Matthew Vaughn

News, Reviews & Features
  • 18 questions I still have about Kingsman: The Golden Circle

    Movie Feature | Ali Gray | 28th September 2017

    It's been two weeks since I saw Kingsman: The Golden Circle, the movie motion picture event of September, and barely a day goes by that I don't think about it. It's a movie that really makes you question everything you know. Questions like 'Who is actually enjoying this?' and 'How do you turn something as joyous as a foul-mouthed Elton John cameo into a depressing chore?' Join me as I ask more spoiler-filled questions of Kingsman: The Golden Circle and wait fruitlessly for it to answer me.

  • Kingsman: The Golden Circle

    Movie Review | Ali Gray | 20th September 2017

    The first Kingsman movie made a stylish entrance at precisely the right time i.e. just as Bond movies were about to get rubbish again. Spectre would go on to prove that being a secret agent was no laughing matter, and absolutely no silly business would be tolerated; Kingsman, on the other hand, was of the opinion that spies just wanna have fun, grasping hold of Moonraker's blunt end with a nudge and a wink and performing a passable karaoke cover of the Moore era's kitschiest hits. Unfortunately, that included the era's sexist horseshit: Kingsman signed off with a jarring anal sex joke that - if you'll pardon the single entendre - left behind a sour taste. The sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, is of the very same caliber as its predecessor, in that it is ostensibly a fun, colourful and occasionally inventive action flick, but one that is nonetheless torpedoed by an off-colour joke so brazen and shameless it defies belief.

  • Kingsman: The Secret Service

    Movie Review | Ali Gray | 26th January 2015

    Imagine an alternate universe, one in which producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson decided to reboot 007 using not the ruthless thuggery of Timothy Dalton or the brutish charm of Sean Connery as the Bond blueprint, instead opting to use the far-fetched, OTT antics of Roger Moore as the template. Ludicrous gadgets. Comic-book acting. Tongue rammed in cheek so deep all dialogue is in danger of being spoken with a lisp. Congratulations! You've just stumbled on the formula that could well have led to the creation of Kingsman: The Secret Service (it could've, if you didn't already know it was based on the book by Mark Millar).

  • X-Men: First Class

    Movie Review | Matt | 25th May 2011

    With Brett ‘The Hitman’ Ratner killing off half the characters in X-Men: The Last Stand, it’s no surprise that the franchise had to be rebooted, but do we really need to see a Bash Street Kids version of the mutant superheroes? And what can it tell us that we don’t already know? Well, how about the fact that Magneto used to be a globe-trotting Bond-a-like and Xavier was a beer-chugging ladies man? Admit it, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart suddenly seem much more interesting…

  • X-Men: First Class gets a couple of second class posters

    Movie News | Ali | 2nd March 2011

    Before he was Professor X... he was Charles. Before he was Magneto... he was Erik. Before they release the proper X-Men: First Class poster... we get this bunch of arse instead.

  • X-Men: First Class trailer arrives

    Movie Trailer | Matt | 11th February 2011

    After a long day's worth of waiting, the first trailer for X-Men: Babies hit the internet so hard during the night, it woke me up just as I was getting somewhere with the Caramel Bunny. DAMN YOU XAVIER!

  • X-Men: First Class pics and posters - fanboy outrage round-up

    Movie News | Matt | 20th January 2011

    In the past few days, new X-Men: First Class images have been bouncing around the interweb faster than Rubberman on a sugar high. Here are all the pics so far, complete with typically unreasonable fanboy outrage commentary.

  • X-Men: First Class coming next year

    Movie News | Matt | 5th May 2010

    X-Men: First Class has a new director, release date and synopsis all in place. That's three news items in the space of just one article. We're like the Budgens of movie blogging.

  • Kick-Ass red-band trailer #2

    Movie Trailer | Ali | 21st February 2010

    This makes it about nine trailers and counting for Matthew Vaughn's superhero odyssey, but we're not complaining: not when they feature scenes of Nicolas Cage wearing make-up.

  • International red-band Kick-Ass trailer

    Movie Trailer | Ali | 2nd February 2010

    Hell to the yes. Have your ass kicked by the new Kick-Ass red-band trailer. More fighting! More little kids swearing! More Nic Cage! Pleasure overload!