History YMMV / KingsmanTheGoldenCircle

* StrangledByTheRedString: Played rather straight, with general audiences expressing surprise at finding the literal butt-of-the-joke princess in a serious relationship with TheProtagonist with little to no development. Actor Taron Egerton doesn't seem to like it either, although it's worth noting that his reasoning really has been more to do with the fact that it's difficult for him to continue playing Eggsy in the future as the secret agent that he is, if married to Tilde. (Which, strangely, has been acknowledged abundantly not just by reviewers and fans outside the film but also in-universe.) Egerton has said that Tilde/Eggsy was fun, but that it doesn't leave room for much aside from depictions of domestic life for Eggsy, like picking out curtains. The only ship he's actually ''seriously'' supported beyond a joke has always been [[https://youtu.be/lvS_uWgeIwo?t=83 Eggsy/Roxy]], with both him and Sophie Cookson addressing that the fact that the first girl Eggsy's age introduced didn't end up becoming his LoveInterest is a subversive and admirable thing, but Egerton [[https://reggsys.tumblr.com/post/172271022687/sophie-cookson-on-eggsy-and-roxys-relationship jumping]] at the idea of [[PromotedToLoveInterest eventual romantic Eggsy/Roxy]] nonetheless. (Sadly, Roxy died in this movie.)

* StrangledByTheRedString: Played rather straight, with general audiences expressing surprise at finding the literal butt-of-the-joke princess in a serious relationship with TheProtagonist with little to no development. Actor Taron Egerton doesn't seem to like it either, although it's worth noting that his reasoning really has been more to do with the fact that it's difficult for him to continue playing Eggsy in the future as the secret agent that he is, if married to Tilde. (Which, strangely, has been acknowledged abundantly not just by reviewers and fans outside the film but also in-universe.) Egerton has said that Tilde/Eggsy was fun, but that it doesn't leave room for much aside from depictions of domestic life for Eggsy, like picking out curtains. The only ship he's actually ''seriously'' supported beyond a joke has always been [[https://youtu.be/lvS_uWgeIwo?t=83 Eggsy/Roxy]], with both him and Sophie Cookson addressing that the fact that the first girl Eggsy's age introduced didn't end up becoming his LoveInterest is a subversive and admirable thing, but Egerton [[https://reggsys.tumblr.com/post/172271022687/sophie-cookson-on-eggsy-and-roxys-relationship jumping]] at the idea of [[PromotedToLoveInterest eventual romantic Eggsy/Roxy]] nonetheless. (Sadly, Roxy died in the sequel.)

* StrangledByTheRedString: Played rather straight, with general audiences expressing surprise at finding the literal butt-of-the-joke princess in a serious relationship with TheProtagonist with little to no development. Actor Taron Egerton [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0UVyKaJxVE&index=633&list=LL8_ljx9EQdSt7SGV2RmVkJQ&t=0s doesn't]] [[http://just--a--figment.tumblr.com/post/166736145818 seem]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40IsvkRhcTU&t=10s to]] like it either.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: None of the three actual actors were on set when the final moments of the climactic fight was filmed[[note]]the stunt and special effects teams couldn't figure out how to shoot Whiskey being thrown into the meat grinder and only came up with a solution well into post production[[/note]], but it's almost impossible to tell that body doubles and digital head replacements were used unless viewers are really looking for the effect.

* {{Narm}}: In the first film, the pub fight scene was instigated by friends of Eggsy's abusive father looking to seek revenge for Eggsy wrecking their car. In ''The Golden Circle'', the bar fight scene is instigated by a bunch of nameless random cowboys who suddenly decided they don't like British people who earlier didn't have any gripe with the group. While it serves to show how much damage Harry's cognitive abilities have taken, it feels so incredibly forced, especially when compared to its predecessor and its CatharsisFactor.

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: While things like murder, poisoning and crime syndicates are portrayed as wrong and there are clear divisions between good guys and bad, drug use is portrayed as nothing particularly wrong and it would be better to legalize it. [[spoiler: It is implied that the drug-using secretary of state becomes the new President after her predecessor is arrested and [[KarmaHoudini faces no consequences for her own drug use]].]]

** [[spoiler:The president willing to let tens of millions of drug users die just to say he won the War on Drugs. As pointed out, this includes innocent people that only tried a drug ''once'', people who used marijuana for medicinal reasons, ''children'' who were born addicted thanks to their mothers using while pregnant, sex slaves forcibly drugged to make them more compliant and even ''his own Chief of Staff'', who only started using because of the president's demanding workload. (And, although this isn't mentioned, there ''are'' some parts of the world where pot is legal, so [[FridgeHorror he was also dooming people that legally ''did nothing wrong'']].)]]

* CompleteMonster: [[TheAggressiveDrugDealer Poppy Adams]] is the head of the Golden Circle, the biggest drug empire in the world. When an employee named Charles brings his friend Angel to her as a new hire, she [[BadBoss punishes Charles]] by [[IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten forcing Angel]] to put him into a meat grinder and then forces Angel to eat a burger made of Charles's meat. After discovering all the Kingsman locations, she has them all blown up and kills all of the Kingsmen except Gary "Eggsy" Unwin and Merlin. She takes singer Music/EltonJohn hostage as a pet and as personal entertainment with a shock collar. When Angel uses one of her products, Poppy has her robot dogs attack and tear him apart. The [[PoisonAndCureGambit crux of her plan]] to legalize the drug industry so she can make even more money is to have the millions who she sold to infected with a deadly virus through her products that lasts three stages before death.

** Some have also extended it to [[spoiler:Merlin]]. It certainly helps that an interview with Mark Strong revealed [[spoiler:he ''was'' supposed [[http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/mark-strong/52065/mark-strong-interview-kingsman-the-golden-circle-stardust-kick-ass to have survived]].]]

** Poppy Adams instantly crossed it when she forces one of new recruits to throw his best friend into a meat grinder, and has hm eat a burger made out of said best friend's remains simply out of a test of loyalty. And it's implied that she does this to ''all'' recruits.
** [[spoiler:The president willing to let tens of millions of drug users die just to say he won the war on drugs. As pointed out, this includes innocent people that only tried a drug ''once'', people who used marijuana for medicinal reasons, ''children'' who were born addicted thanks to their mothers using while pregnant, sex slaves forcibly drugged to make them more compliant and even ''his own Chief of Staff'', who only started using because of the president's demanding workload. (And they didn't mention it, but there ''are'' some parts of the world where pot is legal, so he was also dooming people that legally ''did nothing wrong''.)]]

* StrangledByTheRedString: Played rather straight, with general audiences expressing surprise at finding the literal butt-of-the-joke princess in a serious relationship with TheProtagonist with little to no development. Actor Taron Egerton [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0UVyKaJxVE&index=633&list=LL8_ljx9EQdSt7SGV2RmVkJQ&t=0s doesn't]] [[http://just--a--figment.tumblr.com/post/166736145818 seem]] to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40IsvkRhcTU&t=10s like]] it.

%%* {{Asspull}}:

** Fans of {{Series/Narcos}} will find it funny to see Pedro Pascal hate drug dealers again.

** Taron Egerton has been cast as Elton John in a [[Film/Rocketman2019 biopic]]. We've come full [[StealthPun circle]].

* SoOkayItsAverage: The general consensus of the film is that it falls just short of the original in terms of originality, humor, and action and even shorter in regards to character development and the general plot.

* StrangledByTheRedString: Played rather straight, with general audiences expressing surprise at finding the literal butt-of-the-joke princess in a serious relationship with the main protagonist with little to no development. Played extremely straight in that actor Taron Egerton [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0UVyKaJxVE&index=633&list=LL8_ljx9EQdSt7SGV2RmVkJQ&t=0s doesn't]] [[http://just--a--figment.tumblr.com/post/166736145818 seem]] to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40IsvkRhcTU&t=10s like]] it.

** Merlin and Ginger have a talk about leaving the computer work and joining the others in field missions. Merlin argues for the benefits of staying indoors and doing the tech work. Does Merlin secretly want to be a field agent but shrugs it off due to his bureaucratic adherence to not letting emotion into his work? Or, considering how almost out of nowhere his suiting up scene comes, has Merlin already gone into the field before and discovered preference for a staff position instead?
*** Likely the latter. Merlin is seen at the beginning of the first film in the field with Harry and their candidates James Spencer and Lee Unwin, Eggsy's father, before Lee sacrifices himself by jumping on the grenade. That seems to imply that Merlin ''was'' a field agent before the start of the first film.

* IdiotPlot: The movie's plot simply seems to rely on having Eggsy making uncharacteristically stupid decisions drive it forward, making him come off as an incompetent Kingsman whose actions end up causing more harm than good.

** [[spoiler: The president willing to let tens of millions of drug users die just to say he won the war on drugs. As pointed out, this includes innocent people that only tried a drug ''once'', people who used marijuana for medicinal reasons, ''children'' who were born addicted thanks to their mothers using while pregnant, sex slaves forcibly drugged to make them more compliant and even ''his own Chief of Staff'', who only started using because of the president's demanding workload. (And they didn't mention it, but there ''are'' some parts of the world where pot is legal, so he was also dooming people that legally ''did nothing wrong''.)]]

* {{Sequelitis}}: Critics state that this film didn't quite beat the [[Film/KingsmanTheSecretService first movie]] in terms of quality, characters or plot, but is still enjoyable for the ridiculous amount of over-the-top action, comedy and raucous moments.

* JerkassWoobie: Whiskey. He was a Statesman agent who was willing to let [[spoiler:Poppy and the President commit mass genocide and tried his damnedest to stop Harry and Eggsy from getting the drug antidote but only because he wanted to avenge his dead wife and kid who were killed by druggies (his wife was pregnant at the time). To top it all off he dies an arguably horrible and undeserved death.]]

