"The King's Man" takes the Kingsman series back to where it all started,
with the backdrop of World War I -- and it might
be setting up a confrontation with the biggest villain of World War II.
"I'm gonna love killing you." *boom*
"The King's Man" centers on Orlando, Duke of Oxford -- the originator of
the Kingsman organization, played by Ralph Fiennes. We follow Orlando and
his son Conrad as they become entangled in World War I and the conspiracies behind it,
leading up to the creation of the Kingsman organization.
World War I is the film's backdrop, but it also factors into the narrative
in several major ways. The events setting the war
in motion are being masterminded by the elusive and villainous Shepherd,
and the war also helps define the relationship between Orlando and his son-slash-protege Conrad.
Conrad wants to fight alongside his fellow countrymen -- something his father objects
to. His reluctance stems from Orlando's wife dying in front of him years prior when his son
Conrad was only a young boy. Despite his objections -- and even recruiting Conrad
to join his proto-Kingsman organization -- his son disobeys his orders and runs off to enlist.
"Real power is not found running off to war."
Conrad is almost pulled from active duty in a final attempt by Orlando to save him,
but to no avail. Conrad switches places with another soldier,
played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and is thrust into the heart of battle.
In a spectacular sequence, Conrad makes his way across the infamous No Man's Land to save
a soldier's life. The soldier in question is the recipient of vital information that in
the right hands could help end the war. Despite risking life and limb to save the man's life,
Conrad's false identity is discovered by another trigger-happy soldier.
Before he can explain his situation, he's marked as a potential spy and shot to death.
Losing his only son sends Orlando into a deep depression. No longer motivated to save the world,
he sits alone in his study, unshaven and drinking himself into a stupor,
until Polly gives him a pep talk that pulls him out of his miserable state.
He marks this renewed vigor by requesting a cup of tea and having a shave.
The timing couldn't be any better, as the United States President is ignoring
advice to join the war. This is shown to be yet another sinister machination of the
mysterious Shepherd and his crony Mata Hari. Through Hari's infamous seductions, they have
acquired footage of the President engaging in very lewd, blackmail-worthy activities,
all in an effort to have him removed and replaced with a new president under the Shepherd's control.
Orlando is quick to uncover this sinister plan and manages to defeat Hari in hand-to-hand
combat. Recognizing her scarf, Orlando is quick to note that its fabric only
comes from a specific kind of goat — a final revelation that allows Orlando and
his allies to figure out the Shepherd's location and put their plan in motion.
With the Shepherd's endgame quickly approaching, Orlando and his team
have to enact their plan right away. That plan hinges on a then-new invention: The parachute,
which will allow them to swoop down on enemy territory from above. After some comical
deliberations as to who will actually jump out of the plane, Orlando opts to do it himself.
In a tense sequence -- reminiscent of Roxy's suspenseful descent from
the first film -- Orlando nearly meets his end during his airborne entrance. However,
thanks to knives placed in his shoes, he's able to scale the cliff leading to the Shepherd's lair.
Polly and Shola quickly make their presence known as well by taking out various guards
through gunfire and close-quarter combat. Orlando himself has to contend with the
Shepherd's largest guard -- reminiscent of Bond villains like Jaws -- in a fistfight.
Shola makes his way up to the lair and is able to help Orlando subdue the unruly behemoth.
It's here that they finally venture inside the lair to confront the Shepherd face to face.
Orlando and Shola make their way into the Shepherd's lair, where they finally see
his face. Orlando is shocked to see that the Shepherd is none other than Captain Morton,
who had been masquerading as Herbert Kitchener's right-hand man.
This reveal explains how the Shepherd was often two steps ahead of the heroes,
and privy to certain top-secret information. His motivations are kept fairly vague, however,
only including a brief backstory about his family's mill being closed as a child.
After some banter, Orlando and Morton agree to a sword duel which leads to
the first utterance of "Manners maketh man" -- a fixture phrase of the original "Kingsman" film.
"Manners maketh man."
The two match each other in terms of skill and combat prowess until Morton
tries to use his sword's hidden gun. Shola, ever the dependable friend, takes a bullet
to his shoulder for Orlando, allowing him to continue the fight. Their battle reaches the
cliff's edge of the lair, where it appears Morton has gotten the upper hand on Orlando
until one of Morton's own goats -- one he'd been partially cruel to -- skewers him with its horn.
Initially, Orlando attempts the honorable path and refuses to let him drop,
but ultimately decides to let Morton fall to his doom. It's a cathartic moment: Orlando
has saved the day, not to mention the world, and has become the man "that Conrad would have been."
With the Shepherd dispatched, and the evidence of blackmail against the President disposed of, the
United States officially joins the war. The film cuts ahead to the conclusion of World War I and
we see England's exuberant post-war celebrations. Good has triumphed, and while his efforts will go
unknown by the world, Orlando is content, having lived up to Conrad's hopes for him. But while
this mission is over, it appears there is still work to be done for Orlando and his compatriots.
In the final moments of "The King's Man," Orlando gathers his allies — Polly, Shola, and the soldier
who switched places with Conrad. He proceeds to sit them all down and give them new codenames,
each based on the legend of King Arthur. He gives them the rundown as to what their
job is and how they will be operating -- officially forming the Kingsman organization.
“'Kingsman,' is it?" *bullet fire* "And lady."
After the credits, we see that even in death, the Shepherd had one final trick up his sleeve.
We are shown Erik Jan Hanussen conducting some business in an unknown subterranean lair.
He introduces his associate to a new player in their sinister machinations -- a young man by
the name of Adolf Hitler -- showing that just as the Kingsman are evolving, so are their enemies.
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