When Kingsman: The Secret Service hit cinemas a couple of years ago, for many it felt like a cheeky, retro blast of fresh air for an espionage genre mired in modern-day gloom, terror and seriousness. Matthew Vaughn’s comic book adaptation had a spring in its step and a tongue firmly placed in its cheek, with a whole brace of inspirations not far behind.
As Vaughn returns this week for the much-anticipated sequel, The Golden Circle, Set The Tape tunes into some of those key touchstones Vaughn, writer Jane Goldman and the rest of his team have mined for their franchise.