Argylle Review: Falls Below Expectations!

February 4, 2024February 11, 2024 Billy Lawrence 1 Comment Argylle, Ariana DeBose, Bryan Cranston, Bryce Dallas Howard, Catherine O'Hara, Dua Lipa, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Matthew Vaughn, Sam Rockwell, samuel l jackson, Sofia Boutella

First off, I wanted to root for Argylle so hard. Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class, Kingsman and Kick-Ass fame) is a talented filmmaker who has crafted some great action flicks, and I was genuinely looking forward to a new, original action movie from him. However, this was not it.

Let’s begin with what worked in Argylle, the positives. The cast was quite diverse overall, but the leads, especially Sam Rockwell, delivered solid performances. Bryan Cranston showcasing his villainous side added a fun element. The action, with Vaughn’s classic fast-paced editing and tight-fight choreography, had its moments. Although some action sequences felt a bit sloppy, there was a palpable tension. While most of the fun sequences were in the trailer, there was one utilizing colorful imagery that stood out positively.

However, beyond these positives, the movie is a hot mess. Its tone is all over the place. Most of its cool moments and even some of the reveals are already in the trailer, which has been unavoidable in recent months. Speaking of twists not shown in the trailers (except for one), I pretty much guessed them. The film wasn’t particularly clever in hiding them; it was one of those movies where I’d turn to my buddy and predict the next development, only to see it unfold as expected.

The comedy is erratic, with some hits but mostly misses. The film’s aesthetics are a let down, featuring boring shot composition and subpar effects, reaching a point where it becomes distracting. To add to that, the ending is pretty awful, and the mid-credit scene is just embarrassing. While it’s a fun movie to mock with friends for its shortcomings, it does have occasional moments of “okay, that was cool.” However, Argylle falls far short of the expectations one would have for a Matthew Vaughn film.