The King's Man (2021)

The King's Man (2021)

 

 6/10

 Starring

Ralph Fiennes

Gemma Arterton

Rhys Ifans

Matthew Goode

 

 

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

 

The King’s Man prequel decides to start with a very detailed and long introduction to why the King’s Man act in the shadow and to what drives it. The head of the organisation Orlando (Ralph Fiennes) is the man who started the organization to stop things before they happen.

Although I believe the movie is very good and worthy to be part of the King’s Man movie franchise, I also believe the writers and producers did waste so much time in making this movie too long for comfort. Then also adding too many layers that does not matter in a bit. We watch the King’s Man movies because of the surprise the characters divulge on screen and the action with gadgets that in my sense of view rivals that of the James Bond franchise. You will have to wait for more than fifty minutes before such character surprise is seen when Rasputin takes on Orlando, his son, and the people in his keep.

This long intro of what made Orlando become more of a pacifist started with the death of his wife in front of their son Conrad. These actions led him to build his little spy net made up of house helps and having secret meetings with military heads in a tailor shop known as King’s Man. The shop was seen as the only safe place to discuss critical issues concerning the nations without being overheard by anyone. He had in his employ two people from his household who are responsible for the wellbeing of his son. Orlando became very protective of his son not wanting him to go anywhere for the fear of his life. But brewing in the corners are men building together their own organization which they tend to use to disrupt things and start a war which will have Germany, Russia, and the British empire pit against one another.

A trip with his son had them present to witness firsthand the assassination of the heir of the Austrian throne.

As movies like this go, as Orlando and his group were working behind the scenes to keep the peace, Conrad wanted so much to be a soldier and when he was of age he got drafted against his father’s wishes.

At this point much of the film has delved into an action thriller. Situations beyond Orlando’s control led to him setting up the King’s Man organization using the names of the knights in the King Arthur’s round table in honor of the dearly parted.

The movie did open a nice door to what I will see as a good way to walk your way from the past to the present King’s Man movies. I can see them doing more movies in between here and the first King’s Man movie. Problem is I hope they learn a little and try to make best of the time instead of dropping us into one of the most needless tales of how some men are trying to start a war and instead summarize all these plans in like the first ten minutes of the rather than the over forty-five minutes here and give us more of the actions King’s Man is known for.