In the mood for some goofy and altogether mindless fun? Let me tell you about “Argylle”, the new action spy comedy from director Matthew Vaughn. Full disclosure: I’ve been pretty lukewarm when it comes to Vaughn’s past work. That said, there has always been a certain flair to his filmmaking that I appreciate (he was in line to direct “Man of Steel 2” which sadly never came about).

His latest film takes that signature flair and mixes it with a silliness, self-awareness, and genre tropes galore. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Mainly because “Argylle” makes no mistake about what kind of movie it wants to be. It’s unmistakably ludicrous from the get-go which is really the only way a movie like this could ever work. Vaughn and screenwriter Jason Fuchs embrace their gonzo premise, adding an equally all-in cast of big names to bring it all together.

Armed with a $200 million budget, “Argylle” sets itself up as the first film in a trilogy, complete with a surprise ending and even a mid-credits scene. It begins by introducing us to spy novelist Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) who is trying to put the finishing touches on the fifth book in her popular Argylle series. In need of help with her ending, the introverted Elly loads up her cat Alfie and hops a train for her parents house after her mother (Catherine O’Hara) agrees to help her write the final chapter.

That kickstarts one side of the “Argylle” story. The other side takes part in Elly’s imagination and features the characters she has created for her book series. As Elly types away Vaughn transports us to the fictional world inside her head where super spy Aubrey Argylle (Henry Cavill) and field agents Wyatt (John Cena) and Keira (Ariana DeBose) attempt to stop a voluptuous terrorist known as LaGrange (Dua Lipa). These scenes are intentionally over-the-top and hilariously follow the spy movie formula to the action-packed letter.

Back in the real world, Elly is approached on the train by an animated fellow named Aiden Wilde (Sam Rockwell). He claims that a nefarious spy organization known as the Division are targeting her for the most unexpected reason and he’s there to save her. After beating down a parade of assassins, Aiden grabs Elly and Alfie and makes an improbable escape.

Once to safety, Aiden informs Elly that her novels have intersected with reality. It turns out that her stories have supposedly paralleled with real events in the actual spy world. He tells her about the existence of a flash drive containing detailed files that could expose the Division and bring them to their knees. The head of the Division, Director Ritter (Bryan Cranston) believes that Elly knows the location of the drive and is about to reveal it in upcoming book. So while Ritter wants to neutralize her, Aiden wants to save her in hopes of finding the drive and bringing down the Division.

Before we know it Elly’s two worlds begin to blur as she’s thrust into a life of espionage, globetrotting, and double agents. We’re hit with big reveals and bigger twists by the dozen, and they come from all possible directions. Sometimes they’re genuinely surprising and other times they’re utterly preposterous. But that’s exactly what Vaughn and company are going for and the movie is better for it. In fact, any time I began to worry that things were getting too serious, something absolutely bonkers would happen to put me at ease.

This is summed up best in the film’s action-fueled finish which I won’t dare spoil. But let’s just say it’s one of the most gleefully outrageous things you’ll see on a screen this year. If I were guessing, I’d say for some people the ending will perfectly encapsulate why they dislike this movie. But for others (myself happily included), the final 15 minutes or so is a fittingly nutty culmination of everything the movie has been working towards.

“Argylle” sees Matthew Vaughn having a blast with the campy spy movie formula, taking its many tropes and stretching them to absurd limits. It results in something proudly ridiculous and consistently entertaining. The script is a little messy in spots and making sense out of some of its twists is nearly impossible. It’s also hampered by an unnecessarily long running time. But the steady humor and the big stylish action land well. And what a treat seeing Bryce Dallas Howard getting such a fun and meaty lead role. Pair her with the effortlessly charming Sam Rockwell and you have a duo I’ll follow on any mission. “Argylle” opens today in theaters.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS