Critic Reviews

At its core, it's a light-hearted spy romp that riffs on a lot of the soap-opera tropes that crossover into the realm of espionage. "Dumb fun" might get thrown around a lot with Vaughn's films, and it might be true, but Argylle does try to be smart in its execution.

The stakes might technically be high, but at a certain point, Argylle abandons all connection to reality to deliver pure romp from beginning to end. Yes, this at times tips over into silliness, but during a time of real geopolitical upheaval and political uncertainty… maybe there’s nothing wrong with that.

At the very least, the filmmaker offers up some cool things that we haven't seen in a modern action movie like this, which can be very challenging in the wake of many "Mission: Impossible" and "John Wick" movies. For that, Argylle is worth a trip to the theater.

Though I will warn you, if you haven’t cared for Matthew Vaughn’s more recent efforts, it’s unlikely Argylle is going to change that for you. It’s like he pays attention to what his detractors despise, then decides, “Well, what if I gave you more of that.”

Cast to the hilt, the film proves inventively twisty if a little convoluted, with the modest disclaimer that it’s not as good as the trailer makes it look.

The film, written by Jason Fuchs and based on a novel Elly Conway (who fans have, perhaps incorrectly, suspected is a pen name for Taylor Swift), boasts strong performances and creatively memorable sequences, but sometimes loses itself in a roller coaster of plot twists that many will see coming.

Flashy, fun and light on its feet, Argylle papers over its cracks with twist upon twist — and charming performances from its central duo.

Argylle is worth checking out for those interested, but don't expect it to be as good as Kingsman: The Secret Service, though it's certainly better than The King's Man.

When Argylle is fun, it is really fun. Watching Rockwell and Howard run around the world is entertaining, for a time, but not forever. “Because these things will change,” as Swift sings in “Change.”... Maybe she should have written the movie.

The real selling point is a romance so dorky, sweet, and likeable that, well, maybe only Taylor Swift could have written it.