The King’s Man

With only cursory connections to its predecessors, The King’s Man might provide useful context for devotees of the Kingsman franchise but otherwise feels like it’s mostly answering questions nobody asked.

This ambitious origin story seeks to deepen the mythology of the series from British filmmaker Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass), scaling back the broad spy spoofery from the first two films in favor of cheeky historical references layered with social commentary.

Awkwardly combining playful quirks and historical references with brutal violence and revisionist conspiracy theories, this intermittently stirring adventure takes on a sketchy quality in which only a fraction of the snippets spark to life.

Opening in the years prior to World War I, the story focuses on Orlando (Ralph Fiennes), a duke whose past tragedies have galvanized a personal mission to promote peace, in part to protect his teenage son, Conrad (Harris Dickinson).

In a posh estate that includes a resourceful butler (Djimon Hounsou) and a stern housekeeper (Gemma Arterton), the youngster eventually learns Orlando’s secret, and wants to join the effort. Conrad even enlists in the British Army to prove himself, prompting Orlando to request a favor from King George (Tom Hollander).

Meanwhile, with the world on the brink of war, the ragtag Kingsman must confront a collection of tyrants led by notorious Russian monk Rasputin (Rhys Ifans), reimagined as a criminal mastermind. The father-son tandem provides a window into this world of conflicting loyalties and sociopolitical upheaval, although the quieter and more intimate moments lack a deeper emotional resonance.

As the screenplay by Vaughn and Karl Gajdusek (The Last Days of American Crime) — adapted from Mark Millar’s comic — inserts its heroes into a historical highlight reel, the stylish window dressing doesn’t sufficiently raise the stakes for the elaborate action sequences.

With its dapper costumes and seamless special effects, the visually inventive film features some inspired highlights along the way, such as a swashbuckling showdown at a mountain castle set to Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” and an eye-popping skydiving sequence.

There’s a certain appeal to gallantry that relies on wit and guile rather than spandex and superpowers. Yet while it might be more fun than a history lecture, The King’s Man is a lesser entry in an already overcrowded genre.

Rated R, 131 minutes.