The King's Man

This prequel to 2015's Kingsman: the Secret Service takes viewers back to the First World War to fill in the origins of the clandestine spy ring, with Ralph Fiennes at its head. In keeping with the irreverent premise of the series, director Matthew Vaughn dishes up a world where the coming conflict is in fact masterminded by a shadowy underworld organisation that counts Rasputin and Mata Hari among its foot soldiers. It's all great fun, full of sly humour, snappy action and dapper dressing. While the disparate plot points make for an occasionally over-egged pudding, Fiennes's straight-faced comic timing winningly recalls his role in The Grand Budapest Hotel, and there's terrific support from Rhys Ifans as Rasputin, and Tom Hollander in three separate guises.