Argylle

While I have never loved a film from the twisted mind of Matthew Vaughn, I was still intrigued by Argylle. Perhaps it was because the ensemble cast boasts a ton of recognizable faces or because of the film’s dynamic premise (A writer of a spy series has to become a spy herself? Sounds like a winner!), but most likely it is because I have seen the film's trailer 50 or so times over the past 6 months. I just had to discover if the true identity of Agent Argylle would be dumb fun or just simply dumb.

Contrary to the general consensus, I actually had a lot of fun with this movie. I can admit there are a ton of issues with the film — wonky VFX, a super messy plot, and way too many twists — but Argylle truly accomplished its mission in giving me a very engaging, funny, and insane film following our lead of Bryce Dallas Howard’s Elly Conway and her misadventures. 

Argylle’s biggest strength is its ensemble cast, which features the aforementioned Howard in one of her most outlandish roles to date. Elly Conway showcases a weirder side of Howard that we rarely get to see compared to her more serious roles from films such as Jurassic World, The Help, and Lady in the Water. One of my biggest laugh out loud moments in the entire film revolves around a call back to her character from the Jurassic World series and her high heels. In addition to Howard, the rest of our cast is pretty hilarious. Sam Rockwell especially stands out in his turn as Agent Aiden. Rockwell continues to showcase his amazing comedic timing, his standout physical humor, and his overall hypnotizing charisma. Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine O’Hara, and Brian Cranston also each get their moments to pull some laughs from the audience!

However, my favorite aspect of Argylle comes from the framing device of telling a story within a story.  The film’s opening could be its own spinoff miniseries. I love the dynamic between Henry Cavill’s Agent, his foe of Dua Lipa, and his comrade of John Cena. This sequence radiated so much excitement that I wish the rest of the film contained. While the VFX in the sequence were a little wonky, the campness, the sexual energy, and the comedy were totally working for me. While the characters of the opening are basically glorified cameos, the aspects that I am glad were carried out throughout the two hours of Argylle are its massive wacky set pieces, eye-popping costumes, head-bopping needle drops, and its witty satirical humor. 

While I did enjoy Argylle as a dumb fun time, I even have to admit that the film has a massive plot problem. You never really know who to trust and who is your foe. Maybe this was the point, but these twists occurred so often that after a while, they became tedious. I don’t think you can really talk about Argylle’s true plot without diving into full spoilers, but this movie goes completely bananas after a major reveal 30 minutes before it ends. Now for some people, this decision had them fully checked out. But personally? I was down to boogie with Vaughan for another twisty turn at this point. I have to admire the massive swings this film takes, even if they don’t always work.

6/10