disclosure: We were sent a copy of The King’s Man in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own. No other compensation was received.
The King’s Man is the third installment to the Kingsman franchise. Based on the comic book, The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, this movie is a prequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017). This is good if you are unfamiliar with the Kingsman series and fun if you have seen them all. We had watched the first one, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and really enjoyed it. With the King’s Man being a prequel, we were not worried about watching The Golden Circle before watching this one.
Wondering what we thought? Should you watch it? Is it worth it? Read on for our spoiler-free-ish thoughts and what the Blu-Ray & Digital versions offer! The King’s Man is now available on Digital, 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Code), Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + Digital Code) & DVD.
About the Movie
The King’s Man is a simple spy movie, set in WWI…
Uncover the secrets of the world’s most stylish spy organization and learn how it all began with the ingenious and action-packed origin story The King’s Man. From masterful filmmaker Matthew Vaughn, The King’s Man explores the mythology of the very first independent intelligence agency. Set in the historic WWI era, the lethal yet impeccably trained spies take on the ultimate mission to save the fate of humanity.
The Cast
The King’s Man features a cast of Ralph Fiennes as Orlando Oxford, Gemma Arterton as Polly,Rhys Ifans as Grigori Rasputin, Matthew Goode as Morton, Tom Hollander as King George / Kaiser Wilhelm / Tsar Nicholas, Harris Dickinson as Conrad Oxford, Daniel Brühl as Erik Jan Hanussen, Djimon Hounsou as Shola and Charles Dance as Kitchener.
Things to Consider when watching The King’s Man
The King’s Man is NOT a family-friendly movie, unless your family consists of all teens & adults. The King’s Man is rated R for sequences of strong/bloody violence, language, and some sexual material. So let’s talk about that…
If you are familiar with the Kingsman series, you know use of the “f” word is second nature. There are plenty colorful words used in this movie, including many uses of that word. As far as “some sexual material,” this is minimal and focuses mainly in scenes with Rasputin. But honestly, language & sexual material are not the worst parts of this movie.
Let’s talk about the strong/bloody violence aspect of this film. Yes, we are watching a World War I movie about secret spies – there should be bloodshed and violence. And there is plenty of it! I would not say that this was excessively done, but there is way more than I can stand to watch. If you are squeamish like I am, just be prepared to look away. You can see these moments coming, so you will not be caught off guard, nor will you miss out on anything major. Many scenes involve fighting of some sort. I did appreciate the fight scenes in this film were kept realistic to the time, using swords/knives, guns, etc.
Thoughts on The King’s Man
Overall, my husband and I really enjoyed this movie. The teenager started to watch the movie with us, but she called the plot after about 30 minutes into it and left to do something else. With that said, the plot is not surprising, but it is entertaining. Runtime for The King’s Man is 2 hours, 11 minutes. Not once did we look at the clock or wonder when it would be over. The movie had a nice pace and the historical aspect of the story was compelling enough to look past the predictability.
We would definitely watch this movie again, along with watching the second film. Be sure to watch the entire movie through the credits, there is an end credit scene that suggests there will be more historically inspired Kingsman adventures.
Is The King’s Man Historically Accurate?
If you are a history buff, The King’s Man is a movie you should see. I wouldn’t say that it is historically accurate, as there are many embellished storylines here. The characters in the story are actual historical figures represented during the beginnings of World War I. There is some truth to what is being told, but mostly fictionalized for the sake of the story. There are a few moments where we found ourselves questioning if something actually happened. If you want to read more into the historical accuracies of this movie, read this great article on Den of Geek. They go into detail and explain every historical reference in The King’s Man and note the differences.
Bonus Features
Bonus features are always a favorite, sometimes mores than the actual movie itself! Bonus features provide an additional layer to the movie, giving a deeper understanding and clarity to some movie moments that could otherwise be lost. The following features are available on the Blu-Ray and digital versions.
- The King’s Man: The Great Game Begins Documentary
- A Generation Lost – Discover how the filmmakers created a richly textured story that explores the origins of the Kingsman spy organization.
- Oxfords and Rogues – Meet the phenomenal new cast of characters Matthew Vaughn has assembled.
- All the World’s a Stage – Delve into the meticulous world-building of THE KING’S MAN with interviews, on-location footage, artwork, and details of on-set construction and design.
- Instruments of War – Experience the analog spy tech and early 20th century weaponry utilized in THE KING’S MAN and see a breakdown of the precise execution and evolution of the major stunts and combat in the film.
- Fortune Favors the Bold – Join Matthew Vaughn and his team for music scoring and sound design.
- Long Live the Kingsman – Cast and crew reveal their thoughts about their collective journey through the very special experience of making THE KING’S MAN.
- Featurettes
- No Man’s Land – Experience the creative process behind the harrowing knife battle sequence in several stages: rehearsals, storyboards, interviews and on-set footage, culminating with the atmospheric VFX.
- Remembrance and Finding Purpose – Learn about amazing organizations such as The Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes, two U.K.-based resources for recovery, well-being and employment for military veterans. Also hear why Matthew Vaughn strongly supports their mission.
*bonus features vary by product and retailer
A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin’ wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life – A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects – create~inspire~share.
