Kingsman: The Golden Circle Review

Summer might be over, but Kingsman: The Golden Circle is the big-ticket blockbuster we could have used a couple months ago, as it's easily one of the most enjoyable sequels / action pictures of the year.

Sequels are a difficult business, and everybody knows it. They're even harder to execute when your first time out was such a surprise success, much like director Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Secret Service was back in 2015. So here we are, with a new outing of a franchise that loves to wink and nod towards the cheekier side of James Bond's legacy, waiting for folks to determine whether this is a franchise worth building on, or something that needs to end rather quickly. Thankfully, I can say that Kingsman: The Golden Circle keeps the action cranked, the laughs fresh, and even injects more confidence into its proceedings, making for what Eggsy (Taron Egerton) himself might call a fucking proper blast.

One year after the events of Kingsman: The Secret Service, Eggsy (Taren Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) are thrown into the deep end, as someone has eliminated the rest of their fellow Kingsman agents. Following the Doomsday protocol, they hook up with the Statesman agency -- American counterparts who fancy a good whiskey and Southern hospitality. Together, they'll embark on a mission to stop a crazed drug lord (Julianne Moore) with some nasty plans to make herself known to the world.

There's a fair bit of repetition in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, as moments and scenarios from the first film are brought up, and sometimes relived with a slight variance in tow. For the most part, this doesn't kill the film's vibe, however it does give a bit of an air of "been there, done that" to some of the film's elements. That said, the humor of Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of Mark Millar's Secret Service comic is still very much intact. Even if we've seen some of this before, it's nice to be with characters that we grew to love in the original film.

It's even nicer to see that, especially in the case of Eggsy, the characters from Kingsman: The Secret Service have developed into even stronger identities this time around. Even Mark Strong's Merlin gets to have some fun, as his first field mission puts him right alongside Eggsy, and you can tell that Strong and his character are having a blast. But, of course, Kingsman: The Golden Circle isn't totally about revisiting old friends, as some new characters have entered the ring, as well.

The Statesman organization's presence gives us some fun performances from Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, and Halle Berry; though if there were an MVP for the American side of the action, it'd have to be Pedro Pascal. From the accent right down to the swagger in battle, Pascal's Whiskey (yes, with an 'e') is a rootin' tootin' ass kicker, and he makes it work as the one American agent with the most screen time. Though, to be fair, Tatum, Bridges, and Berry do so well in their bit parts, you kind of want a separate Statesman film to exist, just so they can have more fun on their own.

Of course, this isn't to say that Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a perfect film, as the one major hiccup comes from Julianne Moore's villain, Poppy. It's not that she's a bad antagonist. It's just that she seems a little more hands off than Samuel L. Jackson's Valentine was in Kingsman: The Secret Service. And while her villainy is operating in the background, pushing the plot forward, it would have been nice to see her get a little more action overall. Still, her sweetly evil demeanor is something to be admired, making her moments in the film a lot of fun to watch.

Ultimately, that's what Kingsman: The Golden Circle can be boiled down to: fun. Pure, unadulterated, high-octane fun that retains the laughs of Kingsman: The Secret Service, while amping up the action. The movie starts with a fight / chase scene that lights a fire under this film's ass, and keeps it running all throughout. By time the third act of brawling fun arrives, Vaughn's film has given us characters that are built to last, and action set-pieces that know how to throw punches, as well as carry a fantastic tune. Summer might be over, but Kingsman: The Golden Circle is the type of big-ticket blockbuster we could have used a couple months ago. It's easily one of the most enjoyable sequels / action pictures of the year.

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Lucy 2 Is Moving Forward, And It's All Thanks To Valerian

Luc Besson's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets put on a rather unfortunate performance at the box office this summer. Released in the middle of a very crowded season, the would-be blockbuster made only $40 million domestically, and even when international numbers are factored in they still make the $177.2 million budget look like a big mistake. Obviously this means that the chances of a sequel are basically zero, but apparently one follow-up that is moving forward as a result of Valerian tanking is Lucy 2.

Variety has published an article about how EuropaCorp - Luc Besson's production company - is rebounding following Valerian's box office flop, and apparently it involves a smaller slate and doubling down on the kind of movies that have earned them the big bucks in the past: sci-fi/action thrillers a la Taken, The Professional and The Fifth Element. While Besson's next project will be an original thriller with a female protagonist (production is scheduled to start next month), apparently he has already completed the script for Lucy 2, and EuropaCorp CEO Marc Shmuger has labeled the sequel as being in "active development."

