When it hit theaters on September 22, Kingsman: The Golden Circle gripped the box office by storm with $15.325 million in revenue on its opening day. Just like its predecessor, Kingsman: The Secret Service, the sequel revolves around a group of London spies known as the Kingsman, operating as covertly as possible to save the world. When their headquarters are destroyed and over half of their agents are eliminated, however, the two remaining Kingsman, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong), must travel to Kentucky to receive aid from an allied organization, the Statesman.

As a malicious drug cartel ringleader, Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore), implants her drugs with a synthesized disease, the Kingsman and the Statesman must band together to defeat Poppy before her disease kills over half of the world’s population. Elton John stars as Poppy’s personal hostage, performing many of his classic songs for her and providing comic relief in some of the most intense moments throughout the film. Junior Haley Wimberley says, “Elton really made the movie worthwhile. His jokes occurred at the perfect moments, and his songs lightened the mood.” As the Kingsman and the Statesman travel around the world searching for Poppy, they face many common enemies and even locate an old friend along the way, keeping the viewer on the edge of his seat throughout the entirety of the film.

The movie has generated over $114 million worldwide, becoming especially popular in the United States and United Kingdom. Though the film may be heavy on the computer-generated imagery, the complex plot and exceptional acting easily overshadow this. One of the better performances in the film came from Channing Tatum; his witty one-liners as Agent Tequila had the audience laughing hysterically and proved to be one of his best performances yet. Whether one has seen the original movie or not, anyone can enjoy this action-packed film and its fascinating story of modern-day heroes.