Matthew Vaughn’s second film in the Kingsman franchise is even more striking than the wardrobe and gadgets it brings to life. This installment not only brings back Taron Egerton as the cunning and courageous Eggsy, Mark Strong as the intelligent Merlin, and Colin Firth as Harry Hart, but it also brings in a whole new edition of actors like Channing Tatum as Tequila and Pedro Pascal as Whiskey. With a star-studded cast and Vaughn in the director’s chair, Kingsman: The Golden Circle was a surefire hit from the start.

The beginning of the film brings back Kingsman, a private British intelligence agency. The viewer gets an introduction to the main villains of the film, The Golden Circle. The beginning scenes show Eggsy and Merlin meeting Statesman, a secret service group from the United States. The next hour or so of the movie is spent seeing the Kingsman and Statesman work together to try and defeat The Golden Circle and obscure their plot to kill millions. The movie closes with a happy ending.

Overall, the filmmaking in Kingsman II was a stretch for the imagination even at the best of times and was lacking in any sort of standout filmography. Even so, it was chock-full of incredible action scenes. Tatum and Pascal portray their roles as patriotic, southern agents, with confident personalities to complement their faux accents. Mark Strong especially stood out against the rest of the cast with the true-to-life flair he brings to the character.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is no James Bond. It will not be in anyone’s top-10 favorites anytime soon, but it has certainly earned its $49 million in box-office earnings. This is a film sure to satisfy anyone who loves the action of Terminator, but the relative plot-line of Austin Powers. Kingsman: The Golden Circle is rated R for sequences of strong violence, language, and some sexual content.