In the first Lucy, released in 2014, Scarlett Johansson starred as the titular character - a woman who gets caught up in a dangerous smuggling effort thanks to her sketchy boyfriend. She has a new experimental drug surgically placed inside her, but plans go awry when she is hit in the stomach and the bag inside her bursts. Rather than killing her, it instead turns her into a superhero whose incredible powers grow in strength with each passing day.

Lucy 2 has actually been in the works since the summer of 2015, but it's worth noting that Luc Besson was not always very into the idea. While Lucy made an incredible amount of money when it was first released ($463 million globally), Besson dismissed the idea of a follow-up by saying that the blockbuster was "not made for that." (The film does end with Lucy leaving her human form behind the become one with the universe) Besson kept the sequel option open with a caveat, saying that a "good enough" idea could change his mind, but could see the performance of Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets making him a bit less captious.

Given the aforementioned ending of the first Lucy, we have no idea if Scarlett Johansson will return for the sequel - but given that Luc Besson seems to be pre-occupied with his other project, EuropaCorp has some time to work out a deal with the actress. She has recently been spending a whole lot of time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being a key part of the year-long Avengers: Infinity War/Avengers 4 production down in Atlanta, Georgia, but she doesn't seem to have much going on professionally beyond that.

We'll hopefully here more about Lucy 2's project in the near future, but for now answer our poll below and tell us what you think about the project moving forward!

Read more >> How The DCEU Is Treating Its Cinematic Universe Model After Wonder Woman

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How The DCEU Is Treating Its Cinematic Universe Model After Wonder Woman

The Marvel Cinematic Universe changed the superhero game with its creation of connected, live-action worlds, and other franchises have started to catch on. However, as other companies have proven less successful at establishing cohesion compared to the MCU, they have instead opted to branch out and try new things. One of the chief examples of that idea is DC, and following Wonder Woman's widespread acclaim, it sounds like the DCEU (while still very much a cinematic universe) will soon place less emphasis on shared narrative threads between films. DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson explained:

Our intention, certainly, moving forward is using the continuity to help make sure nothing is diverging in a way that doesn't make sense, but there's no insistence upon an overall storyline or interconnectivity in that universe.

Wonder Woman's success made it abundantly clear: a well-made standalone story can still sell tickets. The decision doesn't necessarily mean that DC is opting to turn the DCEU into a series of full-blown independent franchises -- that responsibility falls to the other, currently unnamed DC film banner. However, what it does mean is that future DC movies will have more in common with Wonder Woman than The Avengers with regards to continuity. Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne could still show up in a future Superman movie, or Ezra Miller's Barry Allen could pop up in an Aquaman film, but DC won't become too focused on weaving plot threads between these franchises.

Perhaps the best example from Wonder Woman comes through its tenuous (but still very much present) connection to other members of the DCEU. Although Batman doesn't appear in-person, the film makes an explicit reference to Bruce Wayne and his company by having his men deliver a package to Diana in Paris. He's out there; he's just not vital to this story.

Such a creative decision actually mirrors ideas that have been working in the pages of DC Comics for the last year. Upon the launch of the DC Rebirth line of stories, the comic book giant reduced the continuity between its different titles to focus on telling unique stories that work for each hero -- with the occasional crossover thrown in for good measure.

One of the biggest hopes with this creative push is that it will embolden directors to go all in on the DCEU and apply their own artistic mark to their films. Elsewhere in her conversation with Vulture about the shift, Diane Nelson continued:

Moving forward, you'll see the DC movie universe being a universe, but one that comes from the heart of the filmmaker who's creating them.

That filmmaker-driven approach is already something that makes DC considerably different from other superhero franchises. Only recently, Nightwing movie director Chris McKay touted DC Entertainment's willingness to take a more auteur-focused method, highlighting the A-list names that have signed on to DC projects. It makes sense in the long run; reduced emphasis on continuity increases creative freedom, and increased creative freedom brings in some of Hollywood's biggest names.

