While not all reviews you can find online are in favor of producing a third movie, I’d say I’m part of the population who just got more hooked to Kingsman. Don’t worry, I’ll try not to drop spoilers! Before anything else, here’s the plot that has been made available online:

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” introduced the world to Kingsman – an independent, international intelligence agency operating at the highest level of discretion, whose ultimate goal is to keep the world safe. In “Kingsman: The Golden Circle”, our heroes face a new challenge. When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US called Statesman, dating back to the day they were both founded. In a new adventure that tests their agents’ strength and wits to the limit, these two elite secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world – something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy.”

READ MORE: On the lookout for spy movies? ‘Kingsman’ is back with a movie sequel

There you go. They’re going against a drug cartel – which oversees global distribution of all types of drugs, headed by a posh villain with psychopathic tendencies. Albeit her charming looks, Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore) is ready to rip anyone’s throat off if she feels like it.

As someone who grew up watching James Bond movies and all that 007 true-to-life action, it feels nice that there’s a spy move like Kingsman which is a little bit of everything – from ridiculous scenes, CGI-packed action, touching moments, to unexpected twists. I also can’t help but admire how the production team was able to quickly shift each moment from sad to hilarious and vice versa. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions but we’re amused (or that may be due to my admiration for Taron Egerton in a classy suit).

I’m not mocking any country’s government but although Kingsman: The Golden Circle is quite comical about how spies can save the world, we can learn a thing or two about how they went after the main supplier instead of letting every drug-dependent person in the world to die.

Let’s go straight to the point:

YAY for being as stylish and classy as the first film, for aesthetics and that really nice 50s diner which was so overused, for the awesome feel-good soundtrack, for dedicating a lot of screentime for adorable furry pals, for the visual effects/CGI and lasso-whipping stunts that can pass as Wonder Woman scenes, for Taron Egerton who plays Eggsy (who, by the way, has a charming accent), for Elton John’s lengthy cameo, and for rebuilding our trust -even just a little- that maybe the world still has hope amidst a “war on drugs”.

NAY for the sudden wipeout of characters that we were not prepared to see, for a lack in character development, for breaking our hearts in the first movie, rebuilding it at the start of the film, only to break it again before the end. Finally, for Channing Tatum (playing Tequila) who only had a few scenes before cryogenically hibernating until the end of the film (I felt that I needed to point this out because I was so disappointed after he disappears from the story mid-way).

It’s a movie worth watching if you were able to appreciate Kingsman: The Secret Service. This sequel is packed with links to the previous film so it’s a must to watch the first one if you’re interested. Note that the MTRCB gave it an R-13 rating, so don’t bring your little brothers and sisters with you. Kingsman: The Golden Circle starts showing in cinemas nationwide on Wednesday (September 20, 2017).

Tip: Watch this movie on IMAX. Promise, you won’t regret it as long as you’re seated in a nice area! Thanks to our friends from 20th Century Fox, we were able to watch the pre-screening at the SM Megamall IMAX Theater last Monday (September 18). We didn’t expect that  Kingsman: The Golden Circle would look really awesome on that type of screen. Try it out, too!

Remarks: APPROVED!