There are some movies to which you give 6 or 5 points. But you enjoy the film and find it entertaining. This is one of those films. The movie is extremely entertaining. I had a great time at the cinema. Yes, the effects in the film are terrible; yes, it is a parody; and yes, it is ridiculous. However, it was also absurdly funny and silly. I enjoyed it very much. As a movie, I believe it is average, but not bad. Of course, there are numerous clichés in the film. Many things could have been predicted. By the way, the film is a total twist show. Twists occur one after another, just like in spy films. I lost the seriousness of the movie in the first half hour of the movie. I started enjoying it. The acting isn't perfect, but I think it's spot-on for this movie. I have never seen Bryce Dallas Howard in this kind of role before. It suits her. They also made a great duo with Sam Rockwell. The action scenes in the movie are like those in the "Kingsman" movies, and the director is Matthew Vaughn, who directed those movies too. I didn't fully understand the mid-credit scene of the movie, but if the second movie comes out, I will definitely go. I have no objection to this movie being a series. One of the reasons I like the movie so much is the cat. Alfie, the cat, has many roles in the movie. I don't know which scenes were real and which scenes were CGI (a few were definitely CGI), but it was very funny and entertaining.
830 Reviews
Seriously Disappointing, Even as Goofy Fun
brentsbulletinboard4 February 2024
It's disappointing when a film has an intriguing premise but fails to deliver the goods in the end. Such is the case with director Matthew Vaughn's latest, an action-adventure/comedy about an author of spy novels (Bryce Dallas Howard) who stumbles into a real-life espionage scenario that matches the plot of her latest novel, embroiling her in a web of ever-shifting intrigue with various nefarious parties. The problem here is that the film never quite latches onto a dedicated focus to make the picture work. Some of the comic bits are indeed quite funny, but they frequently get bogged down by a meandering story line that's trying to follow a more conventional, twist-laden thriller format. It leaves viewers asking, "So what's it going to be?" There's also more than a little derivative material thrown in, such as story threads we've already seen before in movies like "Romancing the Stone" (1984), "The Long Kiss Goodnight" (1996) and any number of James Bond flicks. While it's true that this release is intended to be a spoof of these titles (especially in scenes featuring Henry Cavill as a hilariously hammy 007 knock-off), there's a big difference between paying tribute and playing unrepentant copycat. Then there's the picture's excessive length, coming in at a bloated 2:19:00 runtime, far longer than it needs to be, a failing attributable to an often-needlessly complicated plot, one that begins to try audience patience at times, especially in the back half. "Argylle" also features a cute, cuddly cat, Alfie, as a central character (at least in its trailer), but, like the narrative overall, the film doesn't quite seem to know what to do with the supposedly frisky, fickle feline, an impression far different from what's conveyed in the picture's video marketing. All of this is a shame, because this title has both potential and some apparent strengths going for it, such as a fine soundtrack, superbly choreographed action sequences, and an excellent ensemble cast with the likes of Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Ariana DeBose, and a seriously underused Richard E. Grant, not to mention fine turns from Howard and Cavill as alter-egos of one another. This one isn't nearly as bad as many critics have made it out to be, but it could have been substantially better with some significant retooling and judicious editing. "Argylle" apparently has ambitions to become a new franchise, too, but we'll have to see if that materializes based on what kind of box office draw it ultimately produces. At this point, though, I think it has its work cut out for it.
Not plausible, but a laugh out loud silly spy movie
malmevik772 February 2024
Argylle
A very hyped movie from the writer of the Kingsman series, the trailer frequently showed moments of silliness, spy action, Bryce Dallas Howard screaming and a cat that's supposedly awesome or something. At first the movie is cheesy as can be, but it does appear that is intentional. Most of the movie leads the audience to believe it is one thing, when it really is another, being revealed in surprise twists that aren't very surprising.
The ensemble cast does feature some great performances, even though Henry Cavill's hair is absolutely terrible. Dua Lipa's appearance is short, but she does a great job that it made me miss seeing her. Sam Rockwell continues a trend in Hollywood where age can be defied as I forgot he is in his mid 50s following the likes of Tom Cruise and Jason Statham.
The movie is way too long and needed a better editor. I like a fleshed out story as much as the next person, but calm down movie.
Now, on to the fun. This movie makes the word "ridiculous" woefully inadequate. But it's a fun ridiculous. There are so many laugh out loud moments that it makes up for a lot of the flaws. I don't want to spoil the movie, but keep an eye out for the blink and you'll miss it hilarity.
There are themes explored in this film about motivation, and whether the emotions experienced during life's choices, even when told in the format of a spy thriller, would carry over if you got to do it all over again. Personally, I find that theory worth exploring, because I wonder if I'd make the same good or bad decisions if not exposed to certain stimuli or experiences. Nature vs nurture anyone? People admit that they would love to be able to speak to their younger selves to assure them that things would be better eventually, or to avoid pitfalls, but that's not good enough. One never knows if that would make any difference, unless you take away those moments.
I enjoyed the heck out of this movie overall, and recommend it for the silliness alone. Don't take the movie seriously, and I believe you will too. The entire, very long, ending sequence is just crazy with the suspension of disbelief, but embrace it.
A very hyped movie from the writer of the Kingsman series, the trailer frequently showed moments of silliness, spy action, Bryce Dallas Howard screaming and a cat that's supposedly awesome or something. At first the movie is cheesy as can be, but it does appear that is intentional. Most of the movie leads the audience to believe it is one thing, when it really is another, being revealed in surprise twists that aren't very surprising.
The ensemble cast does feature some great performances, even though Henry Cavill's hair is absolutely terrible. Dua Lipa's appearance is short, but she does a great job that it made me miss seeing her. Sam Rockwell continues a trend in Hollywood where age can be defied as I forgot he is in his mid 50s following the likes of Tom Cruise and Jason Statham.
The movie is way too long and needed a better editor. I like a fleshed out story as much as the next person, but calm down movie.
Now, on to the fun. This movie makes the word "ridiculous" woefully inadequate. But it's a fun ridiculous. There are so many laugh out loud moments that it makes up for a lot of the flaws. I don't want to spoil the movie, but keep an eye out for the blink and you'll miss it hilarity.
There are themes explored in this film about motivation, and whether the emotions experienced during life's choices, even when told in the format of a spy thriller, would carry over if you got to do it all over again. Personally, I find that theory worth exploring, because I wonder if I'd make the same good or bad decisions if not exposed to certain stimuli or experiences. Nature vs nurture anyone? People admit that they would love to be able to speak to their younger selves to assure them that things would be better eventually, or to avoid pitfalls, but that's not good enough. One never knows if that would make any difference, unless you take away those moments.
I enjoyed the heck out of this movie overall, and recommend it for the silliness alone. Don't take the movie seriously, and I believe you will too. The entire, very long, ending sequence is just crazy with the suspension of disbelief, but embrace it.
Argylle - It's really dumb, but it's also fun.
shayenu31 January 2024
Have you ever watched a movie thats so absurd and brainless that it actually works? Argylle belongs to that group - as Matthew Vaughns latest is gladly a crowd-pleasing action flick that is full of smart twists and epic action sequences. There's no doubt that it does get ridicule at times, with huge logic gaps and absurdity - but this movie embraces its silliness, dedicating its writing to plot-twists that are so well thought out that you would never guess them coming - making Argylle an action movie that stands out enough to be enjoyable.
