Argylle *****

STARRING : Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas-Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, Sofia Boutella, Rob Delaney, Jing Lusi, Richard E. Grant and Samuel L. Jackson

Director : Matthew Vaughn

Duration Running Time : 2 Hours 19 Minutes (139 Mins)

Certification Rating Certificate : 12A

Distribution : Universal Pictures (UK) (A Comcast Company), Apple TV+, Apple Original Films, Marv Studios, Cloudy Productions

A 'best-selling novel' and also a 'movie blockbuster' are often 'connected' through the process of adaption.

However, when an original novel that's originally created by 'the original author' and also instantly becomes a 'best-seller' overnight, it simply 'captures the many hearts' of millions of avid readers worldwide, and also that its unique success is then often attracts the attention of Hollywood as many aspiring filmmakers also see the potential in these 'original stories' and then they are 'adapted' for the 'silver screen'.

Now, the adaption process involves translating the narrative, themes and also the characters from the original written words into visual storytelling and also that in which can also be a complex process as many filmmakers must also decide what to do by change and also what to 'stay true' from the original novel in question.

There are many several 'best-selling novels' that have been turned into 'blockbuster movies' such as 'THE HOBBIT TRILOGY' plus 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY' by J.R.R. Tolkien, 'THE HARRY POTTER SERIES' by J.K.Rowling, 'THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY' by Suzanne Collins, 'THE TWILIGHT SAGA' by Stephanie Meyer, 'JURASSIC PARK' by Michael Crichton, 'THE DA VINCI CODE' by Dan Brown, 'THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO' by Steig Larsson, and also 'GONE WITH THE WIND ' by Margaret Mitchell,(sadly no relation - only by surname) are in fact 'prime examples'.

These unique 'adaptations' have in fact left 'a lasting impact' on literature as well as also pop culture, but that however, it is also important to note that the success of a best selling novel 'does not guarantee' the unique success of its original film adaptation - and also - vice versa - but that 'the two mediums' in question have 'different strengths' and also 'limitations' - and what 'works in one' might 'not work' in the other.

However, the answer to whether 'a book' or even its 'movie adaptation' is better and can also be quite subjective and also depends on individual preferences.

Some people prefer books because they often provide more 'depth and detail' - this allows 'the readers' to dive deep into the characters' thoughts and feelings, and that the world-building can be more extensive, but also that books can also allow the readers to imagine the characters and also the settings in its own way.

Here what follows are a few examples between the original novel and also the movie adaptation:

1. 'BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN' Ang Lee's adaptation released in 2005, of Annie Proulx's about 'two Wyoming cowboys' - Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger - who in fact 'form' - 'an intense emotional and also sexual connection'.

2. 'NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN' The Coen Brothers's - Joel and Ethan adaptation released in 2007, of Cormac McCarthy's novel, featuring stunning performances from by Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones.

3. 'JAWS' Steven Spielberg's adaptation released in 1975, of Peter Benchley's 'nail-biting novel' about Martin Brody, (Roy Scheider), a small-town police chief, who teams up with Matt Hooper, (Richard Dreyfuss), an Oceanographer, and also Captain Quint, (Robert Shaw), a modern-day Captain Ahab to rid his 'summer town' of Amity Island of a killer shark.

4. 'BEAUTY AND THE BEAST' Disney's original 'animated classic' released in 1991, and also based on Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's 'French fairy-tale.

5. 'AMERICAN PSYCHO' Brett Easton Ellis's 1991's satiric thriller, released in 2000, and directed by Mary Harron - about Patrick Bateman, (Christian Bale), an NYC investment banker who leads 'a double life' - as 'a serial killer'.

These films in question have been 'praised' simply for their original cinematography, outstanding performances, and also, in some cases, for 'improving upon 'the source material' of 'the original product'.

