By 
“DO YOU EVEN DO THE WHIRLYBIRD?”
Director Matthew Vaughan has a made career in cinematic storytelling, finding interesting in filmmaking directing and utilizing his own talents to shape feature films that stir action moments as well as visual flair for movie escapism. After producing 1996’s The Innocent Sleep, a low-budget thriller, Vaughan continued to produce several films for his close friend (and upcoming director) Guy Ritche on 1998’s Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, a film that went on gain critical acclaim, popularity, and financial success. Vaughan further continued to produce several more films, including several more of Ritchie’s movies, including 2000’s Snatch and 2002’s Swept Away, until he stepped into the directorial foray by making his directorial debut with the release of the crime drama thriller Layer Cake in 2004. The film received general positive reviews from critics and has gained a cult following, citing a major turning point for Vaughan career as well as actor Daniel Craig, who would latter accept the role of the iconic James Bond character a few years later. After the success of Layer Cake, Vaughan went onto direct several other films from various genres, including the fantasy adventure Stardust in 2007, the superhero black comedy Kick-Ass in 2010, the thriller The Debt in 2010, and summer blockbuster tentpole X-Men: First Class in 2011. In addition, Vaughan became more famous due to the popularity of his Kingsman film action spy series, which he began back in 2015 with The Kingsman: The Secret Service, the follow-up sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle in 2017, and the prequel spin-off film The King’s Man in 2021. Now, in the similar veins of his Kingsman series, director Matthew Vaughan (along with Universal Pictures and Apple TV) prepare for the next cinematic endeavor into the spy action with the release of the movie titled Argylle. Does this latest project find exciting thrills and spy nuances within its undertaking or is it a messy and derivate picture that gets lost within its own narrative?
THE STORY
In a fictious world, Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill) is suave and charismatic superspy looking to bring down the bad guys from global domination. He’s a capable of surviving the most dangerous situations that his enemies throw at him, with the skilled spy joined by his close partners-in-crime Wyatt (John Cena) and Keira (Ariana DeBose). In reality, Argylle is literary character that was created by author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), who’s turned the character into a best-selling novel series, newly celebrating her recent fourth “Argylle” installment, ending the novel on a major cliffhanger. Her fanbase is eager for the next book and Elly is feverously working on the follow-up adventure, but is having a bit of a writer’s block, accepting advice from her mother, Ruth (Catherine O’Hara), to find a more exciting inspiration for character to encounter. Taking a trip to see her mother, Elly, along with her cat named Alfie, is quickly confronted by a man named Aidan Wilde (Sam Rockwell), who turns out to be a real-life spy and threats an attempt to grab the woman. Elly is then thrusted into the world of espionage and danger, with Aidan looking to protect her from harm against a villainous syndicate run by Ritter (Bryan Cranston) looking to kidnap her, attempting to claim a secret file that contains secretive information, with the writer’s Argylle work blending into her own life.
THE GOOD / THE BAD
Since I’ve seeing many movies throughout my years, I do have to say that I am a fan of Matthew Vaughan’s work. Of course, not every one of his releases is a “fan favorite” of mine, but I do appreciate the director’s knack for visual storytelling, especially when it comes to the action sequences he presents throughout his endeavors. Like many out there, I was first introduced to Vaughan’s work back with Layer Cake, his directorial debut film. I initially didn’t see the movie when it first came out, but viewed a few years after….when the news broke that actor Daniel Craig was going to be the new James Bond and that Layer Cake was part of the inspiration for the actor getting the role. For me, I did like the film and Craig’s performance in the role. So, Layer Cake showcased Vaughan’s talent for being a capable director, which certainly paved the way for the rest of his career. I actually did like some of his other films like Stardust and X-Men: First Class, but, while I do know that many out there liked his two Kick-Ass films, I couldn’t really see it. I guess it just wasn’t my “cup of my tea” when it comes to Vaughan’s moviemaking skills. Of course, my favorite entries from Vaughan would definitely have to be the Kingsman movies, which have a load of charm and swagger to it and plays up to Vaughan’s strengths of visual action style. To be sure, Vaughan took spiritual influences from the James Bond franchise, with each of the three installments (so far), exploring different homages to the that particular series as well as Vaughan’s unique style of filmmaking. Of the three, I would say that Kingsman: The Golden Circle is to be my personal favorite. In short, Matthew Vaughan, while not a high profile Hollywood director, still has managed to leave his mark on the filmmaking industry, producing a range of genre films that infuses his own personal style of directing into cinematic storytelling.
