I'm surprised Vaughn's never done a musical before, his set composition and aesthetic feels so staged that it would be right at home on, well, a stage.
Wasn't expecting to see this get a Bob review but I'm glad it did. It's one I'm on the fence about and hopefully this will help me decide if it's worth going out to see!
I'd like to ban reviewers and advertising talking about "twists" in films and just replace it with the word, "surprises." "This films has a huge twist," spoils things. "This films has some great surprises," doesn't. It still lets you know there's some stuff you don't expect, but it doesn't screw up the way you watch a film in the same way.
...Am I the only one who remembers The Sixth Sense trailer (sometime after the movie started getting big word of mouth) that literally *begged* the audience not to reveal the twist ending? I do, because (as Bob suggests) I went into it LOOKING for a twist and guessed it almost immediately.😖
That was my issue too. I saw The Sixth Sense maybe the second week it was out and, by then, I already knew from everyone that there was a big twist. So, of course, when the opening scene ended, I knew exactly what the twist was going to be lol
Great review, full of wordplay and wit, as usual, Bob. But I will do anything to avoid having my eyes cross when you play the trailers with the heavily pixelated filters on them. I’d rather have no footage than that.
@@johnathonhaney8291 Super Crooks is my favorite one. Although most of the show is basically a prequel to the comic but it's really good and makes everything in the actual adaptation part feel more natural in comparison
I've always liked that about Matthew Vaughn's movies... he's like a grindhouse Wes Anderson. The costumes are well-tailored, the sets are dollhouse-immaculate, the action is choreographed like a Bollywood dance-number... but whereas Wes Anderson is that arthouse-hipster "I liked it before it was cool" pretentious douchebag, Matthew Vaughn is a more playful, approachable filmmaker who puts the same spit-shine on things the rest of us might actually be interested in- like Vodka Martini spies and comic-book superheroes. Oh, and Henry Cavill's also playing a spy in the new Guy Ritchie joint, "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare." And that movie looks like a bone-cruncher.
I think you are being a bit generous with the score, but largely agree with your words. I found a lot of the contrivance bordered on unearned and patronising.... HOWEVER, my screening had an audience that skewed quite young and the movie elicited a round of applause from lots of them (and then unabashed whooping at the mid-credits scene), and it made me think that, whilst I may be too old, tired and cynical for movies that lean so heavily on trope, on 'twists', and visual style, there is a crowd for which many of these things will still be relatively fresh. Glad they enjoyed themselves.
I’m going to be going to see this with some friends from work next week. Sounds like we’ll be in for a better experience than the last movie we saw as a group: Night Swim.
Sounds like what I expect from a Matthew Vaughn film. Sounds like something that doesn't NEED to be seen in the theater, but will still be a little better for doing so. Thanks Bob.
Bond silliness aside, I suspect there's a real-life basis for Argylle. In the early 1970s, one Bill Granger was working as a reporter in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. He took those experiences and turned it in his first novel The November Man. One key plot element he put in was something he'd been told by British authorities was impossible: the assassination of a member of the Royal Family by the IRA. A little after the novel's release, Lord Mountbatten got blown away by the Irish Republican Army, just like Granger's reporting had suggested. So...yeah. Also, what the hell did Mark Millar do this time?
From what I get this is all just meant to be an affectionate parody of spy stories. Not really any stories but the general feel and air of them in a way that strips the politics from it.
@@jordanloux3883 There is precedent for this kind of thing. Hitchcock's North By Northwest (itself regarded as the first unofficial James Bond film) also stripped out the politics for its plot, using the WWII era Operation Mincemeat (which fooled the Nazis into thinking the Allies would invade through somewhere other than France) as its basis.
There's also a delightful music video from Boy George and Ariana DuBose (and much of the cast) that's a solid bop. And I'm all for a couple of hours of vibes and fun, which is exactly what I expect from Vaughn.
The thing about the Sixth Sense, particularly the twist, is that it had something else for people to talk about, notably, young Haley Joel Osmond's performance, which was pretty good for a child actor. So people recommended it based on that but were snickering behind their hands because they didn't even mention the twist. It was one of those rare times when everyone realized they shouldn't spoil the twist and then didn't. It's like we were hired as the magician's assistant and misdirected the audience. It was a beautiful thing.
