Argylle – yes, the movie that played the same trailer over the last several months before every movie at the theater – is finally here. Directed by filmmaker Matthew Vaughn, the film finds Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) as a famous author who writes a series of espionage novels revolving around a character named Argylle. When her stories begin to mimic real life, Aidan (Sam Rockwell) helps her evade spies and bring her to the truth of how Agent Argylle really is.

My introduction to this film has been quite interesting as I recall seeing a still image at least a year ago with Henry Cavill & Dua Lipa. Surely, the film was going to come out sooner rather than later. Fast forward a year later after countless redundant trailers of the film, the time had finally come. You may be asking: If you felt this way, then why go see it? One, I am a film critic. I will go see anything and everything (mostly). Two, I actually like Matthew Vaughn. He’s an interesting filmmaker that continues to preserve through good & bad films. Third, I got invited to this as my first press screening! Of course I am going to go!

I am somewhat of a fan of Matthew Vaughn’s filmography. I really enjoyed X-Men: First Class. Kingsman: The Secret Service has grown on me over the years, and somehow, I happen to be in the minority of enjoying its sequel even more. His last film, The King’s Man, a prequel to the Kingsman franchise was not critically liked and I happen to agree with that. So, when you get an impressively stacked cast attached to a film like this, does it warrant a good comeback for the filmmaker for a cast who trusts them or are they seeing it as being a fun experience? I think it’s a bit of both.

I would actually say the direction is so strong to the point that it makes up for the messy script. There are genuine surprises that completely shocked me. The film truly delivered some of the best twists I have seen in a very long time that makes me look forward to eventually rewatching this from a different perspective. As the film has to juggle two different storylines – the one based in the book and the one based in reality – the film can get a bit lost at times. It is abundantly clear that the cast trusts their director as they have to be goofy one moment, pull off action set pieces the next, and also be surprised when the surprises happen. In that respect, I do see this as a good comeback for the filmmaker. He just happens to make a rather messy script into quite the enjoyable film.

If you have seen the trailer, then you probably already have an idea of what kind of film you would be getting yourself into. The film starts off with introducing Henry Cavill’s Argylle in an opening scene brought to life through the reality of Elly Conway reading the story out loud from her book. Putting Henry Cavill as the top cast is a weird choice as it really is Bryce Dallas Howard in the lead role, so I think marketing as Cavill being the main character was misleading in a way that may leave viewers disappointed. Nonetheless, the film strives in this reality as it puts Howard’s character in a position where she gets writer’s block with writing the conclusion of the franchise that she has written. When she stumble across Sam Rockwell’s character, Aidan, is when the film hits all of the funny moments and Vaughn double down’s on his signature camera work that makes the film very exciting.

For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I won’t mention much else in regards to the plot as I found it to be one of the most surprising films in recent years, but I do want to bring up the glaring plot holes that were almost infuriating. For example, when Elly calls her mom in Chicago to come help her in London, her parents suddenly show up to help her out of nowhere. There isn’t much explanation of what she did in the meantime. It’s not like her parents could have showed up like that and makes the writing weak. There are also characters that come and go that make it extremely convenient for the plot to the point where you do have to turn your brain off to not let it get to you. It’s just unfortunate the film can have that kind of writing when its twists are amongst some of the smartest I have seen. Maybe that just has to do with Matthew Vaughn and how he is able to only show you want he wants you to see.

I don’t think I appreciated the cast as much as I did when I actually saw the film. Cast ensembles feels more like misses than hits as of lately, so I never got excited for the film for that. In hindsight, I should have, because every single cast member eats up every single scene. Henry Cavill plays the perfect example of why he should be the next James Bond. Bryce Dallas Howard & Sam Rockwell have fantastic chemistry together, but Rockwell can also never do any wrong. Bryan Cranston is also really good with what he has to do it and I will leave it at that to avoid spoilers. I did find it funny that Samuel L. Jackson was more or less there just to watch the Laker’s game. Honestly, respect. You get that bag Mr. Jackson. While I do wish some of the cast got more screentime and some of the dialogue can be wooden due to the lackluster script that I mentioned, I still appreciate how everyone is there to deliver something entertaining for the viewers.

On a more technical level, I have already briefly mentioned Vaughn’s signature camera work. He doesn’t do it as much as he has in the past where the camera pans in and out, he uses it more effectively in the action that can makes the hits and the punches much more exciting. That’s not to say that he doesn’t use other things that can be quite overstimulating. For example, there is an overwhelming amount of zoom-in’s on an image than zoom out to something completely different. There was also way too much POV shots from Howard’s character. It was funny at first as she can’t tell what’s real or imaginary. It does get to become too much as there are scenes where they do it when she is falling asleep and waking up. One other aspect that I enjoy about Vaughn’s work that is perhaps at its best is with the music choices. He chooses the perfect needle drops to go along with the action. There’s even the new Beatles song, Now and Then. As a fan of The Beatles, that was very exciting. There also happens to be a music-related sequence that gives me faith that Vaughn will deliver something special for that Damien Chazelle project.

Overall, Argylle feels like the best of what it could be. It can be overstimulating, overlong, and full of plot holes; however, the perfectly stacked cast, entertaining action, funny quips, and twists & turns make up for it. While I believe many might wait to see the film once it hits Apple TV+, I strongly encourage seeing this in the theater. Being in a crowded theater made this a fun and joyous experience. The film has it flaws, yet its positives allow the film to deliver something that is simply entertaining. I strongly recommend turning your brain off when you go see this and I think you will have a good time that is worth the price of admission.

Also, stick around that mid-credits scene! It’s exciting, and I think if done right for what Vaughn wants to do, might be something really unique and original.

VERDICT: Pretty Good