This brings me back around to talking about Argylle, a 2024 action spy comedy feature film and the latest project from director Matthew Vaughan. While many were hoping (and expecting) for a third Kingsman movie (the fourth one of the series and the supposed third installment with Kingsman character Eggsy), I was a little bit surprise that Vaughan’s next project was that of a similar project, but not one of this most popular series. Yes, a bit taken off-guard, but I began to hear a few tidbits of the film’s plot, which did feel quasi-Kingsman aspirations and nuances, which I did like, and got me interested in seeing the final product. Then the film’s movie trailers, and other marketing campaign began to appear, which certainly promised a lot of blockbuster flair and new cinematic take on the spy action genre. Plus, as the marketing campaign promoted, the film’s cast looked quite stacked and impressive with the likes of Cavill, Howard, Rockwell, Cranston, O’Hara, Jackson, and few others being attached the project. So, yes….I was quite interested (and a bit excited) to see when Argylle was set to come out on February 2nd, 2024. I was out of the country on vacation when this movie was initially released, so I didn’t immediately get to see it. I did, however, saw it a few weeks after its theatrical debut (towards the end of February), but I kept on pushing back getting my review done for this as I was still trying to play “catch up” with my 2023 leftover reviews as well as trying to get other reviews done for 2024. So, basically, my review for Argylle was left on the backburner for quite some time. Now that I’m trying to get some other 2024 movie reviews completed that missed in the beginning of the year, I am finally ready to share my thoughts on Vaughan’s latest film. And what did I think of it? Well, it was good and entertaining, yet still disappointing in a few areas. Despite a large cast and fun premise with the genre, Argylle offers up a Vaughan-centric take on spy thrillers that’s boisterous and engaging, yet still feels that it’s missing its intended mark as well as other cinematic nuances that weigh the feature down. It’s definitely not as terrible as some are making it out to be, but the movie could’ve been a whole lot better than what was presented in the final product.
Given his familiarity and overall workings of the Kingsman movies, Vaughan dos seem like a perfect and suitable choice to helm a project like Argylle, which he does with the same type of “tour-de-force” cinematic integrity that he did with that spy action series in this new project. He certainly knows how to capture the spy-esque action thrills from the Kingsman entries and does so again with Argylle, channeling the action sequences to the correct way with the context nuances of agents, gadgets, global villainy, and dubious characters. It’s definitely what you would expect from a spy movie and Vaughan, like the Kingsman installments, doubles down on that notion, carving a new personal slice within his own imagines of the spy genre. As to be expected, Vaughan delivers on the promise (and premise) by presenting a new tale that is full of spy influences, espionage nuances, and action throughout. Like his previous endeavors, Vaughan places a large emphasis on the action and delivers a fast and frenetic sequences in the movie that helps build upon the spy laurels of fighting engagement. Gun shootouts, fisticuffs, knives, and vehicle chases are all displayed in Argylle’s narrative, with Vaughan having fun in creating such imagery within these scenarios. While the movie isn’t exactly perfect, one can easily tell that Vaughan is having fun making this movie and, while he clearly demonstrated that notion with his Kingsman movies, keeps this particular project rather lighthearted and wacky at times.
At its core, removing many of the espionage elements, Argylle is presented as a sort of “fish out of water” tale, which is a common usage for storytelling, with the main protagonist (Elly Conway) being thrusted into an unfamiliar world and must adapt to it and learn how to survive in it. Again, it’s a common foundation for narrative building and one can be problematic if done datively (more on that below), but, for some positive points, Vaughan utilizes this framing for some humorous and fun gags throughout the feature; finding Elly’s journey froth with unexpected and sometimes crazy situations that she finds herself and make a way out of. Much like the Kingsman movies, especially the first two, Vaughan places a lot humorous bit in and out of the narrative, which ranges from cheeky one-liners to some ludicrous / over-the-top scenarios that produce several chuckles from me. Such brazen and wacky situations that the various characters find themselves in (or create) are some of the stuff that Vaughan is known for doing in his movies and, along with the film’s cast, does generate some laughs within the variety of comedic levity, including quippy banter, snarky sarcasms, and one or two unbelievable stunt work.