The thing is, I've seen enough movies that when they go "ooh, there'll be a twist no one will see coming!" usually I can guess the twist just from the trailer or within maybe the first half hour of the movie, just because there aren't that many different twists out there (excluding twists that are just stupid--like, if Bryce Dallas Howard turns out to be from Mars, that's just a dumb twist)
I'm interested in your concept of a vibe director. I mean personally when I think of that sort of approach I think of Wes Anderson is really being the ideal of it. But I guess among the action movie directord Vaughn qualifies.
After watching this movie, I can say that Matthew Vaughn makes the kind of spy movies I really miss. Maybe it's because the last half decade of "Mission: Impossible" and the recent "007" movies have been so serious and gritty in tone. But this and Kingsman are unapologetically silly spy movies with over-the-top action, cool gadgets, wacky villains, and heroes that are fun to watch do their thing. They aren't perfect, but they are great fun for me.
Oh yeah, I remember seeing advertisements for this movie. Sounds like kind of a silly premise, but could be fun. That point Bob makes about twists is kind of ironic since he's letting us know there's a twist in this movie, all while making a point of saying not knowing there's a twist coming would make the actual twist more enjoyable, since you don't know you're supposed to be looking out for one.
Saw this one over the weekend and it was just a ton of fun. Nobody else out there (in US cinema at least) is making movies like Vaughn and I feel like we need to just let him do his thing. Maybe he could get someone to help him with the dialogue/scripts, but seriously his sense of style is so unique and his action scenes are always memorably ridiculous.
He just finished up his storyline that connected all of his previous works in comics. So he’s been writing a bunch of comics. You know, getting work done instead of talking about it.
@@chrislail3824 Huh. So Mark Millar has pulled a Robert Heinlein. Except that Robert Heinlein didn't kill off most of his creations in the course of The Number of the Beast and render their separate stories into grist for a *shared universe!!!* mill.
Alright Movie Boob, I trusted you and watched Kingsman -- er, the first one of that weirdly named movie series -- lets see if you do me right on the cat-writer version
After two minutes of talking about Vaughn's eye for style photography, I wasn't expecting a positive review. That really felt like front-loading some positivity before diving into a movie's problems. So I guess this review had a twist in the middle, too.
Been looking forward to this. Much like The Beekeeper looked the the quintessential Action film, this looks like a total style or vibe film. Even if it isn't as good as The Kingsmen, it looks like a lot of fun.
When it comes to twists, I haven't seen the movie but by the description I may have figured it out already. Is it that kind of twist? Kind of want to see it just to see if I can figure out the twist without seeing it first.
This plot has sort of happened IRL. The simple reality version at least lol. A spy novelist had an idea for a new spy tech and contacted his CIA correspondent and asked if this was realistic plot idea. The CIA said, 'that is a good idea. So good that you weren't the first to think of it and definitely shouldn't write a book about it.' And that was the end of that book idea. 😂
Got a better one for you. Bill Granger is a reporter in 1970s Northern Ireland, gets to know the IRA real well. Yet when he suggests to British authorities that the IRA will attack a member of the royal family, he's told it'll never happen because the group supposedly respects that family too much. Granger puts it in his first spy novel The November Man and around the time of release, Lord Mountbatten (King Charles' uncle) does indeed get blown away by the IRA.
Looks like it'll be fun. While it reminds me of a few different spy films (like Knight & Day, that Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz one, or even Sam Rockwell's Mr. Right with Anna Kendrick), for some reason, the film I'm most reminded of is Romancing the Stone. I think it's just the "writer ends up kind of living out one of her books" style. Either way, I love Rockwell, Vaughan's solid (even if I found the Kick-Ass movies meh and the Kingsmen series mixed), the trailer looks fun - I'll definitely catch this at some point, though not sure if I'll do so before it hits digital/streaming. (I say this a lot, but getting to a theatre is quite a journey for me, especially at this time of year)
I figured out the twist to The Sixth Sense like 10 minutes into the movie and basically ruined the entire rest of the film. The Sixth Sense is one of those movies that gets worse when you rewatch it because so much depends on that twist. And it felt like a rewatch the first time I saw it so I never ended up liking that movie.
