Matthew Vaughn is one of my favorite directors. He has three movies that are on my all-time favorites list: Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, and Kingsman: The Secret Service. I love his style and consider him a master filmmaker.

His last movie, The King's Man, was terrible. I gave it 2 stars. But no one is perfect and it's easy to forgive one misfire. But with Argylle, we have another severely disappointing entry. It's not nearly as bad as The King's Man, but that might be why it's even more disappointing. It could have been great.

Why doesn't Argylle work? Movies are so complex, it's difficult to answer that question. Here are my guesses. First, the humor and attempts to be quirky feel off. I only laughed once. Second, there are a few cool action scenes, but nothing to write home about.

Third, what idiot decided this should be PG-13? There are so many deaths, but they can't fully show it. So it feels neutered. They do this to sell more tickets, catering to the casuals. But my theater was nearly empty on opening night. So casuals didn't show up and you alienate your true fans. Fourth, for what amounts to a popcorn flick, I was fairly bored and unengaged.

But I think one thing hurt the movie more than anything else. This is a great cast except for one role. The most important one. The main character. I don't dislike Bryce Dallas Howard. But this was a horrendous casting choice. I can list out 30 actresses that would have been better suited for the role. It doesn't seem too bad early on, but the further we get into the story, the worse it gets. It's not even a tiny bit believable.

I still look forward to future Matthew Vaughn projects. But I just found out that his next movie is a sequel to The King's Man. Why????? I can only hope he reevaluates and tries to get back on track.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday UltraScreen 2/1/2024)

When you hop on a rollercoaster you don't expect to reach any destination but just hold on and enjoy the experience. I don't know what the expectations were from the other reviewers before settling in to view it but mine was for some mindless entertainment, a smattering of comedy and some action.

I always love to watch Sam Rockwell in action and Bryce Dallas Howard was a good foil for him - they actually had some chemistry. The concept did remind me a little of 'Romancing the Stone' (1984) but this storyline differs greatly.

All in all it's a fun roller coaster ride with lots of unexpected twists and turns which fulfilled my expectations.

Candy colored, over the top, action packed fun. This is not a serious movie, by any stretch of the imagination, but a fun, visually imaginative popcorn flick. The cast is solid and enjoyable and the plot is entertaining. I hope Apple holds fast and lets this become a franchise, because the world needs more post Barbie, Bond like romps. If you enjoy movies like Big Trouble in Little China, or the original Peter Sellers Casino Royale, this movie is up your alley. I'm always happy to see Sam Rockwell cut a rug on screen, and if they'd have given Samuel L. An f-bomb, it would've gotten another star from me.