For its presentation, Argylle certainly meets the expectations of the espionage film genre of being a “globetrotting” adventure and presenting everything in a rather quality blockbuster endeavor of today’s modern movie landscape. With a production budget cost of roughly $200 million, the movie certainly has the look of a high caliber studio tentpole pageantry, with Vaughan sparing no expense when it comes to creating the film’s backdrop setting. As stated, the movie offers various locations across the globe, which is befitting for a spy tale, and Vaughan certainly knows how to capitalizes on that with great detail and visual eye-candy. Thus, the film’s “behind the scenes” team, including Russell De Rozario and Daniel Taylor (production design), Robert Wischhusen-Hayes (set decorations), Stephanie Collie (costume designs), and the entire art direction department, for their efforts in bringing Argylle’s world to life, which has one foot in the real world and the other in the more fantastical (and sometimes cinematic) world of spy espionage.
Speaking of cinematic, Vaughan, who always has a knack for visual representation, certainly captures that notion beautifully and helps imagined up some colorful and vivid imagery every now and again in the movie, which helps elevate some of the more fanciful action / drama scenes. Who aids Vaughan in that endeavor is cinematographer George Richmond, who has worked with Vaughan previously on first two Kingsman movies, and helps deliver some dynamic sequences that heightens those particular moments for such vibrancy and cineamtic visual flair. Lastly, the film’s score, which was composed by Lorne Balfe, delivers a sold musical composition piece that knows how to pull viewers into the movie, with some flourishes of heroic spy melodies and motifs as well as softer suites of character dialogue moments of reflection. Looking beyond Balfe’s work, Argylle utilizes a lot of musical songs that are scattered throughout the movie and help provide some scenes that are uplifted by such incorporations. This certainly has Vaughan name all over it as he normally does this with many of his features and does so again in Argylle, which is all for the better I think, with many of the songs being catchy and upbeat.
Unfortunately, Argylle, despite its various attempts to make for an exciting and thrilling spy flick, does falter greatly within its overall shaping and execution; resulting in a movie that is too much in love within its own itself (and mythos) to make total sense of. What do I mean by that? Well, perhaps the biggest criticism that I have with this movie is that, which might be a minor one to some, is the overall story being told. Yes, I do like the idea of author getting to live out her own literary story in a similar fashion, which (as mentioned above) does highlight some humorous and fun scenarios. Yet, the story of Argylle (the fictious character one) that features the chief title character for the movie is far more interesting and, for all tense and purposes, seems to be the more exciting portion of the film (as I pointed that out above). The opening salvo for the picture certainly sets that tone and presentation up the correct way and the actual story being told of Conway and her journey of living out her novel’s episodic spy adventure seems more bland in comparison. There are snippets here and there where the movie showcases this point and shows the fictional world of agent Argylle and you (as the viewer) almost wanted more to see from these scenes. Thus, I almost wish that Vaughan dedicated the whole movie as a tried-and-true spy movie that focused solely on agent Argylle character and not its author. I personally think this would’ve been a far more interesting and engaging feature than what was presented and it gets more frustrating as the main plot moves forward in this regard. I just think it is a missed opportunity.
Coinciding with that notion of classic spy genre story, I think that Vaughan was too much in love with the idea of doing another spy thriller and gets too caught up in some of the various nuances and aesthetics. As much I do praise him for somewhat refining his skill sets for another round of the espionage endeavor, Vaughan has already done a spy motion picture (three times with the Kingsman series) and seems a bit superfluous for him (as a director) to continue on that trend of revisiting a story genre he has already done previous. Plus, examining both Kingsman (all three features) and Argylle, one can easily see that the previous Kingsman movies are the winners. Thus, Vaughan returning to the espionage world of spies, covert ops, and agents does a get a bit tiresome in this movie and almost sems to be “going through the motions” of the formulaic tropes that he has already previously covered before. Naturally, this breeds a lot of familiarity and predictable feeling throughout the movie, which makes the whole experience a bit mundane at times, with such expectations becoming bland and vanilla. I certain did that for me. Of course, Vaughan interjects his good visual flair for the theatrics on the project (as mentioned above), but can’t mask it enough to hide that the movie itself tries too much emulate the same espionage tropes and cliches that have done before in better projects.
This also doesn’t help the film’s script, which is riddled with numerous problems within its overall shaping of Argylle’s story. The script, which was penned by Jason Fuchs, definitely has all the right ingredients to make a very compelling and interesting story, yet falters when mixing everything together in a cohesive manner. Several characters are a bit limp and underwhelming, the plot is all over the place, and the third feels a bit convoluted at times. One can definitely see where Fuchs (along with Vaughan) were trying to go with this movie and, for the parts that the movie does get correct, it works quite well. That being said, the plotting of Argylle seems quite messy at times and feels more like rough draft than a finish product at times, which is very a good thing. Yes, the story being told is entertaining, but quite haphazardly put together and not as cohesive as it wants to be.