The DCEU will press forward with its biggest film yet when Justice League debuts on November 17, but looking beyond that, it sounds like we can look forward to far more insulated projects for the foreseeable future. If you're in the market for more up-to-date information on all of the most highly-anticipated films of the next year, then take a look at our 2017 movie premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide.

Read more >> Why Aquaman's Willem Dafoe Liked Working With James Wan

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Why Aquaman's Willem Dafoe Liked Working With James Wan

The DC Extended Universe is a funny place. Because while new movies are being announced at blinding speeds, there aren't a ton of concrete release dates or a schedule locked down. That is, except for the shared universe's next two installments. Because after Zack Snyder's Justice League hits theaters in November, James Wan's Aquaman will be the next down the pipeline. The film has been shooting for a few months, and some actors have been nearly the end of their time onset. Willem Dafoe recently wrapped his role in the blockbuster, and took the time to praise Wan's skill and vision as a director.

James Wan's great. He's great. I mean, because of the underwater [aspect of the movie] it's very complicated technically. But you see it in his films, he's very detail-oriented. He figures the cut. He's very precise. He's a real gifted filmmaker.

Willem Dafoe seems to really think highly of James Wan, which hopefully is a testament to the director's vision for Aquaman. After all, he's got a big task ahead of him.

Willem Dafoe's comments to Playlist seemingly confirms what audiences have thought about James Wan's work as a director for years. Anyone who has seen Wan's horror films like the Inception and Conjuring franchises can see that his vision is focused and deliberate. Those films and their respective creatures have a visual style that is unlike any other, and now it sounds like DC has given him free reign to explore with Aquaman.

Everyone involved in Aquaman have spoken to how technically complicated the shooting process is. Because the majority of the film is set underwater, the cast isn't able to use space and walk around as they normally would. Instead, there are rigging systems to ensure that they appear to be floating. This makes even the smallest scene a technical hurdle, and should translate onto film very interestingly.

The illusion of floating underwater will also need a crap ton of visual effects. Each strand of hair and article of clothing must be in constant weightless motion, so the artists doing the CGI will have hours and hours of labor on their hands. All of this once again revolves around the specificity and detail-oriented nature of James Wan's filmmaking, and how all the moving pieces must assemble in order for Aquaman to function visually.

Considering just how many credits Willem Dafoe has on his resume, the high praise for James Wan speaks volumes. Dafoe has worked with the best in the business; so if he believes that Wan is gifted, then he must have really won over the Oscar nominated actor.

Aquaman will dive into theaters on December 21, 2018, but both the title character and Willem Dafoe's Nuidis Vulko are also set to appear in Justice League on November 17th. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Read more >> A Major Arrow Villain Is Returning For The Big Superhero Crossover, But Not How We Expected

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My Little Pony (2017)

My Little Pony Synopsis

When a dark force threatens Ponyville and the Mane 6, they go on a journey to the end of Equestria to save their beloved home and they meet new friends and dangerous challenges along the way.

My Little Pony Release Date

In Theaters October 6, 2017

My Little Pony Credits

Starring: Kristin Chenoweth, Emily Blunt, Zoe Saldana, Tara Strong, and Ashleigh Ball

Written By: Meghan McCarthy and Rita Hsiao

Directed By: Jayson Thiessen

Produced By: Haven Alexander, Stephen Davis, Marcia Gwendolyn Jones, Sarah Wall, and Brian Goldner

MPAA Rating: [ PG ]

Distributor: Lionsgate

IMDB: My Little Pony on IMDB

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New X-Files Season 11 Photo Is A Total Throwback, And It Definitely Spells Trouble

The X-Files returned to the small screen for the first time in nearly 14 years back in 2016 for a Season 10 that reunited the iconic duo of Mulder and Scully for some more investigations into the paranormal. While many things were the same as they had been in the original series, there were some big changes that were somewhat jarring to longtime fans. The show is returning for a Season 11 in early 2018, and a photo for the new season was just released that's a total throwback to the original run of the series. Take a look:

Yes, one of our agents will be stuck in the hospital while the other is still up and about, presumably to rampage and/or reflect. Longtime fans of The X-Files know well that Mulder and Scully ended up in the hospital on a semi-regular basis. Whether it was one of them getting shot, contracting a terrible disease, lying comatose, or recovering from an infestation, there were a lot of hospitalizations. Scully back in the hospital with Mulder at her bedside definitely spells trouble for what's ahead.

