Argylle (2024) - A King's Woman Can't Be a Kingslayer - 7/10 (15/02/24)

Do you know the difference between the movie Argylle and the song Kingslayer by Bring Me the Horizon and Babymetal? The former is tame, predictable and appealing while the latter is experimental, energetic and challenging. Argylle tells the story of a spy novel author who is suddenly torn into genuine secret agent business upon being attacked by strangers on a train and helped by a mysterious protector who seems to know her very well. This movie mixes slapstick situation comedy with mild romance. It combines dynamic action scenes with tense thriller elements. The film tells its intriguing own story yet makes numerous connections to the King's Man franchise.

Let's get the negative elements out of the way right from the start. This movie asks for a complete suspension of disbelief that goes even further than most fantasy and science-fiction movies in recent memory. That overwhelming element of constant exaggeration makes even the film's more serious scenes and tense sequences look inappropriately light-hearted and unintentionally funny. The connections with the King's Man franchise diminish the qualities of this movie and uncomfortably push it into an exhausting bigger picture. Especially the film's ending feels flawed and rushed in that regard just for the sake of promoting potential sequels.

On the positive side, this quirky movie provides energetic entertainment from start to finish. The characters are complex, intriguing and profound. The acting performances are convincing with Bryce Dallas Howard excelling as multi-faceted lead actress and Samuel L. Jackson oozing with charisma in his memorable role as former secret agency deputy director. The settings of this movie are particularly appealing and transition from the snow-covered Rocky Mountains of the United States of America to the urban density of London in England and sunny vineyards in southern France. The story comes around with multiple turns and twists, some being predictable while a few being genuine surprises. Lighting, sound and special effects have been executed with an impressive budget and great care as they are best enjoyed on the big screen. The film's soundtrack finds a balanced mixture of well-known classics and a few new tunes.

As you can read, Argylle has a lot more positive elements to offer than nagging downsides. Just be aware that this movie is connected to the King's Man franchise and that you should be familiar with said film series in order to enjoy this feature to the fullest. Furthermore, please understand that this movie is supposed to be the start of a trilogy and that watching this feature might make you feel obligated to view upcoming sequels as well. On its own however, Argylle finds an excellent mixture of humorous tones and serious sequences that should appeal to a wide audience from curious teenagers to seasoned genre experts. This movie thus offers wonderful entertainment for the whole family.