When the movie started rolling, I at first couldn't get invested in its storyline. The narrative seemed generic andd full of irrefutable plot holes. However, I remembered Matthew Vaughns genius. What he sold us in Kick Ass and Kingsman were ridiculously entertaining and thoughtful action flicks, and I had hope Argylle was going to turn in to the same - and boy, it did. The best aspect of this movie is, no doubt, its incredible and provocative plot-twists which really add this sense of unpredictability to this film and keeps you smiling always. These really start to kick off from the half-hour mark - whenever you predict whats about to happen, we get the total opposite - and there's clever hints skillfully layered around foreshadowing and setting up these twists to make you smile when they happen. It's definitely arguable from another perspective that they aren't justified enough, as they do question more potential plot holes - however this is what adds to the unpredictability and distinct nature of this movie
The ensemble cast also just adds to the fun. Everyone does a great job, but Sam Rockwell's character is the most entertaining and easiest to root for.
This fun isn't without its issues, though - as its main one is its lack of any emotion or layers within our characters. They are often unconvincing and bland, with the only form of character dynamics coming from our protagonist and their partner in crime. Apart from that though, we have no reason to care for our characters, any of them in particular. The CGI is often horrific at times too. It shows its decency in some fight-scenes, but in others it is truly appalling.
Ultimately, and despite the movies issues, Argylle and It's absurd plot (that I don't want to talk about as there are just too many twists!) will keep all audiences engaged, purely thanks to Vaughn and the writing teams genius plot-twists that make this movie one to definitely check out, standing out from the hoard of movies in its genre. And thats just what we need from it, especially in this day and age where politics and global issues distract us from having a good time!
When the movie started rolling, I at first couldn't get invested in its storyline. The narrative seemed generic andd full of irrefutable plot holes. However, I remembered Matthew Vaughns genius. What he sold us in Kick Ass and Kingsman were ridiculously entertaining and thoughtful action flicks, and I had hope Argylle was going to turn in to the same - and boy, it did. The best aspect of this movie is, no doubt, its incredible and provocative plot-twists which really add this sense of unpredictability to this film and keeps you smiling always. These really start to kick off from the half-hour mark - whenever you predict whats about to happen, we get the total opposite - and there's clever hints skillfully layered around foreshadowing and setting up these twists to make you smile when they happen. It's definitely arguable from another perspective that they aren't justified enough, as they do question more potential plot holes - however this is what adds to the unpredictability and distinct nature of this movie
The ensemble cast also just adds to the fun. Everyone does a great job, but Sam Rockwell's character is the most entertaining and easiest to root for.
This fun isn't without its issues, though - as its main one is its lack of any emotion or layers within our characters. They are often unconvincing and bland, with the only form of character dynamics coming from our protagonist and their partner in crime. Apart from that though, we have no reason to care for our characters, any of them in particular. The CGI is often horrific at times too. It shows its decency in some fight-scenes, but in others it is truly appalling.
Ultimately, and despite the movies issues, Argylle and It's absurd plot (that I don't want to talk about as there are just too many twists!) will keep all audiences engaged, purely thanks to Vaughn and the writing teams genius plot-twists that make this movie one to definitely check out, standing out from the hoard of movies in its genre. And thats just what we need from it, especially in this day and age where politics and global issues distract us from having a good time!
Disappointed-Cena and Henry's screen time almost matched the trailer, Trailer is better than whole movie.
brijeshcs-1882031 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This film would have been a hit if released in the 70s or 80s. Unfortunately, for the current audience, it falls short of expectations, especially for those anticipating a show akin to Kingsman.
Positive: Bryce performs admirably in her humorous role, and Rockwell delivers his part well. It's an enjoyable movie for a one-time watch, especially if you go in with no expectations or have nothing else to do. The best scene is in the beginning.
Negative: John Cena, Henry, and Samuel Jackson seem to be added to the movie solely for marketing purposes. While the movie starts with a good pace, it slows down significantly in the middle and degrades from there. The last 30 minutes feel like the ending of a 70s movie.
Positive: Bryce performs admirably in her humorous role, and Rockwell delivers his part well. It's an enjoyable movie for a one-time watch, especially if you go in with no expectations or have nothing else to do. The best scene is in the beginning.
Negative: John Cena, Henry, and Samuel Jackson seem to be added to the movie solely for marketing purposes. While the movie starts with a good pace, it slows down significantly in the middle and degrades from there. The last 30 minutes feel like the ending of a 70s movie.
A movie of two distinct halves
omnimog18 February 2024
First part, I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I knew that the movie had gotten some bad reviews, but I had not read any of them. And I found myself thinking "but this is a great, over the top, spy action comedy, what is not to love about that!".
Then midways, something happens, and the movie spirals into all kinds of problems.
Firstly, it drags out for way, way, way too long. From fantastical action and good one liners it turns into a snore fest with redundant, lengthy scenes trying to establish some sense of emotional gravitas. Problem is, BDH has zero range, and became nothing but annoying and downright bad at what she was supposed to after.
Secondly, it bacame clear that it was style over substance. Which I one hundred percent can support, if the style is cool, creative, innovative, fun, esthetically pleasing. It never fully was, and it never really committed, becoming a jigsaw of puzzle pieces forced together that really did not fit.
Thirdly, under utilized actors. Lots of great small roles, none got to shine, and especially SLJ had one of his worst roles for years, mostly reduced to acting like an excited 5 yo in the end.
In the end, the movie was somewhat saved by an always fun and excellent Sam Rockwell. And unfortunately dragged down massively by, I'm sincerely sorry to say, a typically bad BDH. Not often I say this but the casting director really picked the wrong main actress with this one.
Then midways, something happens, and the movie spirals into all kinds of problems.
Firstly, it drags out for way, way, way too long. From fantastical action and good one liners it turns into a snore fest with redundant, lengthy scenes trying to establish some sense of emotional gravitas. Problem is, BDH has zero range, and became nothing but annoying and downright bad at what she was supposed to after.
Secondly, it bacame clear that it was style over substance. Which I one hundred percent can support, if the style is cool, creative, innovative, fun, esthetically pleasing. It never fully was, and it never really committed, becoming a jigsaw of puzzle pieces forced together that really did not fit.
Thirdly, under utilized actors. Lots of great small roles, none got to shine, and especially SLJ had one of his worst roles for years, mostly reduced to acting like an excited 5 yo in the end.
In the end, the movie was somewhat saved by an always fun and excellent Sam Rockwell. And unfortunately dragged down massively by, I'm sincerely sorry to say, a typically bad BDH. Not often I say this but the casting director really picked the wrong main actress with this one.
Ignore The Bad Reviews With No Substance
JetBrones13 April 2024
No, this is not a masterpiece, but if you just wanna have fun and enjoy a movie where you don't have to feel like you're in film study and need to analyze every single scene, then you will have a good time with this movie. I truly do not understand why there are people out there that will only like a movie if it's the greatest movie ever made where every scene is a creation of pure brilliance that must be discussed for decades to come. I guess some people either can't enjoy something unless it's flawless or they're just unhappy and refuse to have fun. If you don't like the movie because it's just not for you, then all the power to you, I have no criticism for your criticism of the movie; we're all different and allowed to have our own opinions and preferences. It's the reviews I see where people are just stating vague things that they say make the movie bad and it honestly makes me feel happy because it reminds me that I'm the type of person who looks for the good, not the bad, and that I can find joy in many things. I hope you enjoy this movie or enjoyed it if you're reading this post watch. If you didn't, but your reasons are honest and true to yourself, then that's ok too. Love yourself. Love others. Bye.