Admittedly, I did laugh when I first saw this photo, if only because part of me wonders if Mulder has his head down because he's doing mental math to try and figure out just how much time the two of them have spent in hospitals over the years. That said, we probably shouldn't be too amused by Scully back in the hospital, as the imagery of her unconscious in a blue hospital gown with Mulder looking exhausted at her side seems an awful lot like a callback to what was arguably Scully's most physically devastating time in the hospital:

The Season 11 photo of Scully in the hospital bed looks frighteningly similar to Scully's state in Season 2, when she suddenly turned up after being abducted, comatose and wasting away to the point that she was certain to die if taken off life support. We didn't know it then, but tests had been done on her, a chip implanted in her neck, and her ova had all been removed. If the Season 11 photo was deliberately staged to call back to Scully's post-abduction state in Season 2, we can be sure that Scully's in for a rough ride.

Season 11 will delve back into the X-Files mythology connected to Scully's abduction and the chip in her neck, according to EW, so the similarities between the two instances of Scully in a hospital bed and Mulder at her side may not be coincidence. Then again, maybe poor Scully was afflicted by yet another freak accident, and the wardrobe department just happened to put her in blue. For her sake, I only hope that it's not the return of her cancer.

We'll have to wait and see. Season 11 of The X-Files will return to Fox at some point in early 2018. Check out our breakdown of what we know about Season 11 so far for a peek of what has been announced about the new episodes, and take a look at our picks of questions that absolutely need to be answered sooner rather than later in the new season. For your viewing options sooner rather than later, take a look at our fall TV guide.

Read more >> DC's Titans TV Show Just Cast Another Comics Character

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DC's Titans TV Show Just Cast Another Comics Character

DC is bringing a new group of superheroes to the small screen with Titans, which is slated to debut on DC's upcoming exclusive director-to-consumer streaming service. A number of characters from DC Comics will be adapted for television, and we already knew a number of the actors who will bring them to life. Now, Titans has cast another comic character. Lindsey Gort of The Carrie Diaries is on board to play Police Detective Amy Rohrbach.

While Amy Rohrbach is not exactly the biggest comic character of DC fame, she did have a great deal of significance for a time in a certain comic series. She was a cop based out of Bludhaven when Dick Grayson relocated to fight crime in her city as the masked vigilante known as Nightwing. Dick decided to become a police officer so that he could fight crime from within the system as well as with his work as Nightwing. As a rookie cop, he was partnered with Detective Amy Rohrbach, who was one of the few honorable and non-corrupt officers in the Bludhaven Police Department.

The two weren't partnered up for too long in the grand scheme of DC Comics, but they became strong allies. Although Dick did have to turn in his badge after Amy learned his secret, she protected his secret, and she became a friend to certain vigilantes operating in Bludhaven. She wasn't a vigilante herself and she didn't wear a mask, but she was one of the good guys in a city full of corrupt cops.

Not too much is known about the Titans version of Amy Rohrbach at this point, although TVLine reports that Amy will be the new partner of Dick Grayson, which at least tells us that Titans' Dick Grayson will be with the police as well. We can't say at this point where he's working. We can rule out Gotham City, however, as Dick is trying to get out from Batman's shadow in Titans, and that could never happen in Gotham City. Dick is being played by Brenton Thwaites of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. We can bet that Lindsey Gort will share a lot of her screentime with Thwaites.

All things considered, Lindsey Gort is probably best known for her role as the young Samantha Jones on the CW series The Carrie Diaries, which was a prequel of Sex and the City. The show only ran for two seasons from 2013-2014. After The Carrie Diaries got the axe, she landed a role on TV Land's Impastor from 2015-2016. Recently, she appeared as Candy Morningstar in an episode of Lucifer on Fox. It should be fun to see how she operates in a world of superheroes.

Lindsey Gort joins a cast already comprised of Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Starfire, Teagan Croft as Raven, and Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly as the crime-fighting duo Hawk and Dove. We're still waiting to learn who will play Beast Boy, and the odds are that we're in for adaptations of other comic characters as well. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest Titans news, and check out our fall TV premiere schedule to discover when all the current superhero series will return to the airwaves.

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