Then there's Matthew Allard Robert Vaughn - his real name - but is known as Matthew Vaughn, however Vaughn was born professionally as Matthew Allard de Vere Drummond - an English filmmaker and also a film producer and scriptwriter, Vaughn in question has produced 'LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS' (1998), for Guy Ritchie - his close friend -(the film was also a critical, popular, and also 'a financial success' earning both Ritchie and Vaughn - 'a cool ￡9m each ) and also 'SNATCH' (2000), and has also directed 'LAYER CAKE' (2004), 'STARDUST' (2007), 'KICK-ASS' (2010), and also 'X-MEN: FIRST CLASS' (2011), but also in addition, that Vaughn has in fact also 'co-created' the 'KINGSMAN COMIC BOOK SERIES' and 'RESULTING FRANCHISE', by directing, producing and also co-writing the films 'KINGSMAN : THE SECRET SERVICE' (2014), 'KINGSMAN : THE GOLDEN CIRCLE' (2017), and also 'THE KING'S MAN' (2021), also just for the record Vaughn would also produce 'SWEPT AWAY' (2002), for Ritchie - and featured Madonna -Ritchie's 'then wife' and Adriano Giannini - with a supporting cast including Elizabeth Banks, Bruce Greenwood, Beatrice Luzzi and Jeanne Tripplehorn, but also that this was in fact a 'remake' of the original 1974 film directed by Lina Wermuller and featuring Giancarlo Giannini (the father of Adriano) and Mariangela Melato.

Vaughn - born March 7, 1971, in Paddington, London, England,- and until 2002, it was then that he was originally thought that he 'was the child' of a relationship between Kathy Ceaton (she passed away on July 20, 2013,) and also Robert Vaughn, 'an American actor' who starred opposite Steve McQueen in 'THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN' (1960), directed by John Sturges, and also 'THE TOWERING INFERNO' (1974), directed by John Guillermin, but it was during the 1980's, when 'a paternity investigation' had revealed that Robert Vaughn was 'not his father', but that Ceaton in question had in fact 'never revealed' otherwise to Vaughn.

However upon 'asking his mother about his true paternity' it was then that she had 'exclusively revealed' that his 'father' in question was in fact George Albert Harley de Vere Drummond, an 'ENGLISH BANKER', but it was that early on in Vaughn's life before 'the paternity investigation' that Robert Vaughn star of 'THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.' as Napoleon Solo alongide David McCallum as Ilya Kuryakin (this was in fact a TV SERIES between 1964-1968 - lasting 'four years' and also 'one hundred and five episodes - incidentally in 2015 there was also a movie version of the TV Series directed by Guy Ritchie and also featured Henry Cavill and Arnie Hammer in the roles of Solo and Kuryakin - with support from Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Debicki) and also star of 'THE GREAT ESCAPE' (1963), opposite McQueen - in question - had 'SPECIFICALLY ASKED' for the child's surname to be Vaughn - and it also continues today to be Vaughn's 'professional' name - although - he now uses it as - de Vere Drummond - in his 'personal' life - and also having it changed by 'DEED POLL' (this is classed as a 'legal document' used in the United Kingdom -UK- as well as Ireland and also some other countries with legal systems that are in fact are 'BASED ON ENGLISH COMMON LAW' - this in in fact to record as 'AN INTENDED NAME BY EITHER A PERSON OR EVEN FAMILY' -and that also it is one use of a 'deed poll' - 'hence the original name' in May 2002.

Now in 1996, when Vaughn was aged 25 yrs old, he had produced 'THE INNOCENT SLEEP' (1996), directed by Scott Michel -this was in fact a 'low-budget' thriller starring Rupert Graves, Annabella Sciorra, Sir Michael Gambon, John Hannah and Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero - but known professionaly as Franco Nero - the synopsis of the movie follows Alan Terry (Graves), a homeless man who comes down to London from Northern England and who witnesses a 'gangland killing' and also 'in the process' becomes a target himself - but also that this is actually 'based on a true story' and is also inspired by the 'brutal murder' of Roberto Calvi when on the morning of Friday June 18th 1982, Calvi was 'hanged' by the neck in Blackfriars Bridge at around 07:30am, but also that Calvi was 'nicknamed' as 'GOD'S BANKER' by the international press because of his 'close business dealings' with the Holy See (this is known as the jurdistiction of the pope of the Bishop of Rome) but also that Calvi was also a native of Milan and was also the Chairman of BANCO AMBROSIANO (this was established in 1896 and collapsed in 1982) it was Italy's 'second' national bank - and which collapsed in one of Italy's biggest political scandals.

Now we have 'ARGYLLE' from Matthew Vaughn, the director and also the producer and also written by Jason Fuchs, a screenwriter, who also wrote this,Vaughn has also returned to the genre of 'the spy-action movies' after 'the Kingsman' trilogy featuring Taron Egerton, Colin Firth and also Mark Strong who appeared in at least - two of these - notably 'THE SECRET SERVICE' (2014) and 'THE GOLDEN CIRCLE' (2017) - but it is also classed as 'a spy-action comedy film with Henry Cavill, heading an all-star cast that includes Bryce Dallas-Howard,Sam Rockwell,Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Dua Lipa,(who by the way, will also provide the original music for the title track - and also - the music score) Ariana DeBose, John Cena, and also Samuel L.Jackson.

