Argylle (4/10)

by Tony Medley

139 minutes

PG-13

In 2006, Will Ferrell gave a bravura performance (his best) in Stranger than Fiction) playing an unwitting, unwilling character in a novel being written by another person. Here, director Matthew Vaughn takes a then-unpublished manuscript by Elly Conway, apparently changes it substantially, turning it into a vague comedic imitation of Ferrell’s movie. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Conway, a publicity shy author of a series of successful espionage books who suddenly becomes involved in real life events mirroring her novels.

Unfortunately, unlike Ferrell’s ‘Fiction, Vaughn’s movie (written by Jason Fuchs) is convoluted and absurd; it’s like slapstick or (probably unintended) satire. Conway gets involved in fights between protagonists Aidin (Sam Rockwell) and others who are out to do no good and to kill her, to her puzzlement.

The “fights” are confusing and even more bizarre than most of the silly fights in today’s Hollywood, as the combatants interchange between Conway’s fictional hero, Argylle (Henry Cavill) to Aidin in the blink of an eye, back and forth. It’s enough to make one dizzy, after they ask “Whaaaat?”

If you hang around to the end of this far too long movie (which I don’t advise), the convolution is explained. But not before more fights and a final segue onto a mega tanker ship that is so clumsy it boggles and befuddles the mind.

Howard is woefully miscast as a kung fu heroine as her zaftig physique (5-7, 139) make her fighting scenes unintentionally laughable. The supporting cast is impressive for such a disappointing movie, including Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, and the always entertaining Samuel L. Jackson in a cameo.