Digital Review: THE KING’S MAN

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Feb 19, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

“We are Oxfords, not rogues.”

The King’s Man is a prequel to Matthew Vaughn’s blockbuster Kingsman films, exploring the origins of World War I, and the formation of the independent intelligence organization that will call a Saville Row tailor its secret headquarters. Duke Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) was a decorated soldier who had a crisis of conscience over the men he killed in battle. And so he became a pacifist, and joined the Red Cross relief effort with his wife. However, while they were on a mission in South Africa in 1902, his wife was killed in the crossfire in front of their 5-year-old son. For the past 12 years, Orlando has been overprotective of Conrad (Harris Dickinson), always keeping him at home and never letting him travel on his own. He even has nanny Polly Watkins (Gemma Arterton) around to watch over him when he needs to go away. Conrad has dreams of becoming a soldier and fighting for his country, but Orlando will never let that happen, at least while his son is too young to enlist on his own. The closest Conrad has come to fighting is when he’s practicing swordplay with driver Shola (Djimon Hounsou) on the front lawn. However, a worldwide war is brewing.

Atop an isolated mountain in the middle of nowhere, a mysterious Scottish goat farmer, known as The Shepherd, is meeting with his rogues gallery flock of villains. The Shepherd has a personal vendetta against the British, and sets out to start a war to cause chaos and death, and take down King George (Tom Hollander). In order to start the ball rolling, he sends his minion Gavrilo Princip (Joel Basman) off to assassinate Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, hoping the event will reignite an old childhood feud between cousins King George of England, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany (Tom Hollander) and Tsar Nicholas of Russia (also Tom Hollander). And to make sure things go as planned, he has already placed members of his flock in positions where they can manipulate and steer the monarchs. The mad monk Grigori Rasputin (Rhys Ifans) has been whispering in the ear of the Tsar, controlling him spiritually and with opium, while Erik Jan Hanussen (Daniel Brühl) has been manipulating the moronic Kaiser, stirring up old insecurities, and Mata Hari (Valerie Pachner) has been sent to help prevent the Americans from assisting the British in the war.

Meanwhile, General Kitchener (Charles Dance) and his aide-de-camp Morton (Matthew Goode) arrive at Oxford manor house, looking for the Duke’s help with the situation. While Orlando may be a pacifist, that doesn’t mean he’s not equipped to take on this battle. In fact, his well known character as a pacifist gives him the perfect cover—no one would expect him. He has been secretly cultivating an intelligence network comprised of domestics around the world, starting with his own Polly and Shola—these are people who are in the room were it happens with world leaders, but can listen freely as they often go unnoticed and ignored. He can use this network to find and take down those who have been manipulating the monarchs into war, but may have to break the vow he made to himself, killing one to save millions.

“Reputation is what people think of you. Character is what you are.”

I’ll start off by saying that I am no history buff, so as I was watching the movie, I wasn’t sure if the historical figures and political happenings in the film were historically accurate. However, I was shocked and delighted to discover that, according to the lengthy behind-the-scenes featurette included on this release, the majority of the events and people are real. I guess sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction! It’s quite impressive the way they weaved all of these people and events together with the fictional characters to tie the stathe rt of World War I with formation of the Kingsmen organization.

The King’s Man has a somewhat different feel to it than the previous two Kingsman films, primarily due to it being a period piece rather than set in modern times. At the same time, the film does have some very familiar aspects. At the core of the movie is a father/son relationship. In the other films, this was a mentorship between Harry and Eggsy, while this time around it is a blood relationship. Orlando is constantly trying to protect his son, and doesn’t really want Conrad in the line of fire/danger. However, he quickly learns that his son is more capable and determined than he gives him credit for. Ralph Fiennes is excellent as the lead of this prequel (and possible franchise of its own). Orlando is a complex character with a tragic past that fuels him. He’s a pacifist at heart, but will still do whatever it takes to protect his son and the greater good.

Like the other movies, The King’s Man has some amazing and elaborate sets, cool spy gadgets (though not as technological as the previous films as we are in the early 1900s), and many over-the-top action sequences. Though this time around there are also several more-grounded, intense battlefield scenes, such as a harrowing silent knife battle in No Man’s Land. The film also makes use of some very creative camera shots and sequences, such as a camera POV from the blade during a sword fight, the use of long lenses to really show the depth during battlefield scenes, several tense action sequences involving heights, and Rasputin’s Cossack dance fighting.

The tone of this prequel is a bit all over the map, going from a tense-but-sometimes comical dance battle one moment, to a war drama the next, and then a Bond-like spy mission. You never know what you’re going to get from scene to scene. For the first third of the film it’s mostly a straightforward drama, but once Rasputin shows up, all bets are off. Rasputin is a skilled fighter, dancer and master manipulator, and sometimes he demonstrates all three at once. He is such an odd, unpredictable, and sometimes disgusting character, who can be both menacing and hilarious, but always played very seriously, despite providing much comic-relief. He’s definitely one of the highlights of the film due to his extreme eccentricities. However, there are also several other great supporting characters. Polly and Shola could be Kingsman agents in their own right. Polly is like a female Bond, with spy and sniper skills, and Shola is an expert fighter. I hope we get a sequel so we can see more of what these two can do for the newly-formed organization.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this prequel. While I did miss Harry and Eggsy a bit, the prequel introduces some fun new characters and dynamics, has some exciting new action sequences, and does a nice dob of weaving fictional and historical events and characters together. I also liked the period setting of the prequel as it gives us a look at the early Kingsman organization during a very different era, with new costumes, spy technology, and locations.