Is Sam Rockwell the long-haired, bearded guy on the train? Because he's doing a fantastic impression of Will Forte. As spy movie spoofs go, I still prefer Austin Powers over Kingsmen, since Bob reviewed the 1st one as a stealthy endorsement of British Imperialism. Speaking of, what did Mark Millar say or do this time?
I almost feel as if the film would have been better without the "twist" because then it could have just leaned into the initial loony premise and ran with it through to a zany conclusion. By attempting to out-think itself and be clever, the film was forced to explain a coherent plot to the audience and that's where it played into the director's weaknesses and opened itself up to being criticized by the audience for not doing it well.
Argylle lends itself to queer readings in a way I thought was no longer possible because audiences & filmmakers have gotten too aware to make anything so naive. Matthew Vaughn may be the one guy who is completely unaware of all conversations about gender & sexuality that have happened in the last 30 years & thus has no need to engage with them. It would explain his other movies.
I hate the term ‘vibe’ and ‘vibes’. Just say you thought the movie was pretty but shallow. Also I’m very much looking forward to this. The 3 kingsman movies are awesome and very underrated action films.
They should've made the cat louder, angrier, and have access to a time machine. Fun flick but needed more feline or otherwise just have written him out for how little he served the plot.
I thought the shitty "I am going to talk poorly into a camera microphone in black & white" format was just to catch up on end-of-year 2023 reviews, is it just because you can't be asked to make videos to the same standard anymore?
I'm surprised Vaughn's never done a musical before, his set composition and aesthetic feels so staged that it would be right at home on, well, a stage.
His next film is a musical written by Damien Chazelle!
When I think on the first post-title sequence with Magneto in X-Men First Class, I can absolutely see it.
Or one of those flashy 'one continuous shot' movies that just keep the energy going for the entire run
@@JaceDiehl Wow, that is a pretty amazing combination!
I think he could at least pull off a Baby Driver-style almost jukebox musical, would be interesting to see.
Wasn't expecting to see this get a Bob review but I'm glad it did. It's one I'm on the fence about and hopefully this will help me decide if it's worth going out to see!
I'd like to ban reviewers and advertising talking about "twists" in films and just replace it with the word, "surprises."
"This films has a huge twist," spoils things.
"This films has some great surprises," doesn't.
It still lets you know there's some stuff you don't expect, but it doesn't screw up the way you watch a film in the same way.
I think you’ve explained the issues with Vaughn and this concept better than all the other reviews I’ve seen today.
Viiiiiibes
Wasn't it just announeced he will?
...Am I the only one who remembers The Sixth Sense trailer (sometime after the movie started getting big word of mouth) that literally *begged* the audience not to reveal the twist ending? I do, because (as Bob suggests) I went into it LOOKING for a twist and guessed it almost immediately.😖
That was my issue too. I saw The Sixth Sense maybe the second week it was out and, by then, I already knew from everyone that there was a big twist. So, of course, when the opening scene ended, I knew exactly what the twist was going to be lol
I think that was part of the 2nd ad campaign a few weeks after initial release, when they realized people loved the movie.
Great review, full of wordplay and wit, as usual, Bob. But I will do anything to avoid having my eyes cross when you play the trailers with the heavily pixelated filters on them. I’d rather have no footage than that.
I saw the trailer recently without hearing of this before and was pretty intrigued
Matthew Vaughn gave Mark Millar's garbage so much more legitimacy than it ever deserved
Still say the best Millar "adaptation" (in the loosest sense) remains Wanted, which had nothing to do with Vaughn and retooled it as an anti-Matrix.
@@johnathonhaney8291 Super Crooks is my favorite one. Although most of the show is basically a prequel to the comic but it's really good and makes everything in the actual adaptation part feel more natural in comparison
I've always liked that about Matthew Vaughn's movies... he's like a grindhouse Wes Anderson. The costumes are well-tailored, the sets are dollhouse-immaculate, the action is choreographed like a Bollywood dance-number... but whereas Wes Anderson is that arthouse-hipster "I liked it before it was cool" pretentious douchebag, Matthew Vaughn is a more playful, approachable filmmaker who puts the same spit-shine on things the rest of us might actually be interested in- like Vodka Martini spies and comic-book superheroes.