Coinciding with the script, the various and multitude of twists and turns that the movie tries to throw at the viewers gets a bit redundant at times. This is strange because…..everyone loves a good twist in a story, throwing a curveball into the mix and catches viewers off guard with a sudden and unexpected surprise. Argylle certainly has this moment, but its diluted by utilizing too many twists and turns in the main narrative, which does take away from the overall impact of it.
Lastly, the CGI visual effects are a bit muddy here and there and certainly do take away from the film’s intent of some elaborate and fantastic elements that it is trying to convey. Whether the production budget was utilized elsewhere or was it allocated to the acting talent more or just simply not leaving enough to the visual effects team, the CGI rendering parts are a little bit spotty here and there. It’s not in every scene mind you, but it is quite noticeable in a several moments (some being key driven sequences) that such computer generated moments are obvious green screen backdrops or even sloppy renderings of some more fantastical imagery.
Perhaps one of the biggest “draws” for this movie would definitely have to be the film’s cast, which is quite stacked and recognizable, and helps brings these various characters to life with a lot of vim and vigor towards their screen presence. However, such a heavy reliance of a talent’s screen presence means that the writing for their respective characters is rather formulaic and predictable, especially for the spy genre. Such nuances can be overlooked if the character is interesting, but, in Argylle, such familiar tropes and cliches do tend to be rub off in a rather vanilla and bland a few times. Leading the charge in the movie is actress Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays central protagonist character of Elly Conway. Known for her roles in Jurassic World, The Help, and Pete’s Dragon, Howard has certainly made a name for herself in her career and has been featured in several high profile productions. Plus, she definitely can handle her acting chops in the lead role, which is probably one of the reason why Howard won the part for the leading character role in this movie. For her part, Howard does a somewhat decent job in playing Elly Conway in the movie….for the first half of the feature at least. During that portion I think is she fantastic and gets the character down pat, leaning into the inane and quirky behaviors that makes up the character. Howard does shine in this particular part and does make Elly interesting and likeable. That being said, the character somewhat does a complete turnaround in the latter half of Argylle of which Howard isn’t the right actress to play such a role. This is then couple with all the various twists and turns that the script tries to land and doesn’t, which causes the character of Elly Conway to go through some transformations (character-wise) that don’t exactly pan out the correct way. Well, perhaps they do, but I can’t see it with Howard playing her. Thus, the third act for Elly Conway seems a bit limp and having glaring moments of disbelief within Howard’s portrayal of the character comes off as too hokey and cheesy. I just don’t think that Howard was the right fit for the character, especially if they twists that Elly undergoes was to remain in play
Starring opposite her in the movie is actor Sam Rockwell, who plays the character of Aidian Wilde, a seasoned spy operative who makes contact with Elly Conway and guides her through the real-life espionage world. Known for his roles in Moon, Seven Psychopaths, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Rockwell is certainly a capable and talented actor, with his career showcasing his caliber in the various roles he has played. Thus, to have him a Matthew Vaughan film, was indeed a welcomed treat and does bring a certain quality to the feature’s presentation. Rockwell nonchalant sounding voice perfectly matches the character persona and bravado for Aidian Wilde in the movie, with the seasoned and skilled actor having fun playing such a snarky, charismatic, and sometimes sarcastic individual. The role for Aidian is somewhat straight-forward as an experienced espionage operative who guides Elly Conway on their journey to save the world and make sure she doesn’t die in the process. It’s nothing new or original, but it ultimately works in the movie, which is good thing, especially with Rockwell playing the character.
Perhaps the big problem is that both Howard and Rockwell don’t really have much on-screen chemistry with each other. That’s not to say that some of their back-and-forth banter is fun and amusing, but I really can’t “buy into” their pairing as much as the movie really wants to. It’s not for a lack of trying, but Howard and Rockwell have difficult conveying their on-screen chemistry with each other, which does affect in how the movie actual presents Elly Conway and Aidian Wilde.