It's proper bad
Chris_Mac_2512 February 2024
Spoiler alert: it's not good, it made no sense and I wish I'd had my plums harvested instead of watching it.
This was a confusing and irritating experience.
Bryce was not good, not good at all. Sam Rockwell seems to be buddies with George Clooney in real life, which is fortuitous because now when George cries about his Batman movie, Sam can relate having been a part of this disaster.
Caville looked awkward, like he knew how this was going to go over, but was being paid enough to make a sincere effort.
Sam L Jackson does a lazy cameo as whogivesashit, a spy that watches Lakers games and overacts.
This was a confusing and irritating experience.
Bryce was not good, not good at all. Sam Rockwell seems to be buddies with George Clooney in real life, which is fortuitous because now when George cries about his Batman movie, Sam can relate having been a part of this disaster.
Caville looked awkward, like he knew how this was going to go over, but was being paid enough to make a sincere effort.
Sam L Jackson does a lazy cameo as whogivesashit, a spy that watches Lakers games and overacts.
Utterly ridiculous but fun
actrs0210 February 2024
So if you are going into this, you have to know it's gonna be a little campy. Similar to The Kingsman, there are moments of heart, action, and absolute craziness.
Some of the scenes were a bit much, but overall this was a fun, and Interesting movie. Some of the scenes were overly dramatic and we're similar to Deadpool's opening scenes as well.
The twists in the story were definitely different, came one after another. All of the actors were on point, and I loved the switches from Argyle to Real life. The worst part was the CGI cat. And I don't think Samuel Jackson said MFer once. I was shocked.
Some of the scenes were a bit much, but overall this was a fun, and Interesting movie. Some of the scenes were overly dramatic and we're similar to Deadpool's opening scenes as well.
The twists in the story were definitely different, came one after another. All of the actors were on point, and I loved the switches from Argyle to Real life. The worst part was the CGI cat. And I don't think Samuel Jackson said MFer once. I was shocked.
It's Not Worth Your Money
davidisepic8 February 2024
Maybe I bought tickets for the wrong movie, because anyone giving this 10/10 didn't watch what I did. The first 40 minutes were pretty good, but after that it was garbage. This film is a disgrace to the A-list actors involved and is beyond ridiculous, to the point of lunacy.
They overdid the "crazy plot twists" by about 3 or 4 too many (I'm not exaggerating), the plot made no sense, they defied the laws of gravity, physics, and logic, the poorly choreographed fight scenes killed my soul, the special effects seem to come from a free app on an iPhone, the list goes on and on.
I'm pretty easy to please with movies, but this was awful in every way, shape, and form. Anyone who says to go in and just "enjoy the show" should stick with Barbie, Star Wars 7-9, and Zoolander, where that kind of childish mentality and little regard for the plot belongs.
If you're looking for a halfway decent action movie with good dialogue, a plot that isn't absurd, visually pleasing fight scenes, and at a moderate length, put this movie at the very, VERY, bottom of your list. Take it off the list, honestly.
I will never get those 2 hours/20 minutes (and $5, mind you) back, and I'm begging you to read this and go see another movie.
I usually don't care enough to leave reviews on IMDB (this is literally the first I've ever written) and that should tell you how AWFUL I feel this show is.
They overdid the "crazy plot twists" by about 3 or 4 too many (I'm not exaggerating), the plot made no sense, they defied the laws of gravity, physics, and logic, the poorly choreographed fight scenes killed my soul, the special effects seem to come from a free app on an iPhone, the list goes on and on.
I'm pretty easy to please with movies, but this was awful in every way, shape, and form. Anyone who says to go in and just "enjoy the show" should stick with Barbie, Star Wars 7-9, and Zoolander, where that kind of childish mentality and little regard for the plot belongs.
If you're looking for a halfway decent action movie with good dialogue, a plot that isn't absurd, visually pleasing fight scenes, and at a moderate length, put this movie at the very, VERY, bottom of your list. Take it off the list, honestly.
I will never get those 2 hours/20 minutes (and $5, mind you) back, and I'm begging you to read this and go see another movie.
I usually don't care enough to leave reviews on IMDB (this is literally the first I've ever written) and that should tell you how AWFUL I feel this show is.
People have forgotten how to just have fun
aguilera16852 February 2024
I saw this title at an advance screening and just took my SO to check it out before any spoilers got to him. Is it perfect? No, what is? Is it fun? YES!!
I don't know where we went off the rails as an audience that we get more enjoyment in dumping on everything than just sitting back and taking in something lighthearted and fun. I went in expecting some kind of Romancing the Stone / 2022's Lost City style story and was instead zig-zagged through countless twists that others have criticized as one-too-many, but I felt were just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. Yes, it ran a tad bit long, but I can't imagine what I would relegate to the cutting room floor.
It's full of twists and turns, beautiful and original fight sequences, and romance. Like Aidan says at some point in regards to Elly's writing - we don't need another Sense and Sensibility (or something to that degree). If you're looking for a fun trip, have enjoyed Vaugh's style previously, and don't have a stick up your tush/can't stand seeing a powerful woman - go see it and have fun. Haters? Take your misery somewhere else already <3.
8.5/10 Anything under a 5? Get over yourselves.
I don't know where we went off the rails as an audience that we get more enjoyment in dumping on everything than just sitting back and taking in something lighthearted and fun. I went in expecting some kind of Romancing the Stone / 2022's Lost City style story and was instead zig-zagged through countless twists that others have criticized as one-too-many, but I felt were just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. Yes, it ran a tad bit long, but I can't imagine what I would relegate to the cutting room floor.
It's full of twists and turns, beautiful and original fight sequences, and romance. Like Aidan says at some point in regards to Elly's writing - we don't need another Sense and Sensibility (or something to that degree). If you're looking for a fun trip, have enjoyed Vaugh's style previously, and don't have a stick up your tush/can't stand seeing a powerful woman - go see it and have fun. Haters? Take your misery somewhere else already <3.
8.5/10 Anything under a 5? Get over yourselves.
It was fun fluff
postmidnight7 February 2024
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.
What are you doing to me, Matthew?
FeastMode2 February 2024
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)
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)
A Fun Ride
exportnsw-2216910 March 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.
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.
Fun to watch although it was a bit long
nadiralkann10 February 2024
I had a fun time watching this movie. Although my friend who accompanied me didn't like it, I found the imaginative plot quite engaging. The well-known actors' performances kept me glued to the screen, even during the cheesy scenes. While the movie may not be a contender for the Oscars, it does provide a few hours of escapism from the real world.
The only downside for me was that the movie felt a bit too long for its storyline. The movie's marketing is quite effective, as the trailer seems to focus on Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill, but their appearances in the film are short. Despite this, both of them did a great job. However, it's important to note that they are not the main characters of the movie, as the trailer might suggest.
All in all, I enjoyed the movie. If you're a fan of adventurous spy movies that don't take themselves too seriously, this one is definitely worth watching.
The only downside for me was that the movie felt a bit too long for its storyline. The movie's marketing is quite effective, as the trailer seems to focus on Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill, but their appearances in the film are short. Despite this, both of them did a great job. However, it's important to note that they are not the main characters of the movie, as the trailer might suggest.
All in all, I enjoyed the movie. If you're a fan of adventurous spy movies that don't take themselves too seriously, this one is definitely worth watching.