Oh, and Henry Cavill's also playing a spy in the new Guy Ritchie joint, "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare." And that movie looks like a bone-cruncher.
Fun style-over-substance with class and weirdness Is why I was psyched to discover Italian cinema in my teens. This one sounds like a similar vibe.
I think you are being a bit generous with the score, but largely agree with your words. I found a lot of the contrivance bordered on unearned and patronising.... HOWEVER, my screening had an audience that skewed quite young and the movie elicited a round of applause from lots of them (and then unabashed whooping at the mid-credits scene), and it made me think that, whilst I may be too old, tired and cynical for movies that lean so heavily on trope, on 'twists', and visual style, there is a crowd for which many of these things will still be relatively fresh. Glad they enjoyed themselves.
I’m going to be going to see this with some friends from work next week. Sounds like we’ll be in for a better experience than the last movie we saw as a group: Night Swim.
Probably not tbh
Sounds like what I expect from a Matthew Vaughn film. Sounds like something that doesn't NEED to be seen in the theater, but will still be a little better for doing so. Thanks Bob.
Bond silliness aside, I suspect there's a real-life basis for Argylle. In the early 1970s, one Bill Granger was working as a reporter in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. He took those experiences and turned it in his first novel The November Man. One key plot element he put in was something he'd been told by British authorities was impossible: the assassination of a member of the Royal Family by the IRA. A little after the novel's release, Lord Mountbatten got blown away by the Irish Republican Army, just like Granger's reporting had suggested. So...yeah.
Also, what the hell did Mark Millar do this time?
From what I get this is all just meant to be an affectionate parody of spy stories. Not really any stories but the general feel and air of them in a way that strips the politics from it.
@@jordanloux3883 There is precedent for this kind of thing. Hitchcock's North By Northwest (itself regarded as the first unofficial James Bond film) also stripped out the politics for its plot, using the WWII era Operation Mincemeat (which fooled the Nazis into thinking the Allies would invade through somewhere other than France) as its basis.
Millar did a bunch of chudly tweets
There's also a delightful music video from Boy George and Ariana DuBose (and much of the cast) that's a solid bop.
And I'm all for a couple of hours of vibes and fun, which is exactly what I expect from Vaughn.
I remember seeing the preview of this before Killers of the Flower Moon and wanting to see it. Gosh I love being back in theaters.
The thing about the Sixth Sense, particularly the twist, is that it had something else for people to talk about, notably, young Haley Joel Osmond's performance, which was pretty good for a child actor. So people recommended it based on that but were snickering behind their hands because they didn't even mention the twist. It was one of those rare times when everyone realized they shouldn't spoil the twist and then didn't. It's like we were hired as the magician's assistant and misdirected the audience. It was a beautiful thing.
The thing is, I've seen enough movies that when they go "ooh, there'll be a twist no one will see coming!" usually I can guess the twist just from the trailer or within maybe the first half hour of the movie, just because there aren't that many different twists out there (excluding twists that are just stupid--like, if Bryce Dallas Howard turns out to be from Mars, that's just a dumb twist)
The last surprise twist I never saw coming was the midpoint one in LA Confidential and the staging of it was a big reason why (RIP Curtis Hansen).
I'm interested in your concept of a vibe director.
I mean personally when I think of that sort of approach I think of Wes Anderson is really being the ideal of it.
But I guess among the action movie directord Vaughn qualifies.
After watching this movie, I can say that Matthew Vaughn makes the kind of spy movies I really miss. Maybe it's because the last half decade of "Mission: Impossible" and the recent "007" movies have been so serious and gritty in tone. But this and Kingsman are unapologetically silly spy movies with over-the-top action, cool gadgets, wacky villains, and heroes that are fun to watch do their thing. They aren't perfect, but they are great fun for me.
Oh yeah, I remember seeing advertisements for this movie. Sounds like kind of a silly premise, but could be fun. That point Bob makes about twists is kind of ironic since he's letting us know there's a twist in this movie, all while making a point of saying not knowing there's a twist coming would make the actual twist more enjoyable, since you don't know you're supposed to be looking out for one.
I really loved the King's Man. The fight w/Rasputin was goated
is the surprise, "you should rewatch Confessions of a Dangerous Mind instead?" is that it?
