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South Africa, 1902. It looks like these travelling men are discovering something about this tiny faraway city. And this music, pay attention because it won the International Film Music Critics Award for Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller film. Also, it looks like Voldemort, A.K.A. Ralph Fiennes, is a “Your Grace” in this movie. Fun stuff. Almost had Nicolas Cage as the lead instead. However, Cage has recently realigned his focus on indie films rather than blockbusters. Good on ya. Anyway, guards won’t let this guy in, but he’s way more important than that, so he’s let in to speak to Kitchener. A woman and child are sitting just outside of the concentration camp? Well, at least there is a good message: [Mov. 03-21-03:24] about helping others and leadership. Just love the parallels to the Knights of the Round Table. Gunshot. Sheesh.

Snipers take over and the boy who wanted to be Lancelot hides in the carriage. Little Lancelot sees his mother die in his father’s arms as a promise is made, “protect our son.” What an intense start to a fantastic film: The King’s Man. However, the first working title to this movie was going to be “The Great Game,” but not everyone knows the history of what that means. What it really has to do with are the politics in the 19^th century between Russia and England, not some grandiose game or battle of wits, technically.  

Twelve years later. Old fashioned airplanes and gorgeous landscapes of grass. The boy, Conrad, is the pilot as his father speaks to him from the back seat. Conrad is so prestigious. Jokes and love give us excitement about these characters’ personalities. Witty banter grace us for the next couple of scenes. And is the nanny the one in trouble or is he? The playfulness here is intriguing. Conrad and the head servant, Shola, practice playful tongue-in-cheek communication and scrimmaging for self-defense practice. This is Bradley James Allan’s last movie as stuntman and second unit director. He worked as a stuntman for years, accomplishing over twenty well known films before passing on August 7th. Oxford, our beloved Ralph Fiennes, is so proud of his son, Conrad, as he gets a suit and becomes a man. More lessons demanding love and respect.

Old history comes back up as Oxford and Kitchener must speak privately again. Kitchener needs a favor from Oxford, but just after he shared with Conrad the gruesome truth of their ancestor’s deeds. Conrad grins as his father indicates that he agreed to do the favor Kitchener requested. What a landscape! This is absolutely gorgeous. And did you know that the cinematographer had to leave early to shoot Eternals? So they had to do the final reshoots with another team. But seriously, whether it was Ben Davis or the new team who did these landscape shots, they are simply incredible. Definitely giving the cinematography alone a ten out of ten. Let’s carry on with the movie to see how the rest of it is rated!

Some evil Russian leader called The Shepherd spits, kills and yells, thereby exerting his dominance before demanding his next task. He gives animal rings to each sheep follower of his, including Rasputin. We never see his face.

Thank Heaven for Conrad, he whipped away the bomb the little sheep threw at the Archduke Ferdinand. Daddy has second thoughts now on letting Conrad come with him. He needs to keep him safe! Conrad gets upset and says hey I just protected you! [Mov. 19:44-19:50], how dare you ask me to leave! Conflict arises between son and father. While elsewhere the little sheep takes the suicide pill for disappointing his master – or does he? One more chance. He shoots Ferdinand and his wife point blank and then gets knocked to the ground and beat up. Better than death by the ruthless Russian leader. Oxford is devastated. Love the perfect picturesque dichotomy of [Mov. 22:09-22:13] Conrad and Oxford staring out opposite windows on the train. Father tries to teach son that the world isn’t as innocent and simple as he is, but it can be horrific and cruel. Even if it is just a family feud since childhood that is rearing its ugly head. Every confidant convinces them of the necessity for war. Conrad tries to include himself in helping Kitchener but of course Oxford halts this process and his age stops him from being able to join.

War. Every soldier is down. Two short years, and they’re all dead. Europe’s resources are all drained. Basically, the world is ending. Rasputin is enlisted to destroy King George out of vengeance and hate. Conrad fights his father again on volunteering. Such an amazing line [Mov. 29:32-29:40], about him being a good man regardless of what people think. This movie has so many tokens of wisdom. In flashbacks, we finally understand Oxfords protective fatherly anger toward Conrad more fully as he describes his personal experiences with wars and man’s mercilessness and why he doesn’t want to allow that to happen to his son. We also get to see the purpose and the start of the Red Cross and its mantra. Foot down, Conrad cannot join.