Stupid nonsense with a five minute Henry Cavill Bond demo reel
Chance_Boudreaux191 February 2024
Argylle is a long, dumb, CGI-riddled mess. In other words, it's the standard modern day Hollywood movie. Some aspects are fun but the whole thing drags on and on until you'll be checking your watch every five minutes in hopes that it will be over soon. There is an abundance of CGI and a lot of it is terrible(especially the cat) and it makes the movie look fake but that's the norm these days. I'm not even sure if they filmed any scenes in London because the exterior shots looked really bad to me. Some of the hand to hand combat is pretty decent but for the most part I didn't care about what was happening at all. Additionally, some of the twists in this worked but overall it just kept doing more and more of them and became a convoluted wreck.
Furthermore, the trailers and posters for this film straight up lie. They have you believe that Henry Cavill will be the star of the movie but he's in this for all of maybe five minutes at most. Those five minutes prove that he would be a great James Bond but I bet that will never happen because why make the correct choice and cast someone that is perfect for a role. Additionally, John Cena is in this for even less time and it makes me wonder why they even bothered casting him as he must've cost them a fair amount of money for what amounts to a cameo. The rest of the cast is fine and I like Sam Rockwell so it's nice to see him in a leading role. On the other hand, the comedy doesn't land at all and no one in my screening was laughing at any of the jokes. I think think the PG-13 rating hurts the movie by making it too tame and making it Rated R would've helped it a bit.. If this thing was made in the 90s it would've been much prettier, shorter, bloodier and most importantly, more fun. Argylle, however is just nonsensical, looks awful and overstays its welcome.
Furthermore, the trailers and posters for this film straight up lie. They have you believe that Henry Cavill will be the star of the movie but he's in this for all of maybe five minutes at most. Those five minutes prove that he would be a great James Bond but I bet that will never happen because why make the correct choice and cast someone that is perfect for a role. Additionally, John Cena is in this for even less time and it makes me wonder why they even bothered casting him as he must've cost them a fair amount of money for what amounts to a cameo. The rest of the cast is fine and I like Sam Rockwell so it's nice to see him in a leading role. On the other hand, the comedy doesn't land at all and no one in my screening was laughing at any of the jokes. I think think the PG-13 rating hurts the movie by making it too tame and making it Rated R would've helped it a bit.. If this thing was made in the 90s it would've been much prettier, shorter, bloodier and most importantly, more fun. Argylle, however is just nonsensical, looks awful and overstays its welcome.
This Movie is Wild
kjproulx2 February 2024
Matthew Vaughn has always been a director I have admired. Whether you are talking about his earlier works in Layer Cake or Stardust, or his over-the-top action films in Kick-Ass or The Kingsman films, I have never disliked his work until recently. It was not until 2021's The King's Man that I found his work to feel a little stale. That film didn't work for me on many levels, but I have either liked or loved the rest of his filmography otherwise. Well, you can put Argylle down as another one of his that I liked. There has been a lot of criticism, but I do not fully agree with it.
This is going to be a difficult one to describe without sounding confusing, but I will give it a go. Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a novelist who has written a book series known as Argylle. What she does not realize is that the events of the book have actually happened in reality and continue to happen in real-time as she writes her next sequel. In comes Aidan Wilde (Sam Rockwell), a spy who shows up to protect Elly and takes her on a crazy adventure, avoiding a real-life spy organization out to get her. While this plot goes on, Elly sees visions of the main character in her book, Argylle (Henry Cavill), who helps her both keep and lose focus on her tasks. What I will say is that this film did not market itself well.
Audiences see Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, and John Cena all over the posters and trailers, but in reality, they collectively have about 10-20 minutes of screen time in a film that is nearly two and a half hours long. Some viewers will be bothered by this so I thought I would mention it, but the fact is, I love both Sam Rockwell and Bryce Dallas Howard and I thoroughly enjoyed their chemistry together here, so I was easily able to forgive that. Where I will complain about the film though, is the fact that it tries to be too clever for its own good. Once something is revealed to the audience as a twist, another twist or two is layered within that twist, and then another few twists are just around the corner. It kept me on the edge of my seat and made it impossible to predict what was coming next (even though I kind of predicted the ending), which was nice, it was just too much all at once.
Aside from the ridiculous amount of twists, this film (aside from the opening action sequences) has a fun story and quite a bit of action, especially in the last act. With that said though, as long as you are in for anything (as I was being a Matthew Vaughn fan), the last 30 minutes are just simply wild. Once the main plot twist occurs in the film, it becomes a completely different experience and it shifts gears into silliness, but because I like how Vaughn does silly, I was still in for the ride. I also liked the second Kingsman film, so I know this one won't be for everyone. Simply put, this film is too much, but it was too much of a bunch of things I enjoyed watching, so I can't be overly harsh here. In my opinion, Argylle is a good time and I recommend it, but be aware it gets pretty bonkers.
This is going to be a difficult one to describe without sounding confusing, but I will give it a go. Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a novelist who has written a book series known as Argylle. What she does not realize is that the events of the book have actually happened in reality and continue to happen in real-time as she writes her next sequel. In comes Aidan Wilde (Sam Rockwell), a spy who shows up to protect Elly and takes her on a crazy adventure, avoiding a real-life spy organization out to get her. While this plot goes on, Elly sees visions of the main character in her book, Argylle (Henry Cavill), who helps her both keep and lose focus on her tasks. What I will say is that this film did not market itself well.
Audiences see Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, and John Cena all over the posters and trailers, but in reality, they collectively have about 10-20 minutes of screen time in a film that is nearly two and a half hours long. Some viewers will be bothered by this so I thought I would mention it, but the fact is, I love both Sam Rockwell and Bryce Dallas Howard and I thoroughly enjoyed their chemistry together here, so I was easily able to forgive that. Where I will complain about the film though, is the fact that it tries to be too clever for its own good. Once something is revealed to the audience as a twist, another twist or two is layered within that twist, and then another few twists are just around the corner. It kept me on the edge of my seat and made it impossible to predict what was coming next (even though I kind of predicted the ending), which was nice, it was just too much all at once.
Aside from the ridiculous amount of twists, this film (aside from the opening action sequences) has a fun story and quite a bit of action, especially in the last act. With that said though, as long as you are in for anything (as I was being a Matthew Vaughn fan), the last 30 minutes are just simply wild. Once the main plot twist occurs in the film, it becomes a completely different experience and it shifts gears into silliness, but because I like how Vaughn does silly, I was still in for the ride. I also liked the second Kingsman film, so I know this one won't be for everyone. Simply put, this film is too much, but it was too much of a bunch of things I enjoyed watching, so I can't be overly harsh here. In my opinion, Argylle is a good time and I recommend it, but be aware it gets pretty bonkers.
Walk Out Bad
john-0569026 February 2024
Wow- was this work reviewed by anyone? A generous 2, in fact, I am changing it to a 1. One of worst 3 movies I have ever had to sit through. Junior high-level script and layers upon layers of unimaginative fight scenes attempt to make this script entertaining. The book hero concept is NOT clever, is not well written and definitely does not come to life. Lured in with stars like fruit flies to their death in a movie filled with cider vinegar- movie goers have my sympathy. Several behind this must have gone into medium length comas as this script isn't fit to put a match to, it probably is too dull to ignite. Popcorn with an anesthetic or finding the wrong theater and noise-cancelling headphones wouldn't save this-
Fur-tunately, this isn't a Cat-astrophe. It was Purr-fect for a movie released in February.
iamianiman31 January 2024
Packed in a way that is engaging, Argylle offers a story that felt rather simple. But as you went further and further into it, it became something more than that. You will become more intrigued. Your interest in the movie will be better. It will be anything beyond your expectations. They surprise you with the storytelling, it became soooo interesting halfway through the movie. What started as an 'okay' premise turned into something captivating that got really interesting.
