Argylle (12A)

Dir: Matthew Vaughn

Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Henry Cavill, Sofia Boutella, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson

This ludicrously over-the-top spy caper remains relatively entertaining despite a convoluted plot, shoddy visual effects and a plethora of increasingly predictable twists

Ever since his big screen debut in 1962, there have been countless imitations of the world’s most famous fictional spy, James Bond. From the smart and sophisticated Sean Connery years of the 60s and 70s, all the way through to the hard-as-nails Daniel Craig films of the 21st century, Bond has successfully survived multiple iterations over the decades, with Craig’s final outing, No Time to Die (2021) maintaining the franchises long lasting reputation.

Over the years the Bond franchise has successfully adapted to accommodate modern audiences and because of its legacy it can be difficult for other films of the spy genre to standout, always seemingly coat-tailing on Bond’s success. There have been several examples however, where films have beaten Bond to the punch, leapfrogging the beloved franchise and setting a new standard for espionage thrillers. The obvious example is the highly acclaimed Bourne trilogy, based on the novels by Robert Ludlum. The Matt Damon starring adventures broke new ground, introducing a more gritty and bleak methodology to the genre, which in turn would shepherd in the Daniel Craig era of Bond.

Another successful espionage franchise in recent years is The Kingsman series of films. While the quality in films has somewhat diminished over time, Matthew Vaughn‘s bold and brash approach to the franchise has perfectly captured the distinct visual style and anarchic tone of the graphic novel of which it is based. Based purely on the trajectory of his filmography, it came as no surprise to me at all that Vaughn’s latest project ‘Argylle‘ would be his most outlandish and down-right silly release to date.

Serving as a producer on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000), Vaughn introduced the industry to Guy Ritchie, with both London born filmmakers garnering a reputation for producing darkly comedic, cockney gangster flicks. Vaughn would go on to try his hand at directing a gangster film of his own, the smart and electric Layer Cake (2004), which in hindsight is a surprisingly reserved film for the director given how his career has now played out. Layer Cake would serve as a launching pad for Daniel Craig, who ultimately secured the role of Bond off the back of his starring role. Vaugh however, would go onto make several increasingly bonkers genre pieces, often adapted from pre-established novels or comic books.

Vaughn’s latest attempt at the spy genre, following on from his Kingsman franchise, sees him and screenwriter Jason Fuchs, given complete creative freedom with no existing medium to remain loyal to. The film itself starts in typical James Bond fashion as we first meet the titular Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill), as he infiltrates a Greek nightclub, only to be confronted by femme fatale, LaGrange (Dua Lipa). Aided by his tech guru (Ariana DeBose) and muscular sidekick (John Cena), Argylle is able to capture a fleeing LaGrange, and following an intentionally clunky dialogue exchange between the two, it is revealed that the characters are nothing more than fictional creations by author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard).

Elly is presently finishing the fifth novel in her bestselling “Argylle” series of spy novels, who after a bout of writer’s block decides to visit her mother (Catherine O’Hara) to seek assistance in completing the novel. While travelling by train to see her mother, Elly and her cat Alfie (played by Claudia Schiffer‘s cat Chip) are accosted by real life spy Aiden (Sam Rockwell). Aiden informs Elly that her novels have coincided with real life events in the world of espionage and that she is being targeted by Ritter (Bryan Cranston), the villainous director of a legitimate undercover agency who believe Elly will uncover the location of a classified flash drive.

It is very difficult where to start with this one as there is plenty to unpack here. One of the few positives that are present is that Vaughn and the cast clearly are having a blast poking fun at the genre, with its sights firmly set on The Lost City (2022) and The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996). That being said, the majority of the large ensemble cast of A-list stars are handed thankless roles, with DeBose, Cena, Jackson and Dua Lipa, the latter being heavily featured in the marketing campaign, barely racking up ten minutes of screen time between them. The only real members of an unquestionably talented cast that are given any real substance to work with are the two leads, Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell. As much as I love the pair, Rockwell in particular, they seem to be reining it in, despite being given the task of spearheading such a huge ensemble. It is refreshing to see Howard take on a role of this nature, but the nepo star seems uncomfortable taking on a role that is largely out of her comfort zone. Rockwell is definitely more at ease, embodying the latest in what is a hefty back catalogue of zany characters but the Oscar-winner is far from his best.

Vaughn no doubt excels when it comes to producing memorable over-stylised and often violent action set-pieces, as seen in both The Kingsman and Kick-Ass (2010). However, Vaughn’s reliance on comically graphic violence is surprisingly absent here, given the far out escapism on show throughout ‘Argylle’ it makes for a shocking omission. Even the toned down action set pieces we do get lack any real substance or originality, something which Vaughn has become renown for, a prime example being Colin Firth taking out a whole church congregation in the first Kingsman film. Every set piece here however, re-treads those that have come before it, even one bizarre sequence involving a character ice skating on oil is straight out of the Jason Statham Transporter franchise. The one thing that ‘Argylle’ has going for it is that it never became boring, despite a convoluted plot riddled with plot holes and conveniences, not to a mention a number of increasingly predictable twists that even M. Night Shyamalan would be ashamed of.

‘Argylle’ may be a far cry from Vaughn’s cockney crime capers of the past but remains somewhat entertaining despite its many faults. Produced by Apple, a franchise consisting of spin-offs and sequels is reportedly in the works, so I doubt this calamitous escapade will be the last time we meet Agent Argylle.

Argylle is now showing in UK Cinemas