A messy combination of spy plotlines merge together into one rather fun and entertaining conglomeration as we follow Elly Conway, a writer who winds up caught in a dangerous and humorous web of lies and espionage, in Argylle.
Every now and then, a movie comes along that is unfortunately doomed to fail thanks to an absolutely detrimental marketing campaign. It’s happened many times over the years, but it’s especially upsetting when it winds up affecting a movie that may have otherwise done well. Enter Argylle, a movie that was marketed in all the wrong ways and suffered the consequences for it when it really didn’t deserve them. Being promoted as a sexy espionage thriller with a strong Henry Cavill presence, people were disappointed when that wasn’t what they got. But many overlooked the fact that what they got was an actually entertaining bit of hilarious, over the top action comedy, and it’s criminally underrated and forgotten as a result.
Coming from Matthew Vaughn on the heels of a successful trilogy of Kingsman films, Argylle was supposed to be the start of a new spin off franchise set in the same universe, with its very own endearingly goofy and absurd comedy spin. It’s painful to know that the film failed so terribly that this will never happen. Because while the plot feels heavy handed and overcooked at a few points along the way, particularly the finale, and it can be rather confusing to keep up with so many different angles, at its heart, Argylle tries really hard to be enjoyable, and it manages to succeed on many levels.
Having not been the biggest fan of Bryce Dallas Howard for a long stretch of time, as I can’t say I enjoyed watching her attempt at running in high heels in Jurassic World, Argylle changed my opinion for the better. She gives a cutesy performance as Elly Conway, the writer of the titular Argylle character in her novels, and also depicts a surprisingly realistic body standard as a more plus sized woman in an action role. Instead of the stereotypical lean, athletic build, we get a full figured woman who still holds her own in a fight. That is, once the plot convenient amnesia wears off. And of course Sam Rockwell is always an absolute treat, adding a level of perfectly misplaced seriousness in the absurd and convolutedly hilarious scheme of things. With supporting performances from fan pleasers like Bryan Cranston and Catherine O’Hara to round out the cast, and the absolutely adorable Alfie the Cat played by Chip, it’s easy to forget that there’s hardly any Cavill. But he is there, playing a ludicrously farcical spin on that three digit identifying spy who prefers his martinis shaken, not stirred, and always getting a laugh with every second of time he spends on screen.
The needle drops are precisely on point and add to the humor, as well as the endearment of the love story plot, specifically through the use of the previously unreleased Beatles song, “Now and Then.” And let’s not forget how fun the choreography is in both the fight sequences and the dancing ones. I’ve never laughed so hard at a whirlybird before.
Had Argylle been marketed correctly, I think it would’ve found its home in audience’s hearts everywhere. It has all the necessities for a fun and comedic action comedy, and yet it just didn’t land. And that’s a shame, because it deserved a chance at making more people smile.