The King’s Man  ★★★

MATTHEW Vaughan seems to want his cake and to eat it as well.

His first two Kingsmen films – 2014’s Kingsman: The Secret Service and 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle – were entertaining action/comedy romps that didn’t take themselves seriously at all.

But the third film, 2021’s The King’s Man, is a little different and suffers as a result.

Vaughn again directed and co-wrote the screenplay for this prequel to the other films and it largely follows the same formula.

But the main character in this film is problematic. British aristocrat Orlando, Duke of Oxford, constantly purports to be a committed pacifist yet is engaged in a hell of a lot of violence during the course of the film.

Vaughan himself seems to be wanting the franchise to make a serious statement about the horrors and futility of war, but revels in high level of violent, comedic action.

This results in an imbalance in tone that detracts from the good decision to re-write history ala Tarantino style for comedic effect.

In Vaughan’s lead-up to the outbreak of World War I, an evil Scottish-sounding uber-villain holds court with the likes of Rasputin, Mata Hari and other assorted mad figures whom he sends out to manipulate the leaders of Germany, Britain, Austria, Russia and the United States.

The aim seems to be to just create chaos and mass murder just for the sake of it, but perhaps the Scot has a specific target for revenge. If so, then it’s like taking a sledge hammer to a walnut.

Facing off against the bad guys is the Duke and his dashing son Conrad whom he is allegedly trying to shield from entering any kind of activity that might get him killed, as a promise to their dying wife and mother.

One of the best aspects of the film is the cast with Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander playing three roles, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance and Stanley Tucci all having a lot of fun.

The star performer is Ifans playing Rasputin as a crazed, sex-obsessed lunatic with a God complex amped up to 11. His extended fight scene with the Duke and others is one of the film’s highlights along with the final confrontation which takes place, below, above and atop the super-villain’s mountain lair.

Make sure you stay for the mid-credits stinger which gives an enticing glimpse of characters that may take center stage in another instalment.