The King's Man (5 Stars)

This film is a prequel to the other two Kingsman films. They take place in the present day, whereas "The King's Man" takes place in the early 20th Century.

The film's story is fictional, but it's wrapped around historical events. These events determine the film's pacing, giving it a stop and start rhythm. A mysterious Scottish figure, whose identity isn't revealed until the end of the film, is steering European events. He wants to start a large war which will destroy England and free the Scottish people. He sends an agent to assassinate Franz Ferdinand, which is the beginning of World War One. The two sides are evenly balanced, so first he incites a revolution in Russia to make Russia abandon the war. Then he undertakes plans to stop America joining the war on England's side.

I shan't give any more details about the plot. Spoilers! All I'll say is that "The King's Man" is a magnificent film. If I'd seen it on its original release date in mid December it would have been the best film of 2021. The releases date was pushed back to January, so I'll have to wait to see its competition later this year. It's a film that has it all: military action, spies and international intrigue.

A mid credits scene gives a hook leading to a possible sequel, also taking place before the two first films. I'm looking forward to it.