The King’s Man
20th Century StudiosMatthew Vaughn’s The King’s Man is a roaring prequel to his previous films Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Set amid World War One, The King’s Man tells the origin story of the Kingsman, an independent secret intelligence service, as they operate in the shadows to help Britain win the war.
After his wife is killed in an ambush by Boer rebels outside a British-run concentration camp during the South African War, Duke Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) vows to keep his wife’s dying wish that their son would never see war again. As a patron of the Red Cross and self-proclaimed pacifist, Oxford is immensely protective of his only son Conard (Harris Dickinson), much to the now-adult Conard’s chagrin. With the First World War on the near-horizon, father and son butt heads as Oxford wishes to keep Conrad away from the front lines, while Conrad feels compelled to do his duty and serve his country. In order to prevent Conrad from enlisting, Oxford reveals his secret international network of gossiping servants in key locations throughout Europe, the precursor of the Kingsman intelligence service. Together Orlando Oxford and his son Conrad set out to assassinate Grigori Rasputin (Rhys Ifans), to keep Russia in the war and on Britain’s side.
By far the best thing about The King’s Man is how well the actual historical record is weaved into the Kingsman universe. The film takes key events from World War One – such as the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, among others – and ties them into the world of the Kingsman characters. A huge variety of iconic historical figures that played a role in the First World War, such as Lord Kitchener (Charles Dance) and Gavrillo Princip (Joel Basman), make appearances and greatly influence the film’s narrative. The spin on the history is unique, playing into conspiracies theories on the outbreak of the war, such as a shadow group of tyrants orchestrated the entire war and using heads of states as puppets for their gains.
Rhys Ifans is the biggest standout as Grigori Rasputin, playing into the crazy stories about the Russian monk with alleged healing powers and his wildly sexual habits. Ifans makes Rasputin out to be a diabolical snake of a man, while also providing a ton of comic relief and unique action sequences, as he incorporates ballet into Rasputin’s sword fighting. Tom Hollander plays triple-duty in The King’s Man as he is smartly used to portray cousins mediator King George, passive Tsar Nicholas and crazed Kaiser Wilhelm. It is genuinely just fun to see all of these historical figures used in the film, the narrative stays true to the actual history while putting a spin on it.
The King’s Man’s fictional characters are just as captivating, with Ralph Fiennes helming the ship. Fiennes’ character of Oxford is the heart of the film, as it is him that is leading the blossoming intelligence network while also trying to protect his son. He is being pulled in two opposite directions, trying to keep his vows to his wife and himself, while also doing what he must to end the war. Oxford is backed up by his two servants, the spunky Polly (Gemma Arterton) and the loyal Sholo (Djimon Hounsou), but it is his relationship with his son Conrad that is the standout. The way their bond shifts throughout the film is masterfully crafted as Conrad tries to prove himself to his father.
Director Matthew Vaughn once again proves himself as a master of action sequences, delivering some unique swordfights, knife fights, and shootouts. Oxford’s sparring with Rasputin is one such standout, while another sequence in No Man’s Land pushes you to the edge of your seat with tension. Like most origin stories, The King’s Man screenplay does struggle with some pacing issues despite Vaughn’s and co-screenwriter Karl Gajdusek’s best efforts. The first act is relatively slow-paced as they take some time to set up the relationships of the Oxford household as well as illustrating the outbreak of World War One. The reveal in the finale is also quite a lot of fun as it plays into world history, but feels a little haphazard and rushed. The reveal of the true villain is not given enough time to breathe and is instead disposed of too quickly to feel truly satisfying.
Despite some issues, The King’s Man remains a brilliant origin story and cements itself as the best in the series. A post-credit scene hints that the Oxford story and its ties to tyrants of history may continue. The King’s Man is an incredibly amusing experience filled with action and history weaved into a uniquely good time.