Rasputin poisons a child to coerce resignation of the war. Tsar Nicholas concedes and his son lives. This priest, Rasputin, provides opium to Nicholas and his wife, thereby controlling them. Kitchener and Morton are going to Russia to deal with this horrible Rasputin and Conrad asks Oxford if he can go too. Oxford’s duty to protect his son stays the utmost priority. No means no. We find out that no one, absolutely no one can be trusted as the captain himself clicks the button to drown the ship with a sheep ring on his finger. Conrad has a hunch that espionage is the real problem. He loses it on his father. Just let me be part of something, stop trying to protect me, jeez! Finally, he allows his son to be part of things. Nanny was part of it all along? And Shola! Way to leave me in the dark, Dad!

British Intelligence are actually servants who are “seen and not heard,” which is a very smart tactic for Oxford to be using. They decide that through their research the answer is to kill Rasputin. One life to save millions. [Mov. 41:42-42:02]. And they’re off! With a perfect plan for Conrad to entice Rasputin and poison him with the nanny, Polly’s, laced cake. Wit and tension build as Rasputin and Oxford get acquainted. Not only does Rasputin eat the laced cake, but he shoves it in his face and then licks Oxford’s wounded leg. Why isn’t Rasputin dying? He threw it up instead after forcing the truth out of Oxford. Their plan is foiled. Oxford is somehow trusting Rasputin to his own death! Almost. Until Conrad and Shola burst in.

Fancy ballet as they fight to the death. Rasputin really has the moves. Disgusting and vile, but ultimately Oxford drowns him in the ice by shoving him down with a sword. Father and son happily survive. Unfortunately, so did Rasputin. Until Nanny shoots him in the head.

Back to the terrible Shepherd, Lenin is the last sheep standing to pick up where Rasputin left off. Somehow Shola survives and the four of them celebrate Conrad’s birthday and success. Father and son yet again have conflict as Oxford refuses to give his blessing for joining the war no matter what. Conrad’s age leaves it up to Conrad. Escalading fear arises through the next several scenes as Conrad joins the war and the leaders raise the stakes.

Polly cracks the code and Oxford expects Conrad to come home as soon as possible. Conrad swaps clothes with Reid in order to not follow orders and stick to the plan of fighting like he wanted. Meanwhile, President Wilson doesn’t believe Polly’s cracked code’s meaning. Havoc breaks in as the fake Conrad meets with Daddy Oxford. Conrad gets to fight in the front lines. War. Conrad becomes a killer. Cries but stays alive. Finally a movie that shows the true pains of the first time on the front lines. His team covers Conrad and takes out the gunner as he valiantly carries the man who comforted him in the pit quickly back home [Mov. 1:20:20-1:20:37]. Moments from getting his coveted Victoria’s Cross and rushing home to his father, a friend of Reid thinks Conrad is a German spy and shoots him in the head.

Anguish dons the next several scenes as Oxford deals with the gruesome fact of his son’s death. Tsar Nicholas Romanov renounces his emperor status. Basically, the world is ending all around even worse than before. Great plotline with the perfect false climax and storyline. A wee bit of humor to keep us going without getting entirely too depressed to watch the rest, [Mov. 1:29:24-1:29:30].

Thankfully, King George respectfully gives Oxford something for Conrad that talks some sense into him. Polly whips Oxford into shape the rest of the way, so he finally stands up and does what is right. He gets dressed. Just kidding, he actually helps stop the war too. A flashback and a red cashmere scarf clue Oxford into the fact that the secretary is actually there to kill him and keep the war going. The real reason the President won’t budge is due to her blackmailing him. Oxford’s team heads out to find the negative of that film strip to stop the war. Of course, during all of this Oxford almost dies but doesn’t. Jumps on a few goats to get himself to the top of the cliff, throws knives at a beast who barely even feels it, and gets kicked off another cliff, but doesn’t die. Shola saves the day and kills the now headless beast in one fell swoop! [Mov. 1:49:03-1:49:06] Let’s give Bradley Allan some love!

This movie definitely deserves a ten out of ten as far as storyline, wonderful cinematography and landscapes. Acting is superb especially by our favorite Ralph Fiennes. Lastly, the final mystery, the Shepherd is actually Morton. Ironic ending is fantastic, especially with the tie back into Lancelot. Sequel possibilities too!