reminded by his dear friend and comrade Shola (Djimon Hounsou) and his housekeeper Polly (Gemma Arterton), that he must let Conrad live his life, as he is now a grown man. 

And all awhile Orlando is dealing with this, it seems that behind the scenes someone is rallying his own troops to take care of anyone who stands in their way, as this nemesis wages war on the Kings of England, Russia, and Germany. 

When tragedy strikes Orlando yet again, he has no choice but to form his own Secret Service agency, aiding and assisting the King of England, and his forces against the darkness that surrounds them.

And as the war continues to rage on, the only question is…where oh where will we find the King’s secret service agents popping up next???

I give The King’s Man a rating of 3.5/5:  This prequel is soooo much better than the 2017 sequel, as this one my friends is not only very entertaining, but it ends up coming pretty close to the original, with its fabulous storyline and action-packed sequences, as we learn exactly how the Kingsmen came to be.   The acting throughout is superb as well, as Fiennes reprises one of my favorite roles he has played as of late, as the head of the Kingsmen, Orlando Oxford.  His comrade and bodyguard Shola, played by the wonderful Djimon Hounsou, adds just the right dimension throughout this film, as his loyalty to Orlando, and Orlando’s son, come shining through.  Newcomers this time around – Polly the maid, played by Gemma Arterton and Orlando’s son Conrad, played by Harris Dickinson, are the perfect additions to bring a lot of life and depth to this prequal too.  If you thoroughly enjoyed 2014’s KINGSMAN: The Secret Service like I did, then this one is a definite MUST SEE at a theater near you, as it combines the action and adventure portrayed in the original film, and adds a deep sense of historical significance, and utter ambiance on how the Kingsmen came to be.  And as luck would have it, the man at my house wanted to join me to see this one too, which hardly every happens, and he was intrigued as I was to see if this prequel could outshine the horrific sequel, and he agreed with me, that it most certainly did! And even if you weren’t totally enamored by the original film, but you are intrigued by this new take on how it all began, you will have to head to a theater near you as The King’s Man is only being released in theaters starting Wednesday 12/22, for everyone to see, so gather those action loving family members of yours and head out to see exactly how Kingsmen, came to be!

3.5/5