There's a certain appeal we like with the way the story was told. They're good at containing and revealing the surprise elements. They knew how to structure the story. It was exciting knowing that the scriptwriters and directors knew what they're doing. We felt that the script was polished from time to time, tightening loose ends and only when it's ready that they started to greenlight the production.
However, the third act felt... a bit too much. The beginning of the story had this blend of normality and ridiculousness. It was a great combination but the second act came in and it got interesting but slightly replicated the world of Kingsman. But came the third act and it was wayyyy too ridiculous, even more ridiculous than Kingsman I would say. The tone just fell apart there. It became too cartoon-ish, we wondered, 'What happened to all the logics they had established in the beginning?'. If only the beginning was a bit more boisterous in its tone, we could have enjoyed more of the third act.
Another thing that Argylle suffers from is that for a movie this ridiculous, it just doesn't have that much energy to supplement the tone and action portrayed. It became increasingly weirder and ridiculous but the thing is, the energy was flat, if not, increased only mildly. If you felt kinda numb watching the action scenes or you felt that they did everything right but you still felt that something was off or missing, then yeap, it's the energy that's lacking. Kingsman had a vibrant energy and that's what made it a very good film, it jived with the tone of the film. This one, not so much.
Its strong lies in the dynamic of almost every character, particularly the main leads played by Bryce Dallas Howard & Sam Rockwell. These two carried the movie with the support of the whole cast. Bryce and Sam really shined through and through, delivering performances that stay true to what their characters are supposed to suggest to the audience. They are the leads but they don't necessarily have to be charming or elegant. They don't need to be on par with the beauty standards set in Hollywood because their characters just are not meant to be. Personality wise, both of them have different qualities that made their presence strong when together. Their characters really felt out of place to be the leads but it's interesting to have them both put in the situations they're in. Ohhh, and the cat is just sooooo purr-fect.
While a lot of characters are interesting, we indeed have a problem with one character. The character played by Samuel Jackson. His character was very flat for someone who seemed very important. It wasn't fleshed out enough. He barely had any screen time that it won't really affect the story if... he's not thereeee? For a great actor to have a minimal role and did him dirty while other characters have more significance in their presence for the story is kinda like an insult.
Even Dua Lipa has more screen time than him! Or so we thought according to our calculation. This movie markets Dua Lipa as the supporting character but rest assured, she's not. If you guess she's here as a cameo, then you're right. Her acting was okay at best, but she's very pleasing to watch. If only we could get more from her, the movie might have been more fun.
There's a certain cartoon-ish and comical element that comes with the visual effects. But knowing how this movie is going to make us feel and how it's going to look like, the imperfect look just became the right fit for this kind of movie, might even be intentional somehow, that they made the CGI looked exactly the way they appeared to be because it jived with the whole Kingsman-like tone since it's directed by the same guy.
We also need to give credits where it's due to the people who came with the idea and the people who made it happen. The first 45 mins, especially the train scene has superb transitions. It plays with this element a lot and we could see they had so much fun shooting the scenes. The transitions were hard to do but it was smooth. It's something that amplified its entertainment value and we love it.
While the story is packaged and told in a fascinating way, we are not eager to head to the theater for a second viewing. In our opinion, this movie doesn't have the rewatchability factor. It doesn't have the elements to hook us in for a repeat. Action is great but not 'wow' enough. Comedy is there but was pretty bland. There just wasn't anything visually memorable that would want us or we're guessing, most audience for a repeated viewing. The only reason to go again if you'd like to spot all the tiny little details that happened and analyze it better in case you overlooked it during your first viewing. Our advice is, focus on all the little hints this movie is giving you because it is important for the story.
Verdict: What Argylle masters is in its art of crafting its storytelling filled with surprising moments alongside its colourful character dynamics. This Kingsman-like world reflects on and subtly criticizes past action movies tropes in an engaging, somewhat meta manner. Where Argylle lacks is the absurd finale, weak energy and the zilch interest of rewatching it again. But then, Matthew Vaughn again created a world so unique we cannot overlook the fact that this is the most original of a film we can get in 2024.
There's a certain appeal we like with the way the story was told. They're good at containing and revealing the surprise elements. They knew how to structure the story. It was exciting knowing that the scriptwriters and directors knew what they're doing. We felt that the script was polished from time to time, tightening loose ends and only when it's ready that they started to greenlight the production.
However, the third act felt... a bit too much. The beginning of the story had this blend of normality and ridiculousness. It was a great combination but the second act came in and it got interesting but slightly replicated the world of Kingsman. But came the third act and it was wayyyy too ridiculous, even more ridiculous than Kingsman I would say. The tone just fell apart there. It became too cartoon-ish, we wondered, 'What happened to all the logics they had established in the beginning?'. If only the beginning was a bit more boisterous in its tone, we could have enjoyed more of the third act.
Another thing that Argylle suffers from is that for a movie this ridiculous, it just doesn't have that much energy to supplement the tone and action portrayed. It became increasingly weirder and ridiculous but the thing is, the energy was flat, if not, increased only mildly. If you felt kinda numb watching the action scenes or you felt that they did everything right but you still felt that something was off or missing, then yeap, it's the energy that's lacking. Kingsman had a vibrant energy and that's what made it a very good film, it jived with the tone of the film. This one, not so much.
Its strong lies in the dynamic of almost every character, particularly the main leads played by Bryce Dallas Howard & Sam Rockwell. These two carried the movie with the support of the whole cast. Bryce and Sam really shined through and through, delivering performances that stay true to what their characters are supposed to suggest to the audience. They are the leads but they don't necessarily have to be charming or elegant. They don't need to be on par with the beauty standards set in Hollywood because their characters just are not meant to be. Personality wise, both of them have different qualities that made their presence strong when together. Their characters really felt out of place to be the leads but it's interesting to have them both put in the situations they're in. Ohhh, and the cat is just sooooo purr-fect.
While a lot of characters are interesting, we indeed have a problem with one character. The character played by Samuel Jackson. His character was very flat for someone who seemed very important. It wasn't fleshed out enough. He barely had any screen time that it won't really affect the story if... he's not thereeee? For a great actor to have a minimal role and did him dirty while other characters have more significance in their presence for the story is kinda like an insult.
Even Dua Lipa has more screen time than him! Or so we thought according to our calculation. This movie markets Dua Lipa as the supporting character but rest assured, she's not. If you guess she's here as a cameo, then you're right. Her acting was okay at best, but she's very pleasing to watch. If only we could get more from her, the movie might have been more fun.
There's a certain cartoon-ish and comical element that comes with the visual effects. But knowing how this movie is going to make us feel and how it's going to look like, the imperfect look just became the right fit for this kind of movie, might even be intentional somehow, that they made the CGI looked exactly the way they appeared to be because it jived with the whole Kingsman-like tone since it's directed by the same guy.
We also need to give credits where it's due to the people who came with the idea and the people who made it happen. The first 45 mins, especially the train scene has superb transitions. It plays with this element a lot and we could see they had so much fun shooting the scenes. The transitions were hard to do but it was smooth. It's something that amplified its entertainment value and we love it.
