The King's Man

Add Matthew Vaughn to the list of once-formidable directors who’ve apparently forgotten how to craft compelling action sequences.

The filmmaker spoils his spotless record with The King’s Man, a mediocre take on the seemingly fruitful roots of the Kingsman independent intelligence agency, whose modern-day doings Vaughn handled exceedingly well in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017).

While those two films couldn’t wait to unspool thrilling, comically elaborate shootouts, car chases, and fisticuffs, their prequel takes its bloody time to deliver anything energetic, focusing instead on an uninspired father/son drama between Orlando (Ralph Fiennes) and Conrad Oxford (Harris Dickinson, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) so heavy-handed in its pacifism message that their adventures barely include the pulpy, tongue-in-cheek violence that’s defined the series.

The few times that the Oxfords seek out combat in the name of squashing WWI — which takes them from a Russian showdown with Rasputin (Rhys Ifans, having a blast) to the trenches on the Western Front — Vaughn struggles to recapture the visual and tonal magic of the previous films’ set pieces.

Dickinson’s bland screen presence further restrict’s The King’s Man’s potential, yet after largely wasting the talents of Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, and Djimon Hounsou for the better part of two hours, the director relocates his skills for an impressive finale that finally gives his talented cast something to do. It’s all a bit “too little, too late,” yet sends the film out on a high note that will hopefully carry over into the Kingsman’s next campaign — if Disney indeed decides to carry it forward.

Grade: C-plus. Rated R. Now playing at AMC River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: 20th Century/Disney)