Argylle

Released February 2, 2024

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Written by Jon Fuchs

* No Spoilers - beyond the trailers *

Like Kick-Ass or any of the Kingsmen movies Matthew Vaughn loves to set up the most ludicrous and stylized action set pieces and this newest movie is no different. Written by Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman) Argylle leans even harder into the world of spy action comedy, attempting to make a meta commentary on the genre itself. The story follows novelist Elly Conway as she is pulled into a world of espionage that she has so far only written about.

This is an original story that borrows several classic tropes from all sorts of spy movies. It is derivative but does so to serve as an exaggerated and light hearted take on the genre. It builds intrigue and curiosity as it unfolds, planting seeds that will later pay off. It’s a solid example of a ‘Mystery Box’ with mostly satisfying conclusions.

When I first saw the trailer I thought it gave away too much and was worried the major surprises had been spoiled. I wish I didn’t know certain things, but thankfully Argylle has a lot more twists and turns beyond what’s in the trailer.

Unfortunately those twists are obvious, predictable, and the movie give the audience a few too many hints leading up to the reveals. They were so easy to guess that they lost their dramatic effect. Not my favourite way to do things but it was passable as a satirical spy movie. They knew they weren’t really tricking the audience, so the reveals gave you more than enough to figure things out. If you expect something mind-blowingly clever you may be disappointed but take this for what it is, an over the top comedy with a focus on having a good time. Think Get Smart or Johnny English rather than Jason Bourne or James Bond.

The transitions between the fictional spy world and the real world were great, zooming the camera into the text on a page or having the characters mouth the words of the author as she is writing the scene. One scene shows the writing process as Agent Argylle delivers a cheesy line only to rewind and try Elly’s revision soon after. Unfortunately the movie’s “real world” has a several cheesy speeches delivered over cliche inspirational music that needed a similar rewind.

Where the movie shines is in Vaughn’s action set pieces. Fights are choreographed like a wacky dance sequence, and sometimes they literally are a mix of fight scene and dance number set to a slow jam song. Some viewers might find them to be too much but I let myself have fun with all of the craziness and was glad I did. I enjoyed how ridiculous and over the top they were but nothing was as jawdropping as the Church fight scene in the first Kingsmen. Some of the best scenes involved cross cutting between the real spies and Henry Cavill’s character from the book. There’s also another scene where the heroes and villains are racing to crack a code and we get a cross cut between three different settings (including the fictional world), where characters are finishing each other’s lines at a rapid pace. It was a lot of fun and my favourite scene in the movie.

While the movie is colourful and creative I felt that a lot of the visual effects were rough, especially in the beginning. Maybe deliberate because it was set in the fictional world but even some later scenes felt plastically and fake. Overall the visuals and cinematography were fine.

This is a good ensemble cast with actors that Vaughn has worked with before like Sam Jackson and Sofia Boutella (Rebel Moon). Henry Cavill (Mission Impossible: Fallout) plays a perfect James Bond spy archetype as Agent Argylle. Catherine Ohara (Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek) is having a ton of fun as Elly Conway’s mother and I really enjoyed Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) chewing up the scene as Director Ritter. Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) as Elly Conway fit well as the quiet writer who is in way over her head. She is anxious, overwhelmed and though some of her dialogue was cheesy she managed to feel earnest and genuine. Her “buddy cop” dynamic with Sam Rockwell (Jojo Rabbit) was great and they played off of each other so well.

Sam Rockwell as Aiden Wilde is the life of this movie! Without him I would not have enjoyed this as much as I did. His charm and charisma made the movie. He is so well aligned with the Matthew Vaughn energy and I need to see these two work together more. I love Sam Rockwell and if you are a fan of his vibe and constant need to dance you will have a great time with his character. His comedic timing is perfect and he plays the lucky but competent mentor very well. Alfie the cat, is adorable and second only to Rockwell as my favourite character.

Overall this is a silly, fun movie, that recognizes its own ridiculousness and relishes in it. There are tons of useless contrivances that are only there to take us to the next action set piece or reveal the next double, or even triple cross. The final confrontation was inevitable and I liked how it brought the previous set ups home, no matter how farfetched they were. The ending caries on with the self awareness and meta commentary by giving us one last trope to close out the story, so don’t rush out of the theatre. There is a mid credit scene that teases more stories with these characters and despite my criticisms I wouldn’t mind seeing more of this world.

6/10* - Enjoy this for what it is, a fun, over the top, spy comedy that recognizes its own ridiculousness. It feels longer than it is and despite the predictable twists the intrigue escalated enough to keep me invested throughout. Not Matthew Vaughns best but a fun time if you are able sit back and go along for the ride, no matter how wacky, cheesy, or contrived it is at times.

* Gained a full point just for Sam Rockwell

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