20th Century Studios has released The King’s Man on digital/streaming a few days before the disc release. I received the 4K digital version for review, which I watched on the Apple TV. I was extremely happy with the presentation. The video is stellar, with a clean and pristine picture throughout, and an excellent level of detail in faces and textures. The Dolby Vision HDR showcases the film’s beautiful color palette, which ranges from more vivid colors inside the Kingsman HQ, to the stark black and white floors of the palaces, to the dawn-lit exteriors of the manor house and fields. Even darker scenes, such as the No Man’s Lands battle, remain clear and detailed. The Dolby Atmos audio track provides clear dialogue, and a very clean sound that allows you to hear every bullet, clank of a sword, and bleat of a goat. It also provides a nice fully-immersive ambiance throughout. This is especially noticeable in the way that action sequences come to life, or in one scene with a ship on the water and the waves start acting up. The King’s Man primarily makes use of a more classical score, such as Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and some Russian standards, all of which sounds terrific.

The bonus material, which should be the same as what will be on the physical release, consists of an excellent 90-minute extensive Making-Of featurette as well as an additional 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, the film’s trailer, and a 26-minute look at some British organizations that help veterans.

What’s Included:

Digital specs and bonus material may vary per retailer. The details below reflect what is available via the Apple TV (though the same bonus material is also available via the Movies Anywhere app).

Film: (2:11:06)

2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Dolby Vision, HDR10
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Audio Description, French Dolby Digital, Spanish Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Extras:

The King’s Man: The Great Game Begins (1:29:37)
An extensive six-part feature-length look at the making of the film, which includes behind-the-scenes and previz footage, production artwork, and interviews with director/producer/co-screenwriter Matthew Vaughn, production designer Darren Gilford, costume designer Michele Clapton, director of photography Ben Davis, visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton, military costume designer/advisor Alex Fordham, hair & make-up designer Jenny Shircore, construction manager Brian Neighbour, assistant art director Oliver Benson, stunt coordinator Mark Ginther, first assistant director second unit Joe Geary, property master Ty Teiger, supervising standby prop Alex Boswell, second unit director/fight coordinator Guillermo Grispo, stunt double Harley Durst, supervising armourer second unit Jon Baker, co-composers Matthew Margeson & Dominic Lewis, supervising music editor Jack Dolman, and stars Ralph Fiennes (“Orlando Oxford”/EP), Rhys Ifans (“Grigori Rasputin”), Tom Hollander (“King George”/“Kaiser Wilhelm”“Tsar Nicholas”), Gemma Arterton (“Polly”), Harris Dickinson (“Conrad Oxford”), Charles Dance (“Kitchener”), Matthew Goode (“Morton”), Djimon Hounsou (“Shola”), Daniel Brühl (“Erik Jan Hanussen”), Valerie Pachner (“Mata Hari”), Joel Basman (“Gavrilo Princip”) & Stanley Tucci (“United States Ambassador”).

Play All, or select from:
- A Generation Lost (11:23)
  The cast and crew talk about exploring the origin of the Kingsman organization, using The Man Who Would Be King as an influence, the differences between this period film and the previous movies, casting the film, the father-son relationship between Orlando & Conrad, the real people depicted in the movie, weaving in the actual events, and more.
- Oxfords and Rogues (18:34)
  The director and cast discuss the characters, casting the roles, and what it was like working with one another.
- All the World’s a Stage (26:42)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the camera lenses, sets, costumes, hair & make-up, and more that bring this world, period and characters to life. They also point out some of the Easter eggs that connect this film to the previous ones, and go into extensive detail on the creation of the sets, and finding the right locations for the interiors.
- Instruments of War (17:01)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about planning and preparing for the action and fight sequences, the weapons and spy gadget props, stunts, and more.
- Fortune Favors the Bold (11:47)
  The filmmakers discuss the extensive design process for the film’s score, and recording with the orchestra.
- Long Live the Kingsman (4:11)
  The cast and crew talk about the surprises, fun, and drama the audience can expect from the film, how it differs from the previous movies, and how it sets up both the previous films and a sequel for the prequel.
Featurettes
- No Man’s Land: Silent Knife Fight Sequence (15:43)
  The cast and filmmakers discuss what young soldiers had to deal with in the war, and the extensive process of creating the film’s harrowing silent knife battle sequence. Includes behind-the-scenes, previz, storyboard & archival footage, and interviews with many of the same folks as the previous feature, as well as actor Neil Jackson (“Captain Forrest”), action designer Chris Cowan, and prosthetics supervisor Waldo Mason.
- Remembrance and Finding Purpose (26:29)
  Director/producer/co-screenwriter Matthew Vaughn participates in this look at some of the U.K.-based organizations and programs that provide resources for military veterans, such as The Royal British Legion, Invictus Games, The Battle Back Centre, Help For Heroes, and more. Includes interviews with veterans and those who work at these organizations.
Official Red Band Trailer (1:47)

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

The King’s Man feels a bit different than the previous (or is it latter?) Kingsman films. However, it is still a fun, action-packed ride, with some interesting characters, great performances, and excellent (and sometimes over-the-top) action sequences. The film does an wonderful job of weaving in crazy-but-true historical characters and events into this fictional world, and takes the first steps in explaining the origins of the the Kingsman organization. The 4K Digital release looks and sounds amazing, and includes nearly 2 hours of entertaining and informative behind-the-scenes material. This release comes highly recommended for any fan of the franchise or of writer/director Matthew Vaughn, or anyone interested in a period action-spy drama with a bit of a wild twist.