Argylle (2024)

The critic praises the film's playful twists and meta elements as a lighter Vaughn spy romp. Howard and Rockwell's chemistry and inventive action stand out as highlights.

The critic notes that the convoluted spy caper with plot twists never knits together satisfyingly despite fun moments, an impressive cast and explosive set pieces, ultimately tying itself in knots.

Matthew Vaughn's catawampus spy comedy is convoluted and sticks to an exaggerated CG aesthetic, with a fun premise of a fiction writer pulled into real espionage but ultimately a badly written effort that leaves audiences cross-eyed from twists. It finds some groove in its kitschy style but remains exhausting.

The critic calls it a well-cast romp that lacks focus and discipline. Overstuffed set pieces and loose satire undermine its potential.

The critic finds the constant twists turn the film into an unengaging froth despite likeable leads. It lacks drama, suspense and heart and soul.

The critic finds the film derivative and charmless, with an overcomplicated yet generic plot, bloated runtime and cheap-looking aesthetic that fails to deliver enjoyment despite the cast's efforts.

The film starts as a promising spoof of spy movies but becomes a stumbling, overcooked action flick that forgets its punchline and turns forgettable. It struggles with thin plotting, thankless roles for major stars, and a dreary finale that fails to balance parody with seriousness.

A cutesy and convoluted spy film that exemplifies Hollywood's extreme contortions to justify original I.P. stories through endless twists, meta-references, and franchise teases. It lacks rounded human relationships and feels like an ominous forecast for never-ending content cycles.

A simulacrum of a spy movie that offers few pleasures and plenty of headaches. The cat cannot save this convoluted, headache-inducing effort from director Matthew Vaughn.

The critic finds the film an unbearably smug and self-satisfied spy caper that fails to deliver fun due to its dull meta-narrative, phoned-in cameos and awful lead performance from Bryce Dallas Howard.

Should be a lot more fun but is an unbearable headache and one of the most expensive worst movies ever made, with bone-deep structural issues and failure of directorial execution. Sam Rockwell provides a rare bright spot amid the digital dreck and juvenile action.

The critic calls the film a woeful espionage caper with some of the stupidest action scenes imaginable, criticising its lazy execution, fourth-rate CGI and overall insulting quality despite the star cast.

The critic calls the film a new low for the director, citing jokes that fail to land, an overly long runtime, cartoonish violence that amounts to smoke and mirrors, and overly aggressive Apple product placement.

The critic sees the film as a new low for Matthew Vaughn, with lazy, derivative and nonsensical plotting, empty CGI spectacle and underwhelming performances that abandon any promise of originality.

The critic finds the spy story messy, overcooked, and tedious with too many twists, but singles out the inventive and creative action sequences as a highlight.

The film is a fun, light-hearted spy romp and perfect date movie, with strong chemistry between Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell and stylish action in the vein of the Kingsman series.

Vaughn delivers an escapist, crowd-pleasing action comedy with inventive, cartoonish set pieces staged like dances and accompanied by disco music.

The review praises the wild action, big twists, and romance elements that make it mostly satisfying, highlighting the chemistry between Rockwell and Howard and innovative action sequences, while noting some clumsiness and too many twists.

The film starts with a promising unique meta spin on the spy genre but quickly becomes a generic and convoluted thriller that loses its edge. Occasional sparks like a late dance fight scene are noted, but the overlong runtime and lack of originality are criticized.

The film is a convoluted and overly long spy thriller that struggles with repetitive plotting and fails to deliver a coherent franchise setup. Bryce Dallas Howard delivers a charming and magnetic lead performance, with strong chemistry alongside Sam Rockwell highlighted as a standout element.

The heavy meta elements and self-aware irony undercut any genuine romance or excitement, leaving the film feeling insincere and distancing the audience despite its flashy action.

The critic finds that Matthew Vaughn's clever ideas are undone by tired spy tropes and familiar beats executed poorly. The action set pieces in the final act stand out as highlights, but the film overall feels like an echo of a better movie.

The critic finds the film peculiarly and endearingly stupid with excellent fight choreography and a fun action sequence, but criticizes the formulaic plot, thin characters, too many obvious twists, and lack of gore. Overall, it's a chaotic thrill ride that one can still have a good time with despite its flaws.

This James Bond spoof delivers simple, dumb fun with an ingenious screenplay full of twists and strong performances, especially from Bryce Dallas Howard. It is hampered by strange pacing and a bloated runtime that causes it to overstay its welcome.