After seeing “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” one thing is certain: it does not live up to its predecessor. At the same time, the film is entertaining, action-packed and funny.

“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” stars Taron Edgerton (Eggsy), Mark Strong (Merlin), Colin Firth (Harry Hart), Julianne Moore (Poppy) and Pedro Pascal (Whiskey). Directed by Matthew Vaughn, this sequel once again follows Eggsy, a young British spy whose whole world is destroyed by a ruthless drug lord, Poppy.

The film does very well in some aspects. It features multiple action set pieces that go above and beyond those from the first film in both concept and scale. The scenes continue the crazy, fast-paced, action style which worked so well in the first.

The comedy is interwoven seamlessly, once again bringing back the charm and wit from the first movie. This sequel also succeeds at providing a fantastically satisfying portrayal of Eggsy’s world after the first movie. His relationships with certain characters from the first film are fulfilled perfectly.

“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is an entertaining movie but it falls flat, especially when compared to the first film. This movie’s plot bounces around throughout the film and at times it feels like it leads nowhere. The characters will be in one location and suddenly they appear in a different location.

While the movie introduces a lot of new characters, some of them have very little screen time, and the ones that do see the screen seem very cliché. The best example of this is the film’s antagonist, Poppy Adams, a drug lord obsessed with the 50’s. While Moore plays a strong manipulator, her looming presence never feels adequate. The film would constantly cut to her in her lair to make her seem evil, but her actions rarely ever impact the main characters.

“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” also relied heavily on CGI. In many of the action set pieces, the CGI takes away from the feeling of danger. The CGI also makes many of the action scenes very confusing and cluttered.

The hardest thing about “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is how little it lives up to its predecessor. “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2015) revolves around an outsider who develops into something great. While we learn about the Kingsman and Eggsy throughout the second movie, the overall film lacks a strong central theme which makes it very forgettable.

If you haven’t seen the first “Kingsman” film, at least consider seeing that. If you’re a fan of the franchise, however, the sequel won’t bring anything new to the table and you won’t remember it like the original.

“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” receives an 11/20.