ReviewingArgyllewithout spoiling it is a needlessly tricky dance. Matthew Vaughn’s latest spy movie promoted itself through a marketing campaign based on a plot twist, but the tagline only asks one of a hundred questions. It’s not so much built around a twist as it is constructed entirely of misdirections. Those shifting motivations, altering identities, and constant triple-crosses rest on a foundation of wasted potential. The cast, the set pieces, and even the semi-fascinating premise fall short of their possible greatness.
Matthew Vaughn felt untouchable a decade ago. After therelease ofKingsman: The Secret Service, fans and critics thought it would spark the next franchise and turn the spy genre on its head. Its sequel quickly disabused them of that notion. Vaughn tried again withThe King’s Man, a prequel that bombed at the box office and impressed few critics.Argyllefeels like an attempt to make theKingsmanlightning strike twice, handing Apple a new franchise to build on, but its current state will likely struggle to continue.
Argylleopens with the action scene that fills most of the trailer.Henry Cavill portraysthe titular Agent Argylle, a superhuman spy with a bad haircut and an ill-fitting suit. He and his partner, John Cena as Wyatt, find out their organization set them up. That story’s author, Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly Conway, struggles to crack the ending of her fifth novel. On a long train trip, a shaggy-haired Sam Rockwell sits down and explains that she’s in danger. Conway’s books seem to predict the future, leading a shadowy organization identical to the fictional one in her book to hunt her down. Aidan believes he can push Conway to finish the last chapter of her book and use that information to find an encrypted drive of the group’s secrets. Several characters turn out to be different ones, a couple of people shoot their supposed friends, and some folks reappear after seeming to die. It’s a wall-to-wall mess of expectationssubverted so frequentlythat few would have time to come up with new ones.
When Aidan finds Conway, he points out a logical error in her books. He notes that his appearance might disturb her, but his unkept look better suits espionage than a supermodel like Cavill. That’s the only hint of one of the film’s most intriguing potential narrative threads. Conway’s spy novels are slightly less grounded than a Roger MooreBondfilm.Argylleborrows fromBournein much the same wayKingsmantook inspiration fromBond. Instead of leaning into the gritty realism of Doug Liman’s 2002 classic, Vaughn pushes further into absurdity. Shockingly, Conway’s Marvel Comics-level understanding of espionage, deep states, and extra-governmental intelligence work is dead-on accurate. Playing with the juxtaposition between the fanciful shaken-not-stirredromance ofBondand the harsh reality of black ops work could have resulted in a fascinating black comedy or a gripping thriller.Argylleis neither, but its tone aims sillier. Unfortunately, it’s still not funny.
Argylle’s fatal flaw is Jason Fuchs' writing. Fuchs is better known as an actor, turning in memorable performances inThe PassageandLa La Land, but his writing credits are messier. He was one of three credited story writersonWonder Womanbefore writing the widely-despised mysteryI Still See You. The dialogue wavers between hilarity and tension, usually extracting the opposite response Fuchs intended. Characters blurt out their motivations and feelings in ways that feel simultaneously inhuman and bizarrely personal. Some actors have nothing to do. Samuel L. Jackson spends most of his screen time in a chair on the wrong side of a desk, watching a Lakers game during the final battle. He’s asked to repeatedly celebrate and lament a progress bar on his car-sized TV. Jackson is in a new project every other week, so it’s almost impressive to find his least impactful role.
Argyllewants its audience to feel whiplash from the film’sconstant twists and turns. Unfortunately, as the plot thickens and most characters stagnate, it becomes impossible to care what side anyone is on. The best way to watchArgyllewill be on a couch with five or six friends. Fans can turn their brains off and enjoy the action set pieces. Those fight sequences are the most compelling element of the experience, but they still pale in comparison toKingsman. Though the trailers waste a few of the best shots, the stunningly long final conflict goes compellingly off the rails. It suggests a level of creativity often missing from the story. Speaking of length,the 139-minute runtimeis interminable. ChopArgylledown to 100 minutes, straighten out the story, and lose a few meaningless subversions of expectations, and they’d have a serviceable action thriller. Instead, they have chunks of compelling action fiction blended into a mess of missed opportunities.
Argylleisn’t asgood asKingsmanor as bad asKingsman2. It feels like another half-hearted attempt to relight the spy movie spark that went out almost a decade ago. There’s some impressive boldness on display in the film’s absurd creative decisions, but the story surrounding the strange moments fails to impress.Argyllecould have been fun, but it’s more focused on asking questions than on finding engaging answers.
Argylle
Cast
A spy novelist becomes embroiled in a deadly espionage plot after one of her books predicts hidden events.
