With just a few days in theaters, Matthew Vaughn's action spy comedy The King's Man has already amassed nearly $5 million at the box office. The film has drawn more favorable reviews from general filmgoers than professional critics, largely due to the hilarious quips and witty one-liners delivered by the stellar cast of dignified British special agents as they attempt to prevent the Great War.
The uproarious comedy of manners is full of memorable characters who know how to turn a phrase, utter lines with droll comedic timing, ironic amusement, and a deadpan look on their face. However, only a few of them have managed to leave a memorable impression on the audience.
Orlando Oxford:
"Nobility Never Came From Chivalry. It Cam From Being Tough And Ruthless."
Despite his rakish demeanor and air of regality, Orlando the Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) makes a stunning ission in the movie that sheds light on his people's past. He does so to teach his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) about the tricks of his trade, peeling back the curtain on the English aristocracy in an eye-opening screed.
"Throughout time, our people robbed, lied, and killed until one day we found ourselves as noblemen," Oxford states before renouncing a chivalrous code of conduct.
Morton:
"After all, manners maketh man."
One of the most iconic quotes from Kingsman: The Secret Service is recycled with great fun and flair in the prequel. The line was spoken by Harry Hart (Colin Firth) in the original before launching an attack on an enemy. In The King's Man, Morton aka The Shepherd (Matthew Goode) bellows the line with a great relish that will have fans of the first film smirking from ear to ear.
Much of the appeal of the Kingsman movies is the balance between an English culture of manners and the secretive underworld of violent spy missions. So when The Shepherd begins the quote by saying "let's end this as gentlemen," the cheeky sarcasm is a nice callback.
Orlando Oxford:
"Refined, But Brutal. Civilized, But Merciless."
The Duke of Oxford remains a pithy fellow through the underrated spy movie, but it's the trenchant way in which he describes the Kingsman creed to Conrad that really stands out. He begins the quote by telling his son that "we are the first independent intelligence agency, preserving peace and protecting life."
Knowing what a conniving spin on the truth the description is, the quote is made all the better by Conrad's perfectly timed retort, saying "very clever" with an ironic lilt that pretty much undercuts his father's stuffy attitude.
Polly:
"Stop F***ing About!"
As one of the only female characters in a male-dominated world, Polly (Gemma Arterton) stands out anytime she opens her mouth. Usually pleasant and charming as can be, including the time she adorably tells Conrad "welcome to the club," it's when Polly goes ballistic that provides the biggest laughs.
So when Polly has finally had enough of the cheeky shenanigans of her male counterparts, she finally barks the swift line that cuts right through the tomfoolery. The kicker? Polly shouts the line while firing an anti-tank shell.
Morton:
"My Flock This Will Not Be. The War Of Heroes. Nations Will Slaughter Each Other, While We Get Rich. This Is Going To Be Fun."
The unbridled delight that the villainous Morton takes in being killer for hire cannot be more accurately articulated than the time he uttered this line. The first part of the quote indicates his rogue nature while the second indicates a venal and sadistic side that shades his character even further.
The way in which Matthew Goode utters "this is going to be fun" is delivered with such perfect pitch and tone that it's hard to take the character as scarily as he wants to be. There's a cartoonish nature to the entire film, and the quote reinforces the silliness of The Shepherd's criminality.
Rasputin:
"Time To Dance On Your Grave."
Rhys Ifans gives one of the most hysterical and histrionic turns as the infamous tyrant Grigori Rasputin, uttering one ludicrous line after another while in the most ridiculous scenarios.
After dumping Oxford in a courtyard pond, Rasputin puts Shola (Djimon Hounsou) in his sights and slowly, cravenly whispers the line with too much joy to take seriously. Immediately afterward, Rasputin does a hilarious pirouette and pulls a danger from his sock, completely undermining the threatening quote. The quote sums up the mordant sense of the humor of the entire film franchise.
The Shepherd:
"F*** This Gentleman S**te! I'm Going To Love Killing You."
Perhaps the most portentous quote in the entire film, the bald-headed Scottish villain growls the line from the shadowy recesses of a castle. The threatening rebuke of the Kingsman code is menacing as can be, setting the stakes as high as possible in the realm of espionage.
Of course, the line also has an underlying tinge of levity, which allows the audience to laugh for a moment before being terrified by the shadowy figure as he walks into the light. The way the scene plays out helps make The Shepherd one of the evilest spy movie villains in recent memory.
Orlando Oxford:
"Real Power Lies In Understanding Who It Is You're Truly Fighting And How They Can Be Defeated."
For all the frivolity and hilarious quips in the film, Oxford imparts a few pearls of wisdom as well. In one of his most soberingly honorable moments, he sheds a profound inkling into how real wars are fought, how nations are shaped, and how dictators are avoided.
In addition to the invaluable nugget of truth in the statement, the line comes it a much-needed moment of gravity to offset all of the lighthearted humor.
The Shepherd
"It's Time To Pour Fuel On The Fire Of Revolution"
Who knew Rasputin had such a poetic soul? While most of his lines in the film are ridiculous beyond belief, there's one point in the story that directly indicates his grand motives in a serious and downright profound manner.
What's more, as soon as The Shepherd declares the poetic metaphor, Rasputin obeys his orders by saying "yes, my Shepherd," giving Morton the dominant upper hand as the movie's truest and most terrifying villain. The quote is great on its own, but it's the context of the characters that makes it so memorable in the movie.