Saw this one over the weekend and it was just a ton of fun. Nobody else out there (in US cinema at least) is making movies like Vaughn and I feel like we need to just let him do his thing. Maybe he could get someone to help him with the dialogue/scripts, but seriously his sense of style is so unique and his action scenes are always memorably ridiculous.
Can i take a guess at the twist?
She has written herself into the story
Close, lol.
@@edwardstuckey4114 lol
Honestly, Bob, this is the most positive review I've heard of this film thus far.
Sounds like a fun movie. Also what in Dog's name has Mark Millar done now?
He just finished up his storyline that connected all of his previous works in comics. So he’s been writing a bunch of comics. You know, getting work done instead of talking about it.
@@chrislail3824 Huh. So Mark Millar has pulled a Robert Heinlein. Except that Robert Heinlein didn't kill off most of his creations in the course of The Number of the Beast and render their separate stories into grist for a *shared universe!!!* mill.
I saw an ad for this on youtube yesterday. I just thought it was a music video and had no idea it was a movie.
Alright Movie Boob, I trusted you and watched Kingsman -- er, the first one of that weirdly named movie series -- lets see if you do me right on the cat-writer version
Great review! It answered all the questions I had, totally giving Argylle a watch!
A writer finds out everything they wrote is now real could work in a "Adam argues with God " kind of way
After two minutes of talking about Vaughn's eye for style photography, I wasn't expecting a positive review. That really felt like front-loading some positivity before diving into a movie's problems. So I guess this review had a twist in the middle, too.
Been looking forward to this. Much like The Beekeeper looked the the quintessential Action film, this looks like a total style or vibe film. Even if it isn't as good as The Kingsmen, it looks like a lot of fun.
I do remember the room where the most ludicrous scene in film history happened...AKA the credits sting in The King's Man.
When it comes to twists, I haven't seen the movie but by the description I may have figured it out already. Is it that kind of twist? Kind of want to see it just to see if I can figure out the twist without seeing it first.
Oh, Christ. What did Mark Millar do now? 😅
Now I have to look it up.
Edit: He apparently called out Marvel and DC comics for not being good enough and needing to reformat their style of output.
I hear he licks goats.
@@jordansweet8054 Wow...spoken like somebody who's afraid of being unemployed in the near future.
@@johnathonhaney8291Exactly my reading.
He's advocating for royalty payments on books that sell well to draw big names back to the big publishers. Seems reasonable?
This plot has sort of happened IRL. The simple reality version at least lol. A spy novelist had an idea for a new spy tech and contacted his CIA correspondent and asked if this was realistic plot idea. The CIA said, 'that is a good idea. So good that you weren't the first to think of it and definitely shouldn't write a book about it.' And that was the end of that book idea. 😂
Got a better one for you. Bill Granger is a reporter in 1970s Northern Ireland, gets to know the IRA real well. Yet when he suggests to British authorities that the IRA will attack a member of the royal family, he's told it'll never happen because the group supposedly respects that family too much. Granger puts it in his first spy novel The November Man and around the time of release, Lord Mountbatten (King Charles' uncle) does indeed get blown away by the IRA.
It's the cat ain't it. The twist involves the cat somehow. 😅
What happened with Mark Millar now?
But how do you feel about the vibes?
Looks like it'll be fun. While it reminds me of a few different spy films (like Knight & Day, that Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz one, or even Sam Rockwell's Mr. Right with Anna Kendrick), for some reason, the film I'm most reminded of is Romancing the Stone. I think it's just the "writer ends up kind of living out one of her books" style. Either way, I love Rockwell, Vaughan's solid (even if I found the Kick-Ass movies meh and the Kingsmen series mixed), the trailer looks fun - I'll definitely catch this at some point, though not sure if I'll do so before it hits digital/streaming. (I say this a lot, but getting to a theatre is quite a journey for me, especially at this time of year)
I only saw the 1st trailer. I had no idea the movie had a twist.
Thanks Bob.
I figured out the twist to The Sixth Sense like 10 minutes into the movie and basically ruined the entire rest of the film. The Sixth Sense is one of those movies that gets worse when you rewatch it because so much depends on that twist. And it felt like a rewatch the first time I saw it so I never ended up liking that movie.
A better choice for an M. Night Shyamalan movie remains Unbreakable to me. Not dependent on its twist and is a better story for it.