The plot of this centres on Elly Conway,(Dallas-Howard),an introverted spy novelist, who has in fact just finished 'her fifth book' about Aubrey Argylle,(Cavill), 'the title character' of 'the eponymous Argylle' series of books.

Argylle in question is in fact described as a 'dapper jaunty Brit' complete with a 'silly-square hair-cut' unlike Jim Carrey and also some sort of a person who wears 'a goofy-velveteen' jacket - think Austin Powers played by Mike Myers in the film series, and also in a safe-pair of manicured hands in a performance of a well-known commercial of a certain washing-up liquid (other washing-up liquids are also available) and describing to a loved-one why he enjoys doing the washing up - and also he replies to the loved one that in the words of Nanette Newman, a certain British actress - who says those immortal words - 'Because I enjoy doing it wearing a pair of rubber gloves - just to keep my silky hands so soft ! - so 'DO ONE' ! - but Argylle along the way also confronts LaGrange, (Dua Lipa), a slinky 'femme-fatale' killer, a also teams up with the likes of his comrades - notably Wyatt, (Cena), and also Keira,(DeBose).

But for Conway, in question, looks like a waxy, inert and also uncomfortable; for it's as if she's wearing she's wearing cut-glass contact lenses, complete with a torpid unfocused quality and also that in which the script's big twist does not either explain or even have an excuse because both director Vaughn and scriptwriter Fuchs will never give this writer any funny or even some interesting lines - or maybe even find a funny way by satisfying and also let her unique character in on 'the joke' and also bring out her supposed 'dual quality' as an action heroine.

When we first see Elly in the movie it is then that she is taking questions from her fanbase at a 'sold-out' book-store signing, and also testily taking notes about 'the ending' in a 'ZOOM' call with Ruth, (O'Hara), Elly's adoring mother.

However, en route, on board a train journey to see her mum, Elly is saved from an ambush by Aidan, (Rockwell), an actual spy, who who also explains to her that a devious organisation known as 'THE DIVISION'(unlike the lower leagues of football clubs such as Stockport County, Oldham Athletic and even Hyde United) - that's headed by a 'certain' Mr Ritter, (Cranston), so then both Aidan and Elly both travel to England, unaware that she is now involved in a real-life espionage adventure, and also hoping that her next chapter will reveal how to stop 'The Division from exposing 'THE TRUTH' about 'The Division' in question.

When Elly and Aidan arrive in London, the 'duo' in question are in fact searching for a 'MASTERKEY' that would help expose 'The Division' that Elly had also 'referenced' in her novels, and also that Suspecting Aidan wants to kill her too, and so Elly in desperation asks her parents to help her out, but as they arrive, Aidan soon reveals to Elly that they are in fact both working for 'The Division sent to capture her, forcing both Aidan and Elly to simply 'fend them off' before fleeing, and that by escaping to France, Aidan and also Alfred Solomon,(Jackson), a former CIA Deputy Director also reveal that Argylle in question is not entirely classed as fictional: for Elly is in fact Rachel Kylle (this is in fact an acronym - and also which that this which is also classed as a 'noun' - and is simply - a word - or even - a name - consisting of parts that relate to the full name) who in fact was captured and also brainwashed by 'The Division' five years earlier; where she had put her suppressed memories into the novels - and also with the latest Argylle novel, Elly in question, was about to reveal the whereabouts of 'The Masterkey' - before her 'cover' was blown.

The film in question did quite well at box-offices worldwide on its first week of release, but the receptions of this movie have mixed reviews such as 'an unbearably self-satisfy smirk of a 'spy movie' that's complete with dull-narrative, phoned-in cameos and also an awful lead of unique performances by all concerned and that what began as a fun 'spoof' that's full of spy movies that consists of many emphasis but simply lost its unique way of hitting 'the mark' that even Luke 'The Nuke' Littler can simply do his job as the new darts player aiming for his sights - but then - comes up short from hitting the 'bulls-eye', and also as we approach St Valentine's Day - this is an average movie to see with your loved ones - even though it is 2 Hours and 19 Minutes (139 Mins) - long - but that at the end of the day Austin Powers still performs with his battery-powered-operated mojo bought from a car-boot sale that keeps on going strong in its day.

David M.G.Mitchell