While the story is packaged and told in a fascinating way, we are not eager to head to the theater for a second viewing. In our opinion, this movie doesn't have the rewatchability factor. It doesn't have the elements to hook us in for a repeat. Action is great but not 'wow' enough. Comedy is there but was pretty bland. There just wasn't anything visually memorable that would want us or we're guessing, most audience for a repeated viewing. The only reason to go again if you'd like to spot all the tiny little details that happened and analyze it better in case you overlooked it during your first viewing. Our advice is, focus on all the little hints this movie is giving you because it is important for the story.
Verdict: What Argylle masters is in its art of crafting its storytelling filled with surprising moments alongside its colourful character dynamics. This Kingsman-like world reflects on and subtly criticizes past action movies tropes in an engaging, somewhat meta manner. Where Argylle lacks is the absurd finale, weak energy and the zilch interest of rewatching it again. But then, Matthew Vaughn again created a world so unique we cannot overlook the fact that this is the most original of a film we can get in 2024.
Just don't
Fatboy19723 February 2024
One of the worst movies I've ever seen. I would have walked out if I hadn't paid for it which disappointed me because there were so many people in that I'm a fan off. I can't remember laughing one time during the entire movie. I didn't see the twists coming in the movie but even as good as those were, it was nowhere near enough to come close to saving this movie. I'm not a John Cena fan but he was not even close to being the worst part of this movie. There's a post credit scene that came on as I was walking out and I didn't even bother going back to watch it because there's no way I'm watching a sequel.
Bonkers
epileptic_fairy15 April 2024
This is the most ridiculous movie I have ever seen. I love it.
I am not allowed to leave a review that short so I'll just reiterate the above statement. After all, I am a person who likes to be concise and this minimum character rule seems to be a waste of your time and mine.
The film sets up some interesting premises but don't get your hopes up too much with those. It's not going to tie together in some inception / tenet complex web of interweaving and complimentary plot lines. Quite the opposite. It is going to dazzle your inner child with absolute nonsense. Set yourself up for a bit of mindless fun.
I am not allowed to leave a review that short so I'll just reiterate the above statement. After all, I am a person who likes to be concise and this minimum character rule seems to be a waste of your time and mine.
The film sets up some interesting premises but don't get your hopes up too much with those. It's not going to tie together in some inception / tenet complex web of interweaving and complimentary plot lines. Quite the opposite. It is going to dazzle your inner child with absolute nonsense. Set yourself up for a bit of mindless fun.
Description on IMDB get you wrong.
hbit0110 March 2024
This is comedy / satire / parody , but this is not listed on imdb. It say spy / action / thriller. No, fist is spy comedy and much less thriller. It has twists, perfect perfomance by Sam Rockwell, it is highly entertaining without making stupid faces to try make people laugh. I got some good laughs how silly it is at some moments. Cadt is good but Sam is thenling in this movie. He could do real spy / undercover agent movie easy. Many scenes are crazy unrealistic but not as much as in MI series and they are here to make you laugh and enjoy the movie. Do not expect deep toughts in this movie, it is just to entertain you.
Matthew Vaughan's Spy-Action-Comedy Is Messy & Illogical
SAMTHEBESTEST2 February 2024
Argylle (2024) :
Movie Review :
Argylle Review: Spy-action-comedy movies are rare, but that could be an advantage to many. In its first half, Argylle shows why this genre can be so entertaining and refreshing, and then the second half explains how terrible it can turn out to be and why it shouldn't be made often. There are too many twists, which is actually good, but after a while, it goes over the board, over the head, or whatever you want to call it. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life," yells Aidan, aka Sam Rockwell, and you are like, "Yes! Then why the hell do you want us to believe it?" That's what happens with the entire second half of this movie as it goes from A to G to C to Z to T to again back to B. That's how MESSY it is. Too many twists make too much of a mess here.
Argylle is about a spy novelist, Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), who has just finished her fifth book on a fictional agent, Argylle (Henry Cavill). For the next book, she decides to visit her mother, Ruth Conway (Catherine O'Hara), to brew some new ideas. On the train, she meets a real agent, Aidan (Sam Rockwell), who is on a mission to save her from a gang. Elly constantly imagines Argylle in place of Aidan while he is busy beating the gang and doing everything to save her. Aidan informs Elly that her novels are not fictional but are turning out to be true. She is a hell of a fortune teller, and that's why the bad gang is after her to get the hold of a certain master file before the good gang, aka Aidan, can get to it. But that's not even half of what you are about to see in the second half, so let's not spoil anything because there is a new twist every 10 minutes.
The writing of Argylle sounds absurd in the first half, but it's damn funny. That's why you can carry on with it. The idea of merging a fictional agent with a real one and the events was somewhat interesting and was made watchable with a touch of comedy. The problem appears in the second half when you learn the truth about Elly, Aidan, and the gang members, including her parents. Every single theory starts annoying you, and then you get a horrible climax, full of mindless action and senseless ideas. From memory loss to brainwashing to even hypnotism, come on, man, that's just way above the line. That's too much. Argylle leaves you exhausted with the displeasure of watching 3-4 bad spy movies in that last hour. Can you imagine that?
Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly Conway looks cute, but she has a deadly side to show too. Her punchlines don't come out as they should, but we can't think of any good female comedy statures after Barbie. The idea and standard have both changed now. Sam Rockwell impresses in some scenes and remains steady throughout the film. The handsome agent, Henry Cavill, is all what girls would make noise about. But the role? Let me change the subject. Bryan Cranston and Catherine O'Hara have a few surprises in store, but the performances aren't that good. Ariana DeBose, Dua Lipa, John Cena, and Samuel Jackson enjoy the screen time with their small supportive roles, while Sofia Boutella finds the best space amongst them. Alfie, aka Chip, the cat, will entertain you with her silence, but don't be surprised by her claws at the end.
On the technical front, Argylle seemed okay, with some problems in the sound design. The cinematography was good, and the VFX work on those swipe-to-agents scenes was fantastic. You gotta give some credit to the screenplay writer for visualising those things on paper. It was a new experience, despite its stupidity. We aren't complaining about absurd humour here, and nobody minds that until it is making you laugh. Argylle fails to understand where to stop. You just can't expect us to believe every unreliable thing coming one after another for over a half hour. Matthew Vaughn's vision was too out of the line, too unimaginable, and unconvincing. He could have removed all those bunches of twists in the end and made a simple spy comedy, but he preferred to make it messy, and the results are not what spy movie lovers deserve. As a whole, Vaughan's attempt at over-novelization struggles to find the right ideas, so let's not open the book this time.
RATING - 3/10*
Argylle Review: Spy-action-comedy movies are rare, but that could be an advantage to many. In its first half, Argylle shows why this genre can be so entertaining and refreshing, and then the second half explains how terrible it can turn out to be and why it shouldn't be made often. There are too many twists, which is actually good, but after a while, it goes over the board, over the head, or whatever you want to call it. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life," yells Aidan, aka Sam Rockwell, and you are like, "Yes! Then why the hell do you want us to believe it?" That's what happens with the entire second half of this movie as it goes from A to G to C to Z to T to again back to B. That's how MESSY it is. Too many twists make too much of a mess here.
Argylle is about a spy novelist, Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), who has just finished her fifth book on a fictional agent, Argylle (Henry Cavill). For the next book, she decides to visit her mother, Ruth Conway (Catherine O'Hara), to brew some new ideas. On the train, she meets a real agent, Aidan (Sam Rockwell), who is on a mission to save her from a gang. Elly constantly imagines Argylle in place of Aidan while he is busy beating the gang and doing everything to save her. Aidan informs Elly that her novels are not fictional but are turning out to be true. She is a hell of a fortune teller, and that's why the bad gang is after her to get the hold of a certain master file before the good gang, aka Aidan, can get to it. But that's not even half of what you are about to see in the second half, so let's not spoil anything because there is a new twist every 10 minutes.
