Still, Fiennes does an admirable job as the upper-crust gentleman who secretly protects England and the world from the evil plans of a group known as the Flock led by the Shepherd, even though his understated and sophisticated demeanor sometimes seem a bit out of place amongst all the action. He is joined by accomplished actors such as Djimon Hounsou and Daniel Brühl, but it is Gemma Arterton who shines as the strong-willed and intelligent former member of Orlando’s household staff whom he has recruited into his spy ring. She plays her character with both style and humor while always maintaining proper British restraint. As with the previous films, The King’s Man is written and directed by Matthew Vaughn who has worked on X-Men prequels as well as Layer Cake, Stardust, and Kick Ass, so there is definitely no lack of style or flair in the film’s production.

The King’s Man began streaming on HBO Max and Hulu and made available for purchase or rent from other services on February 18. I accessed it through Google Play, which allowed me to view a 4K version with a 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack. The picture quality was very good even though it lacked HDR when streamed in this. During a particularly challenging, fast-paced fight sequence, the highly choreographed, ballet-like action showed little artifacting. Even as the villainous Rasputin leaps and pirouettes repeatedly in rapid succession, I could still make out the fine details in his long hair and flowing beard.

When we see the mountain top hideout of the Shepherd, the sun-bathed, snow-covered precipices look stunning, with steely blue and grey rocks contrasted by sparkling white frost and ice. As the scene moves inside the hideout, the picture could have benefitted from HDR enhancement as it loses some sharpness and detail. There was a lack of gradation in shadows as the edges of dark articles of clothing blended together into singular black objects, appearing smooth as they lacked texture on their surfaces. Other than the lack of some highlights in these darker scenes, the overall picture quality was quite satisfying.

The soundtrack is very active, with excellent use of Matthew Margeson’s music score. Throughout action scenes, the orchestral music is used to effectively to fill the soundstage, while sound effects and dialogue remain clearly audible. During an extended battlefield sequence, the constrained but ominous sounds of hand-to-hand combat combined with discordant, driving rhythms, then transitioned to an all-out aural onslaught. As the music surged with strings, horn and choir, mortar shells and automatic gunfire rang out all around as the voices of German and English soldiers were easily discernible amidst the din, which placed me palpably amidst the intense action. 

This third installment of the Kingsman is a bit of departure from the previous two but action fans will likely be drawn to the slickly made prequel. And for those yearning for the return of Eggsy (Egerton) and Harry Hart (Firth), they’re slated to be back in 2023 with the release of Kingsman: The Blue Blood.