In more supportive roles, the film shares a balance between the characters of Director Ritter, the head of the Division, and Ruth Conway, Ruth’s mother, and who are played by actor Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle) and actress Catherine O’Hara (Best in Show and Home Alone). Both of these side characters to play a part in the main narrative and do certainly compliment the character of Elly Conway. Plus, Cranston and O’Hara are clearly having fun playing these characters and bring their screen presence in the feature’s proceedings. Although, some of the various wonky twists and turns that I mentioned above do revolved around these two and (again) dilutes the potential that the movie wants to convey. Perhaps the most “even keel” supporting character would definitely have to be Alfie or rather Alfred “Alfie” Solomon, the former CIA deputy director, and who is played by actor Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction and The Hateful Eight). There isn’t much to the character beyond being the head of spy organization and its basically just Jackson being…well Jackson. Don’t get me wrong, he is solid in the role and I did like him for the sum parts that he played, but there’s nothing to say beyond that. It’s sort of “comfort food” side characters and nothing more than that. Lastly, actress Sofia Boutella (Star Trek Beyond and Kingsman: The Secret Service) does play small minor supporting character named Saba Al-Badr, a secretive arms-dealer. Not much to the role beyond what was presented, but I did feel that Boutella was perfectly casted in the role. Heck, her performance as Saba Al-Badr was better than her role as Kora from the Rebel Moon movies.
As mentioned, the movie’s fictional characters within Conway’s Argylle novel world are featured in the movie and do have their cinematic moments in the spotlight to shine through. Leading the charge in these sequences is actor Henry Cavill (Superman and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) as the lethal yet suave spy agent Argylle. To me, Cavill was the perfect choice to embody such a role that (naturally) finds its spiritual influences from the classic James Bond archetype, with the actor embracing that model the correct way in a compelling way. He’s cool, capable, and confident, which are the ideal choices for such a larger-than-life character and I think Cavill nails it beautifully. The same with the supporting players that are depicted with Conway’s novel, including former wrestler / actor John Cena (Blockers and Bumblebee) and actress Ariana DeBose (West Side Story and Wish) as agent Argylle’s close sidekick companions Wyatt and Keira as well as singer / actress Dua Lipa (Barbie) as nefarious femme fatale vixen LaGrange, with these roles played effectively well within their screen time allotted for them. Perhaps the downside to this group is (as mentioned previously) that they aren’t the main focus, with the characters of Elly and Aidan taking that position, and only appear in short snippet scenes in and out of the feature’s narrative. Again, you really almost wish that the movie would’ve been solely on the Argylle fictional characters themselves and not so much on the real world ones. It’s quite frustrating because you know that many out there, including myself, would love to see an actual agent Argylle movie.
Lastly, the movie does have a secret Easter Egg scene during the end credits of the film (during the mid-credits portion). While I won’t spoil what the scene is or what it contains, it does bring a sense interest and intrigue as to what Vaughan possible might be cooking up in the near future. On the other hand, it could be just a small “zinger” that, despite the film’s mediocre reviews with critics and moviegoers, might go nowhere. Still, it’s a scene that leaves interest for some.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The bigger the spy, the bigger the lie…. bestselling author Elly Conway soon quickly learns as finds herself living out her fictional world of spy, agents, and world plotting plans in the movie Argylle. Director Matthew Vaughan’s latest film takes what he learned from his Kingsman film series and transposes the thematic and nuances of the spy storytelling category into a new narrative, projecting the same type of cinematic energy as with his previous films, while also presenting some humorous and visual bits along the way. However, the movie does be become problematic in several important areas, especially considering the film’s direction, plot misfires, convoluted twists / turns, spotty visual effects, and a somewhat lead miscast. Personally, I have quite the mixed feelings about this movie. I think it starts out quite good and gives a plenty of spy-esque nuances the correct way that provides plenty fast action and thrilling influences throughout. Although, the latter half becomes a bit too middling and looses steam for a finale that doesn’t know where to go. It’s entertaining, but also frustrating as well, which sometimes is perplexing to view and experience in movie like this. I didn’t outright hate like some out there as I did enjoy it, but I can not deny how messy and haphazard everything is. It’s basically, one of those “love hate” movies. Thus, my recommendation for this movie would have to be a divided “iffy choice” as some might like than others and everyone’s opinion on the movie will differ greatly. As mentioned, the film’s ending leaves the door open for some type of continuation and its something that I would like to see, but this potential sequel would have to be more tweaked in the development stages. In conclusion, Argylle is a movie that is too much in love with its own story and concept, weaving an entertaining (yet unnecessarily twisty and sometimes overstuffed) spy thriller that can’t quite grasp of what it really wants to convey or to say something on the genre it plays in.
3.3 Out of 5 (Iffy Choice)
The Official Website for Argylle Link: HERE
Released On: February 2nd, 2024
Reviewed On: January 15th, 2025
Argylle is 139 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for strong violence and action and some strong language
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