Hey! I really love your reviews, I kinda wish you would get a better microphone, it's a bit distracting!
That stinger makes me both curious and dreadful at what Mark Millar has done this time.
Critics were asked to not spoil the movie, huh? I guess whoever wrote the synopsis on Wikipedia didn’t get the memo.
It's fun as hell. What more do you want?
I found the CGI a bit dodgy, and Dua Lipa managed to fumble the little she had to do, but I ended up really liking this.
What did Mark MIllar do this time?
If it's about the memory thing, I think early articles about the movie said it as the initial premise
The twist is that the cat was the terrorism
cat is the spy. am i correct?
No
Is Sam Rockwell the long-haired, bearded guy on the train? Because he's doing a fantastic impression of Will Forte.
As spy movie spoofs go, I still prefer Austin Powers over Kingsmen, since Bob reviewed the 1st one as a stealthy endorsement of British Imperialism. Speaking of, what did Mark Millar say or do this time?
I almost feel as if the film would have been better without the "twist" because then it could have just leaned into the initial loony premise and ran with it through to a zany conclusion. By attempting to out-think itself and be clever, the film was forced to explain a coherent plot to the audience and that's where it played into the director's weaknesses and opened itself up to being criticized by the audience for not doing it well.
she's a spy with amnesia. they spoiled the premise themselves
Am I the only person who really liked "6 Underground", and wished there were more of those movies?
I enjoyed it a good bit. If it wasn't a Netflix movie or a Micheal Bay movie,it might've become a series.
Don’t tell me what I remember!
Argylle lends itself to queer readings in a way I thought was no longer possible because audiences & filmmakers have gotten too aware to make anything so naive. Matthew Vaughn may be the one guy who is completely unaware of all conversations about gender & sexuality that have happened in the last 30 years & thus has no need to engage with them. It would explain his other movies.
Yeah, I'm definitely in for Sam Rockwell!
Not seen it, but just looks like Romancing the Stone. Cannot get that idea out my head.
There are some minor similarities. If you are in the mood for something like Romancing the Stone, you’d probably best stick with The Lost City.
I really don't think I remember any of these things 😂😂😂
(Okay, maybe a few of them)
I hate the term ‘vibe’ and ‘vibes’. Just say you thought the movie was pretty but shallow. Also I’m very much looking forward to this. The 3 kingsman movies are awesome and very underrated action films.
I wonder if Moviebob liked Poor Things 🤨
I remember Robert de Niro in Stardust
This is a great review!
It sounds like a fun time.
They should've made the cat louder, angrier, and have access to a time machine. Fun flick but needed more feline or otherwise just have written him out for how little he served the plot.
A vibes director? I think of Greta Gerwig and Sofia Coppola the same way.
Jokes. But what happened to the audio and production? Is this the new MovieBob?
It’s his new vibe.
You show me any movie and I'll show you a movie that Moviebob gave a 7/10
👍👍
❤❤
Positive comment
m o v i e s
😀😍
Poor Matthew Vaughn, ever since that lame Kingsman sequel, it’s been one face plant after another.
yellow among us
Your eyes are weird dude
This movie would be crap if it doesn't turn out the cat is behind everything.
(Looks up spoilers)
This movie is crap.
The big twist is that there is no spy in this movie about a spy. Just a woman and her cat.
You're the opposition to people like Critical? I miss your full production stuff man
You assume Ive watched anything this director has done :P
It doesnt sound fun with your description.
I couldn't identify a vaghn movie from any other movie... so bland. Please go back to using a script.
I think I've already figured out what the "twist" is, and it's probably this D-bag director's attempt to make up for how sexist Kingsman was.
I thought the shitty "I am going to talk poorly into a camera microphone in black & white" format was just to catch up on end-of-year 2023 reviews, is it just because you can't be asked to make videos to the same standard anymore?
Perhaps there were some circumstances we don’t know about.
I miss the days when he never showed his face at all
One of the worst films I’ve seen in a long time
First?
yes
Your Godzilla Minus One was much better.
Just in terms of production... Maybe I am wrong
Bob .... You want dislikes for no effort in presentation? Cuz this is how you get ants.
Jokes. But what happened to the audio?
Second??