Historical fiction has been a popular sub-genre of writing for ages. At some point, we have all probably wondered, “What if?” We cannot change what has really occurred, but sometimes it is cathartic and entertaining to reimagine things in a very different way.

One such example of this, in the realm of books, is the graphic novel, ‘Watchmen.’ It was later adapted into a feature-length movie and saw decent success on the big screen, when comparing its steep budget versus its worldwide ticket sales. That same year, there was another, major historical fiction movie, directed by the illustrious Quentin Tarantino. It was entitled “Inglourious Basterds.” Both of these films were memorable and covered events from various times during the 20^th century, but there is so much more to uncover, throughout time, which brings us to our next example of historical fiction, “The King’s Man.”

If this title sounds familiar, it is because this is not the first, or even the second installment tied to some of the characters in the story. The first, released back in 2014, was “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” and the follow-up, released in 2017, was “Kingsman: The Golden Circle.” This time, we have a prequel to the aforementioned films and it is set during the height of the First World War, of the early 1900s.

The story begins at a remote location, somewhere in Africa. The familiar Ralph Fiennes (“No Time to Die”), as Orlando Oxford, arrives with his beloved wife, Emily, played by Alexandra Maria Lara (“The Collini Case”) and his son, Conrad, played by Alexander Shaw, here, and, later, by Harris Dickinson (“The Souvenir Part II”). A surprise attack ensues and once all of the dust settles, Orlando is left injured and someone very dear to him is lost. Before all this, a clear, modern message is presented and afterward, a great promise is made, which will become integral to the overall story, later on. All I can add is that, at times, the best intentions of men do not succeed and when they do not, tragedy can occur.

One thing that I noticed early on was that the appearance of the movie seemed a bit too dark. I do not know if there was an issue with the projector, or if it was directly related to those involved with the making of the film. A clear line is set between who are the “good” guys and who are the “bad” ones, too. The villains consist of: Rhys Ifans (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”) as Grigori Rasputin, Daniel Bruhl (“My Zoe”) as Erik Jan Hanussen, Valerie Pachner (“A Hidden Life”) as Mata Hari, Joel Basman (“The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch”) as Gavrilo Princip and a mysterious man, seated at the head of the table, both literally and figuratively. Who could he be, I wonder?…

Though the group includes figures who do not seem particularly original, although some are based on real people of modern history, they are still cleverly written and funny, at times. Especially the portrayal of Rasputin. They lack depth, but serve their purpose rather well, in my view.

A this point, it became clear to me that the audience was going to be a distraction from time to time. I never knew that an individual could slurp on a drink and crunch on popcorn so loudly. However, their overall response to the more comedic moments was pretty consistent and reasonable, based on my own response… I did react to one moment completely alone. Those kinds of awkward situations are a part of what make writing film reviews so enjoyable, though.

On the other side of things, is a small, secret crew, consisting of: Orlando Oxford and his son, Conrad; Gemma Arterton (“Summerland”) as Polly Wilkins and Djimon Hounsou (“A Quiet Place Part II”). They believe in a non-violent approach for greater society, but also believe that, at times, violence is necessary to keep the rest of the world safe. Why does that sound so familiar? I digress, just a bit… The biggest turning point is when Orlando suffers another great tragedy and in the aftermath he crawls into a bottle for awhile. After awhile, he comes back to his senses and rejoins his team to try and prevent further human loss around the world. By the end of it, much of the action feels slightly repetitive, but many of the action scenes are entertaining to watch, particularly a lengthy sequence involving Rasputin. Yes, I have just mentioned him, again. What can I say? Rhys Ifans is a notorious scene-stealer. Also, if you cannot see the great reveal of who the mysterious leader of the villains clan is by the time it is revealed, you have not been paying attention to the story.

In summation, I thought that “The King’s Man” stood on its own as a good movie. Within the context of the franchise, that might not be the same case. I was surprised at some of the emotional depth that took place, amidst the comedy and action. Personally, I liked that aspect of the film. Of course, there were good costumes and great set designs, throughout. I happened to like the original music, as well, when I was able to really hear it.

However, “The King’s Man” also has its share of issues. I mentioned the static characters that exist in some spots and the repetitive nature of some of the sequences, but it was a very long movie, as well. I cannot seem to say enough about this odd trajectory that the film industry has taken. Why do these movies need to be so long? Is it about trying to give the audience more for their money or make them feel more acquainted with the binge-watching habits of TV? I do not know, but this is what we are dealing with now. I keep going back and forth with my thoughts of this film. I liked it, but I did not love it. Is it good or is it just pretty good? Well, either way, I do not think it was bad. Even if you have not seen the previous movies in the franchise, you should still find some things about it enjoyable.

Director: Mathew Vaughn

Screenwriters: Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek

Music: Matthew Margeson and Dominic Lewis

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode as Morton, Tom Hollander as King George/Kaiser Wilhelm/Tsar Nicholas, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Bruhl, Djimon Hounsou and Charles Dance as Herbert Kitchener

Distributor: 20^th Century Studios

Release: December 22^nd, 2021 (United States) and December 26^th, 2021 (United Kingdom)