Sam Rockwell and Bryce Dallas Howard star in a scene from the movie “Argylle.” The OSV News classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may not be suitable for children. (OSV News photo/Peter Mountain, Universal)
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NEW YORK (OSV News) – The fish-out-of-water action comedy "Argylle" (Universal) starts off promisingly and its initial twists and turns sustain audience interest. By multiplying these complications and reversals, however, screenwriter Jason Fuchs eventually reaps diminishing returns.
Still, director Matthew Vaughn's breezy spoof remains, overall, at least modestly entertaining. Despite the intensity of some of its dust-ups, moreover, it's suitable for a broad swath of grown moviegoers.
Mild-mannered author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) has managed to hit paydirt with a series of popular spy novels featuring the suave, James Bond-like character of the title (played, in her imagination, by Henry Cavill). But when it comes to real life, she seeks nothing more adventurous than a cozy evening at home with her beloved cat, Alfie.
So when Aidan (Sam Rockwell), a stranger she meets on a train, informs her that he's a secret agent and that all the other passengers aboard their railcar are disguised assassins out to kill her, Elly is more than a little surprised. But the second statement soon proves to be true, forcing Elly to rely on her new acquaintance's protection.
Once they're both safe, Aiden explains that the plots of Elly's books involving a sinister band of rogue operatives have tracked too closely to covert reality. That makes her a target for her fictional organization's factual counterpart, The Division, and its villainous leader, Ritter (Bryan Cranston).
A globetrotting quest marked by various surprises follows. But by the time the movie wraps up, its tale of hidden identities and shifting loyalties has become intricate to the point of rococo excess.
The film contains frequent stylized but sometimes harsh violence, several uses of profanity, numerous milder oaths, about a dozen crude terms and some crass language. The OSV News classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.- - -CAPSULE REVIEW"Argylle" (Universal)Modestly entertaining action comedy in which the mild-mannered author (Bryce Dallas Howard) of a series of popular spy novels featuring the James Bond-like character of the title (Henry Cavill) finds herself caught up in the frightening world of real-life espionage after a stranger (Sam Rockwell) claiming to be a secret agent rescues her from a trainload of disguised assassins. He explains that the plots of her books involving a sinister band of rogue operatives have tracked too closely to covert reality, making her a target for her fictional organization's factual counterpart (headed by Bryan Cranston). Initially the twists and turns of director Matthew Vaughn's breezy spoof sustain interest. But by multiplying them, screenwriter Jason Fuchs eventually reaps diminishing returns. Frequent stylized but sometimes harsh violence, several uses of profanity, numerous milder oaths, about a dozen crude terms, some crass language. The OSV News classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. - - -CLASSIFICATION"Argylle" (Universal) – OSV News classification, A-III -- adults. Motion Picture Association rating, PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.- - - John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @JohnMulderig1.