The writing of Argylle sounds absurd in the first half, but it's damn funny. That's why you can carry on with it. The idea of merging a fictional agent with a real one and the events was somewhat interesting and was made watchable with a touch of comedy. The problem appears in the second half when you learn the truth about Elly, Aidan, and the gang members, including her parents. Every single theory starts annoying you, and then you get a horrible climax, full of mindless action and senseless ideas. From memory loss to brainwashing to even hypnotism, come on, man, that's just way above the line. That's too much. Argylle leaves you exhausted with the displeasure of watching 3-4 bad spy movies in that last hour. Can you imagine that?
Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly Conway looks cute, but she has a deadly side to show too. Her punchlines don't come out as they should, but we can't think of any good female comedy statures after Barbie. The idea and standard have both changed now. Sam Rockwell impresses in some scenes and remains steady throughout the film. The handsome agent, Henry Cavill, is all what girls would make noise about. But the role? Let me change the subject. Bryan Cranston and Catherine O'Hara have a few surprises in store, but the performances aren't that good. Ariana DeBose, Dua Lipa, John Cena, and Samuel Jackson enjoy the screen time with their small supportive roles, while Sofia Boutella finds the best space amongst them. Alfie, aka Chip, the cat, will entertain you with her silence, but don't be surprised by her claws at the end.
On the technical front, Argylle seemed okay, with some problems in the sound design. The cinematography was good, and the VFX work on those swipe-to-agents scenes was fantastic. You gotta give some credit to the screenplay writer for visualising those things on paper. It was a new experience, despite its stupidity. We aren't complaining about absurd humour here, and nobody minds that until it is making you laugh. Argylle fails to understand where to stop. You just can't expect us to believe every unreliable thing coming one after another for over a half hour. Matthew Vaughn's vision was too out of the line, too unimaginable, and unconvincing. He could have removed all those bunches of twists in the end and made a simple spy comedy, but he preferred to make it messy, and the results are not what spy movie lovers deserve. As a whole, Vaughan's attempt at over-novelization struggles to find the right ideas, so let's not open the book this time.
RATING - 3/10*
A hilarious pastiche.
bobetjo27 April 2024
Don't take this seriously. I feel so sorry this film gets some low ratings. For me, I laughed a lot. Yes it was a preposterous pantomime. And Bryan Cranston was wasted. But as a spoof of all the silly spy plots, I thought this was great.
The film was a pastiche of all the set pieces in the Bond and Bourne movies. Driving cars over rooftops in a succession of improbable angles. Unlimited henchmen. As imaginary characters, John Cena and Henry Cavil shone. Sam Rockwell did his usual convincing job. A great actor always.
The stories were joined together with superglue, but there was a sense of humour to the whole budiness. I am pleased I watched this.
The film was a pastiche of all the set pieces in the Bond and Bourne movies. Driving cars over rooftops in a succession of improbable angles. Unlimited henchmen. As imaginary characters, John Cena and Henry Cavil shone. Sam Rockwell did his usual convincing job. A great actor always.
The stories were joined together with superglue, but there was a sense of humour to the whole budiness. I am pleased I watched this.
Takes great pleasure in that signature manic energy one would expect from a Matthew Vaughn film for better and for worse
MrDHWong1 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
"Argylle" is an action spy comedy film co-produced and directed by Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass", "X-Men: First Class", the "Kingsman" series). Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, John Cena, and Bryan Cranston, it takes great pleasure in that signature manic energy one would expect from a Matthew Vaughn film for better and for worse.
After concluding a promotional tour for her fourth book about the fictional spy Aubrey Argylle (Henry Cavill), novelist Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is about to put the finishing touches on her follow-up when she suffers from sudden writer's block. Later, Elly decides to visit her mother (Catherine O'Hara) by travelling on a train where she meets Aidan (Sam Rockwell), a real-life spy who informs her that plot points in her Argylle stories have seemingly uncovered the top secret activities of a sinister underground organisation known as the "Division". With her life now in serious danger, Elly is taken by Aidan to London where the pair search for an elusive master key believed to contain information that could bring down the Division for good. Along the way, Elly's awkward, introverted nature causes the duo numerous problems and she soon starts to suspect that Aidan is not everything he says he is.
It can be a lot of fun losing yourself into the world of a good novel. Unlike watching a movie, reading a story via text can allow for a more personal experience as it allows someone to envision things specifically to their own imagination, which is often the reason why books are widely considered better than the film adaptation. Spy novels in particular have remained popular over the years, as the casual reader is exposed to what would normally be a world they could never enter by conventional means, especially when the novelists meticulously research vital information to be used in their stories. Matthew Vaughn's latest film "Argylle" tells a tale of espionage from the perspective of a soft-spoken spy novelist in a fun, albeit all too familiar manner that is befitting to his technique.
By now, anybody who has watched most of Matthew Vaughn's recent films should be aware of what to expect. In the opening scene in a Greek nightclub, we see the smooth, confident James Bond-esque spy Argylle work his way over towards an attractive woman (Dua Lipa) for a stylistic waltz on the dance floor. Immediately after, the lady is revealed to be a femme fatale, leading to a chase sequence that wouldn't look out of place in any recent action film, complete with excessive gunfire and collateral damage to nearby buildings. Eventually we see that this whole scene was in fact a product of the imagination of author Elly Conway, whose withdrawn disposition is in stark contrast to the bombastic action she wrote about in her novel. From this point on, the film shows Elly's relatively banal, mundane routine writing her novels, which are done through online research rather than from her own actual experiences.
Once Elly meets Aidan, the story turns into something of a fish-out-of-water buddy comedy, with Elly's shocked reactions to the real spy Aidan becoming the backbone of this film's humour. While some of these jokes worked well within certain contexts, I found most of the notable comedic moments were very hit-and-miss. For instance, in one scene Aidan teaches Elly the correct way to deal with an enemy who has been knocked out cold, requiring her to act in a brutally violent manner. What then follows is a scene where the meek Elly is too squeamish to carry out something this destructive, leading to Aidan stepping in to take care of business on her behalf. In any other case, this scene could have been hilarious, but instead it came across as predictable and cliched. This could be because I've seen so many other set-ups like this in other spy comedies that have done it so much better, including in Vaughn's own "Kingsman" series, which is why they just didn't work for me this time around.
Weak comedy aside, the film's action scenes are quite exciting and are shot very well. If there were one thing Matthew Vaughn always seems to enjoy putting in his films, it would be the parts where a character has to fight off a large number of enemies in one fell swoop, and this movie is no exception. There were a few fun scenes where we watch the juxtaposition of both the fictional Argylle fighting his way through many adversaries in Elly's imagination and Aidan protecting her from the real world assassins bent on killing her for knowing too much. Here, Vaughn uses single takes and brisk editing to show how the fantasy and reality worlds are being blurred in Elly's mind, which is a clever way for us understand how confused she must be feeling at that very moment. Best of all, it's easy to follow along what is happening during these scenes due to there being great fight choreography to distinguish who is fighting who, as well as no shaky-cam to ruin the whole experience.
