---
title: "Kingsman: The Golden Circle: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/kingsman-the-golden-circle/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/kingsman-the-golden-circle"
critics_score: 44
critics_reviews: 29
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017): what the critics said

Critics' score 44 from 29 reviews: 5 positive, 9 mixed, 15 negative.

Most critics find Kingsman: The Golden Circle an overstuffed sequel that struggles to recover its predecessor’s comic energy. Praise centres on the cast, particularly Julianne Moore’s gleeful villain and Elton John’s comic appearances, with several reviews also valuing Taron Egerton’s presence and the actors’ rapport. The action earns credit for its invention and choreography, even from some critics who find the surrounding story thin. Excessive length is a complaint shared by supporters and detractors.

The spread is wide, however, and the chief disagreement concerns whether the spectacle remains entertaining despite that excess. The Hollywood Reporter finds carefully crafted scenes and character-focused humour enough to sustain the fun; Variety finds the action weightless because the plot offers so little sense of stakes. Elsewhere, reservations cluster around crude jokes, underdeveloped characters and muddled politics. For the harsher reviews, the violence and repetition exhaust what charm the cast supplies.

## IndieWire — Kate Erbland

Rating B-. 18 September 2017. 

Erbland finds the sequel energetic and entertaining but ultimately overlong, convoluted blockbuster overkill. She praises its ambitious action set pieces and Julianne Moore’s gleeful performance, while criticizing a distasteful tracking-device scene.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review-matthew-vaughn-1201877938/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2017. 

McCarthy finds the sequel entertaining and mostly fresh, though it sometimes feels like too much of a good thing. He praises its clever, carefully crafted scenes and character-focused humor, while faulting its excessive running time.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/kingsman-golden-circle-review-1039813/)

## Empire — Dan Jolin

Fi1m's normalised score 68/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2017. 

Jolin finds the sequel entertaining but overlong, with less character development than its predecessor. He particularly praises the kinetic, inventive action sequences, while criticizing the drawn-out runtime and parts of the plot.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/kingsman-golden-circle-review/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. I could not verify a specific point of praise or complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/kingsman-the-golden-circle-2017)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2017. 

The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its standfirst describes the film as a stylish secret-service sequel, but the review body is paywalled.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review/5122417.article)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review text is inaccessible, so its verdict cannot be established. No praise or complaint can be reliably identified.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/movies/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review.html)

## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall

Rating 3/5. 

The review gives the sequel a three-star assessment, suggesting a mixed verdict. It singles out Julianne Moore’s gleeful performance as the megalomaniac Poppy.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-mtrp7t/kingsman-the-golden-circle/)

## The Guardian — Gwilym Mumford

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2017. 

The critic finds the sequel exhilarating but overstuffed, with its excessive length and tone-deaf moments holding it back. They praise its visual wit and the gleefully absurd spectacle, including Elton John’s profane turn.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/19/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review-spy-sequel-reaches-new-heights-of-skyscraping-silliness)

## Total Film — Matt Maytum

Rating 3/5. 18 September 2017. 

The critic finds the sequel entertaining but too safe to match the original’s edge. The energetic opening action and the cast’s charm stand out, while the familiar plot and lack of character arc disappoint.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review/)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Rating 2/5. 14 November 2017. 

O'Sullivan finds the sequel cruel, dull and far less daring than the original. She singles out Colin Firth’s performance and Elton John’s cameo as highlights.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/kingsman-the-golden-circle-film-review-the-spy-who-lost-me-a3683036.html)

## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward

Rating 3/2/1. 19 September 2017. 

The critic finds the sequel bloated, artistically impotent and politically conservative. They fault its glut of characters and subplots, singling out Channing Tatum’s cowboy as especially weak.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/kingsman-the-golden-circle)

## Time Out — Anna Smith

Rating 2/5. 19 September 2017. 

Smith finds the sequel inferior, despite a few bright moments. She singles out its increasingly crude humor as a prominent flaw.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/kingsman-the-golden-circle)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 21 September 2017. 

Chang finds the sequel overlong, tonally undisciplined, and less anarchically entertaining than its predecessor. He praises the interplay among Firth, Strong, and Egerton, but says the film’s violent gags lack wit and finesse.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-kingsman-golden-circle-review-20170921-story.html)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2017. 

