With some jokes not landing as effectively, unconvincing CGI, spyfilm cliches, complicated plot and a hideously long runtime, has very little going for it
A successful espionage novel author gets sucked into the world of spies when her story plots mirror the actions of a reallife spy organisation also leave you wondering how they will unravel the knots. I even got reminded of the 2016 film Colossal, where an unemployed writer unwittingly manifests a giant creature who wrecks Seoul based on the exact actions of the writer.
Argylle, unfortunately, loses its steam when it starts answering the multiple questions it raises in the first half. The film tries to be everything from a globetrotting
James Bondish thriller while also taking jabs at how convenient things get in films of those genres. Argylle sports one of the best ensembles in recent times, featuring names like Henry Cavill, Bryan Cranston, Dua Lipa, John Cena, and Samuel L Jackson. But almost all of them are reduced to mere cameos or tertiary roles that feature them in onedimensional characters. The wacky yet intriguing initial sequences shouldered by Vaughn’s wonderful visual language rake in a good level of suspense, but soon, they wear out thanks to disappointing twists and deficient content.
Despite a tease on how the following films from this franchise can share the universe with the Kingsman franchise,
Argylle is a far cry from the comparatively wellrounded and vastly entertaining Kingsman films. Though Argylle has all the tropes one would expect from a Vaughn film, they do not come together as seamlessly as his previous works. With some jokes not landing as effectively as they had to, unconvincing CGI, spyfilm cliches, an unnecessarily complicated plot, and a hideously long runtime, the film has very little going for it. While the state of the planned franchise is unsure, it’s safe to say that another entry to the
Kingsman franchise would be a muchwelcomed addition instead. Sometimes, it’s alright to judge a book by its cover.
Argylle is currently running in theatres