As the lead of this film, I really enjoyed watching Bryce Dallas Howard take on a role like Elly, who seems like a good fit for an actress like her. Though Elly's character may not seem like much at first, as the movie progresses we learn more about how she has such an extensive knowledge on spies and the way in which she applies it to her novels. Howard strikes a good balance between mild-mannered and quick thinking, allowing for some interesting information regarding her character to be revealed much later on in the story. I also liked watching her interact with Sam Rockwell as Aidan, whose appearance and demeanour make him an unlikely candidate for a spy. Elly's vision of spies being sophisticated, handsome gentlemen in her books have now been forcibly replaced by Aidan's crass, sociopathic personality, shattering the high esteem she held them in for so long. Rockwell and Howard have great chemistry with one another, and watching them work together is one of the key reasons this film was so watchable.
Despite only appearing in Elly's imagination, it's fun to watch Henry Cavill play the role of a suave spy like Aubrey Argylle, who may as well be his own personal take on James Bond. At this point, it's hard to say if Cavill will ever be cast as the famous 00 agent in the future, but if he doesn't then we will at least have this film to show he does have what it takes. John Cena was also amusing to see as Wyatt, the man responsible for helping out Argylle from a safer distance away from the action. Whether or not this is an inside joke referencing Cena's "You can't see me" wrestling catchphrase is a matter of debate, but I thought it was kind of funny seeing how he could appear at the last minute to help out Argylle whenever he finds himself in a pinch. The rest of the cast, which includes Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L. Jackson, and singer Dua Lipa also round things out pretty well, but since most of their roles in the story contain spoilers I will not be discussing them here.
Although Matthew Vaughn has definitely made much better films in the past, "Argylle" is still a decent addition to his catalogue that does promise to entertain. If the film had played it less safe with its comedy and perhaps went for a slightly darker tone, I would be inclined to give it a wider recommendation. Regardless, if you like what you've seen so far in Vaughn's "Kingsman" film series, then you'll probably find some of that same level of fun here to keep you occupied for 139 minutes. For that reason alone, I would be willing to call the film a minor success.
I rate it 7/10.
After concluding a promotional tour for her fourth book about the fictional spy Aubrey Argylle (Henry Cavill), novelist Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is about to put the finishing touches on her follow-up when she suffers from sudden writer's block. Later, Elly decides to visit her mother (Catherine O'Hara) by travelling on a train where she meets Aidan (Sam Rockwell), a real-life spy who informs her that plot points in her Argylle stories have seemingly uncovered the top secret activities of a sinister underground organisation known as the "Division". With her life now in serious danger, Elly is taken by Aidan to London where the pair search for an elusive master key believed to contain information that could bring down the Division for good. Along the way, Elly's awkward, introverted nature causes the duo numerous problems and she soon starts to suspect that Aidan is not everything he says he is.
It can be a lot of fun losing yourself into the world of a good novel. Unlike watching a movie, reading a story via text can allow for a more personal experience as it allows someone to envision things specifically to their own imagination, which is often the reason why books are widely considered better than the film adaptation. Spy novels in particular have remained popular over the years, as the casual reader is exposed to what would normally be a world they could never enter by conventional means, especially when the novelists meticulously research vital information to be used in their stories. Matthew Vaughn's latest film "Argylle" tells a tale of espionage from the perspective of a soft-spoken spy novelist in a fun, albeit all too familiar manner that is befitting to his technique.
By now, anybody who has watched most of Matthew Vaughn's recent films should be aware of what to expect. In the opening scene in a Greek nightclub, we see the smooth, confident James Bond-esque spy Argylle work his way over towards an attractive woman (Dua Lipa) for a stylistic waltz on the dance floor. Immediately after, the lady is revealed to be a femme fatale, leading to a chase sequence that wouldn't look out of place in any recent action film, complete with excessive gunfire and collateral damage to nearby buildings. Eventually we see that this whole scene was in fact a product of the imagination of author Elly Conway, whose withdrawn disposition is in stark contrast to the bombastic action she wrote about in her novel. From this point on, the film shows Elly's relatively banal, mundane routine writing her novels, which are done through online research rather than from her own actual experiences.
Once Elly meets Aidan, the story turns into something of a fish-out-of-water buddy comedy, with Elly's shocked reactions to the real spy Aidan becoming the backbone of this film's humour. While some of these jokes worked well within certain contexts, I found most of the notable comedic moments were very hit-and-miss. For instance, in one scene Aidan teaches Elly the correct way to deal with an enemy who has been knocked out cold, requiring her to act in a brutally violent manner. What then follows is a scene where the meek Elly is too squeamish to carry out something this destructive, leading to Aidan stepping in to take care of business on her behalf. In any other case, this scene could have been hilarious, but instead it came across as predictable and cliched. This could be because I've seen so many other set-ups like this in other spy comedies that have done it so much better, including in Vaughn's own "Kingsman" series, which is why they just didn't work for me this time around.
Weak comedy aside, the film's action scenes are quite exciting and are shot very well. If there were one thing Matthew Vaughn always seems to enjoy putting in his films, it would be the parts where a character has to fight off a large number of enemies in one fell swoop, and this movie is no exception. There were a few fun scenes where we watch the juxtaposition of both the fictional Argylle fighting his way through many adversaries in Elly's imagination and Aidan protecting her from the real world assassins bent on killing her for knowing too much. Here, Vaughn uses single takes and brisk editing to show how the fantasy and reality worlds are being blurred in Elly's mind, which is a clever way for us understand how confused she must be feeling at that very moment. Best of all, it's easy to follow along what is happening during these scenes due to there being great fight choreography to distinguish who is fighting who, as well as no shaky-cam to ruin the whole experience.
As the lead of this film, I really enjoyed watching Bryce Dallas Howard take on a role like Elly, who seems like a good fit for an actress like her. Though Elly's character may not seem like much at first, as the movie progresses we learn more about how she has such an extensive knowledge on spies and the way in which she applies it to her novels. Howard strikes a good balance between mild-mannered and quick thinking, allowing for some interesting information regarding her character to be revealed much later on in the story. I also liked watching her interact with Sam Rockwell as Aidan, whose appearance and demeanour make him an unlikely candidate for a spy. Elly's vision of spies being sophisticated, handsome gentlemen in her books have now been forcibly replaced by Aidan's crass, sociopathic personality, shattering the high esteem she held them in for so long. Rockwell and Howard have great chemistry with one another, and watching them work together is one of the key reasons this film was so watchable.
Despite only appearing in Elly's imagination, it's fun to watch Henry Cavill play the role of a suave spy like Aubrey Argylle, who may as well be his own personal take on James Bond. At this point, it's hard to say if Cavill will ever be cast as the famous 00 agent in the future, but if he doesn't then we will at least have this film to show he does have what it takes. John Cena was also amusing to see as Wyatt, the man responsible for helping out Argylle from a safer distance away from the action. Whether or not this is an inside joke referencing Cena's "You can't see me" wrestling catchphrase is a matter of debate, but I thought it was kind of funny seeing how he could appear at the last minute to help out Argylle whenever he finds himself in a pinch. The rest of the cast, which includes Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Ariana DeBose, Samuel L. Jackson, and singer Dua Lipa also round things out pretty well, but since most of their roles in the story contain spoilers I will not be discussing them here.
Although Matthew Vaughn has definitely made much better films in the past, "Argylle" is still a decent addition to his catalogue that does promise to entertain. If the film had played it less safe with its comedy and perhaps went for a slightly darker tone, I would be inclined to give it a wider recommendation. Regardless, if you like what you've seen so far in Vaughn's "Kingsman" film series, then you'll probably find some of that same level of fun here to keep you occupied for 139 minutes. For that reason alone, I would be willing to call the film a minor success.
I rate it 7/10.
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