From 1/30/2024 press screening:
Truth is stranger than fiction. Whatever you imagine “Argylle” is from the posters and trailers, you can't judge the espionage movie by its cover. The sleek marketing pulls wool over even the most spying eyes.
Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard, “Jurassic World” series) is a solitary spy novelist who has been churning out best-selling books, centering on a globetrotting, suave spy named Argylle (Henry Cavill; "Mission Impossible: Fallout" “Justice League,” "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," “Man of Steel,” “Man from U.N.C.L.E.”), in the last five years.
Strangely, it's almost intuitive how Elly comes out with the characters and plots. Words are mightier than swords and Elly soon finds out that her stories get her in more trouble than she could ever imagine. Elly is hunted down by a rogue spy organization named Division. Somehow her stories are mirroring real world events. Division agents are trying to get their hands on a device that is part of the plot of her yet unpublished novel, which is next in the series. That device, if released, would threaten the organization's existence.
The nonstop action begins on a train ride, where Elly encounters a covert operative disguised as a fan of her novels, Aidan (Sam Rockwell). After bodies pile up, Elly and her spy savior have no choice but escape out of the train in a Mission Impossible way. Faint-hearted Elly is flabbergasted to say the least. She has to deal with gun-toting goons, basement-hiding, rooftop-jumping, boat-speeding and plane-riding. Tagging along is her cute cat-in-a-backpack, Alfie, a humorous furry sidekick.
Hyperventillating Elly doesn't know who to trust. Even when she's able to escape and reunite with her parents, the sequences of incidents hit her like a thunderbolt and make her question her reality and sanity. Elly's dangerous misadventures take her from the heart of London to a French countryside, where she's met with a reclusive, mysterious figure (Samuel L. Jackson; "The Avengers" series, "Oldboy") that holds the key to what's going on.
Secrets and identities come to light. Allegiance and alliance are revealed and reformed. Verisimilitude and veracity are tested and turned over. But just as you think you've got the storyline figured out, a twist comes along, then another and another, and turning into different directions. The fast and furious surprises will take you along on a rollercoaster. Prepare to gasp and guffaw when these happen. This is one movie that it's much better to go in blind, so the shock and awe will hit maximum impact.
There are a couple of extended fighting and dancing sequences, including a colorfully explosive musical montage and gravity-defying ice-skating. Preposterous and boisterous, it's like a self-aware wink from director Michael Vaughn (“Kingsman” series, “X-Men: First Class”), a hysterical and twisted treat for Kingsman's fans. Dynamic duo Howard and Rockwell, Howard in particular, rock and roll as if there's no tomorrow.
The spy caper starts off slow and inexplicable, gets muddled and overly piled up, but the never-ending espionage twists and turns, and stylized over-the-top comedic action, offer tons of fun. Stay for the post-credit for a final intrigue.
Not only the greater the spy, the bigger the lie, “Argylle” is one twister of a wild ride.