Debruge finds the sequel overblown, incoherent, and so unconcerned with stakes that its action feels weightless. He singles out Taron Egerton’s screen presence as a bright spot, while criticizing the film’s implausible plot and relentless excess.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review-1202562659/)

## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole

Rating 0.5/4. 20 September 2017. 

Cole finds the sequel soulless and less effective than its predecessor. He criticizes its overloaded action, singling out Elton John’s wire-fu scene as its only inspired gag.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/kingsman-the-golden-circle/)

## Sight and Sound — Henry K. Miller

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2017. 

Miller dismisses the sequel as a witless, overlong failure. He particularly objects to its crude shock humor and rote ultraviolence.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/kingsman-golden-circle-review-taboo-busting-ultra-tedium)

## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 21 September 2017. 

Vishnevetsky finds the sequel dumber, less stylish, and politically incoherent, with clumsy plotting that drains away its fun. He singles out its class politics and overstuffed, boring stretches as particular failures.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/kingsman-gets-dumber-in-the-lurching-incoherent-golden-1818603089)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2017. 

Edelstein finds the sequel a bloated, stupid mess that fails to recapture the first film’s comic appeal. He praises Julianne Moore’s physical comic performance as Poppy, but says it grows repetitive.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2017/09/kingsman-the-golden-circle-is-bloated-campy-and-stupid.html)

## Den of Geek — David Crow

Rating 3.5 out of 5. 19 September 2017. 

Crow finds the sequel an entertaining, giddy romp, though its packed story can feel manic and unfocused. He especially praises Mark Strong’s standout scene and Julianne Moore’s spirited villainous performance.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2017. 

Hammond says the sequel delivers the familiar Kingsman formula and should please fans, though it is overlong and bloated. He singles out its colorful production design, soundtrack, and fast-paced editing as strengths.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2017/09/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review-taron-egerton-colin-firth-1202172871/)

## /Film — Karen Han

Rating 7/10. 22 September 2017. 

Han finds the sequel entertaining but less successful than the first film, with its political plot and self-seriousness undermining the fun. She praises Taron Egerton’s performance and highlights Harry’s recovery as the film’s strongest emotional thread.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/553478/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review/)

## Digital Spy — Jamie Graham

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2017. 

The review finds the sequel entertaining and brazen, but less successful and less substantial than its predecessor. It praises Pedro Pascal’s charismatic agent and Elton John’s funny cameo, while lamenting the lack of an Eggsy character arc and potent class subtext.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a838397/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review/)

## Paste — Will Leitch

Rating 5.1. 22 September 2017. 

Leitch finds the sequel bloated, overplotted, and less playful than the original. He singles out Elton John’s extended cameo as a highlight, while criticizing the film’s excessive plot machinery and crude subplot.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/kinsgman/kingsman-the-golden-circle)

## HeyUGuys

Rating 2/5. 

The critic finds the sequel hugely disappointing, despite flashes of brilliance. Julianne Moore’s performance as the villain is singled out for praise, while the repetitive, overblown story is criticized.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/kingsman-golden-circle-review/)

## Eye for Film — Evelin Toth

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 2017. 

The critic finds the sequel entertaining but let down by shallow, predictable plotting and underdeveloped characters. The expertly choreographed action sequences are singled out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/kingsman-the-golden-circle-2017-film-review-by-evelin-toth)

## Consequence — Clint Worthington

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2017. 

The critic finds the sequel overstuffed, tonally uneven, and too long to sustain its appeal. They praise Vaughn’s energetic, meticulously crafted action sequences as the film’s clearest strength.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2017/09/film-review-kingsman-the-golden-circle/)

## The Ringer — K. Austin Collins

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2017. 

Collins finds the sequel bloated and less enjoyable than the original. He praises the cast’s camaraderie but complains that the humor feels desperate and the action repetitive.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2017/09/20/movies/kingsman-the-golden-circle-film-review-matthew-vaughn-taron-egerton)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the sequel meaner, less funny, and weighed down by a messy story and static exposition. Elton John is singled out as its saving grace, bringing welcome comic energy as a furious hostage.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/kingsman-2-the-golden-circle-review-2142465)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2017. 

The critic finds the sequel bloated, dull, and politically queasy, with little of the original’s charm. They single out Elton John’s profane hostage performance as the closest thing to humor.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/kingsman-the-golden-circle-review-colin-firth-channing-tatum/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/kingsman-the-golden-circle.md