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Unlike the traitorous Charlie, the unapologetically evil Poppy and the ignorantly corrupt President, [[spoiler: Whiskey is given a sympathetic and relatable backstory as a FreudianExcuse for his villainy, and he just so happens to be a walking CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Yet he's given the most brutal fate of the four aforementioned characters, as if he was meant to be a HateSink for the audience rather than the [[EnsembleDarkhorse exact opposite]]]]. Though it's also possible his death was supposed to fall under RuleOfCool, since he is the FinalBoss and everything.

* {{Woolseyism}}: Ginger ale is not exactly popular/well-known in Russia, so in Russian translation Statesman tech suport's code name is Cola - which, you know, goes well with alcoholic beverages.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome: None of the three actual actors were on set when the final moments of the climactic fight was filmed[[note]]the stunt and special effects teams couldn't figure out how to shoot Whiskey being thrown into the meat grinder and only came up with a solution well into post production[[/note]], but it's almost impossible to tell that body doubles and digital head replacements were used unless viewers are really looking for the effect.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheAggressiveDrugDealer Poppy Adams]] is the [[BigBad head]] of the Golden Circle, the biggest drug empire in the world. When an employee named Charles brings his friend Angel to her as a new hire, she punishes Charles by forcing Angel to put him into a meat grinder and then forces Angel to [[ImAHumanitarian eat a burger made of Charles's meat]]. After finding all the Kingsmen's locations, she has them all blown up and kills all of the Kingsmen, only missing Gary "Eggsy" Unwin and Merlin. She takes singer Music/EltonJohn hostage as a pet and as personal entertainment with a shock collar. When Angel uses one of her products, Poppy has her robot dogs attack and tear him apart. The [[PoisonAndCureGambit crux of her plan]] to legalize the drug industry so she can make even more money is to have the millions who she sold to infected with a deadly virus through her products that lasts three stages before death. If her demands aren't met, she fully intends to withhold the antidote and let everyone die.

** Poppy Adams instantly crossed it when she forces one of new recruits to throw his best friend into a meat grinder, and has hm eat a burger made out of said best friend's remains simply out of a test of loyalty. And its implied that she does this to ''all'' recruits.

** Creator/ChanningTatum is a southerner in a film where Music/JohnDenver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is one of the characters' favorite songs and an important thematic element? It happened [[Film/LoganLucky twice within a month]], (though in this film it's Merlin's favorite song, not Tequila's).

** Whiskey, due to his badass skills (see Evil Is Cool) and his [[UnintentionallySympathetic surprisingly sympathetic backstory]].

* JerkassWoobie: Whiskey. He was a Statesman agent who was willing to let Poppy and the President commit mass genocide and tried his damnedest to stop Harry and Eggsy from getting the drug antidote but only because he wanted to avenge his dead wife and kid who were killed by druggies (his wife was pregnant at the time). To top it all off he dies an arguably horrible and undeserved death.

* {{Narm}}: In the first film, the pub fight scene was instigated by friends of Eggsy's abusive father looking to seek revenge for Eggsy wrecking their car. In ''The Golden Circle'', the bar fight scene is instigated by a bunch of nameless random cowboys who suddenly decided they don't like British people. While it serves to show how much damage Harry's cognitive abilities have taken, it feels so incredibly forced, especially when compared to its predecessor and its CatharsisFactor.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Unlike the traitorous Charlie, the unapologetically evil Poppy and the ignorantly corrupt President, [[spoiler: Whiskey is given a sympathetic and relatable backstory as a FreudianExcuse for his villainy, and he just so happens to be a walking CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Yet he's given the most brutal fate of the four aforementioned characters, as if he was meant to be a HateSink for the audience rather than the [[EnsembleDarkhorse exact opposite]]]]. Though it's also possible his death was supposed to fall under rule of cool, since he is the last boss and everthing.

** Channing Tatum is a southerner in a film where John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is one of the characters' favorite songs and an important thematic element? It happened [[Film/LoganLucky twice within a month]], (though in this film it's Merlin's favorite song, not Tequila's).

*** Likely the latter. Merlin is seen at the beginning of Kingsman: The Secret Service in the field with Harry and their candidates James Spencer and Lee Unwin, Eggsy's father, before Lee sacrifices himself by jumping on the grenade. That seems to imply that Merlin ''was'' a field agent before the start of the first film.

** Matthew Vaughn's [[CreatorThumbprint trademark]] stylized JitterCam cinematography. Is it still exciting, allowing for the movie to continue standing out with its visual style? Or is it getting annoying and giving you headaches?

* {{Anvilicious}}: The film's not-so-subtle commentary on the United States' long-running War on Drugs and substance regulation (despite the emphasis on punishment long being on the wane in favor of treatment or legalization). It's much more overt and pointed than the original's satire of climate change and Silicon Valley tech culture.

*** Likely the latter. Merlin is seen at the beginning of Kingsman: The Secret Service in the field with Harry and their candidates James Spencer and Lee Unwin, Eggsy's father, before Lee sacrifices himself by jumping on the grenade. That likely means Merlin ''was'' a field agent before the start of the first film.