[Movie Review] The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Guy Ritchie, Lionel Wigram
Runtime: 116 min
Main Cast:
- Henry Cavill as Solo
- Armie Hammer as Illya
- Alicia Vikander as Gaby
- Elizabeth Debicki as Victoria
- Hugh Grant as Waverly
Review by: Erika T
Let’s be real here. The promise of Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer teaming up made this a no brainer for me. Even if the film turned out horribly, they are eye candy and that delivers to an extent. Not to mention, I genuinely enjoy their acting (see, I’m not THAT shallow). I knew very little about The Man from U.N.C.L.E. original television show (forgive me for being a mid-80s baby), but if you’re going to do a remake I think reaching back to a very old show such as this provides more potential than rebooting something done within the last 10 years (I’m looking at you, Amazing Spider-man and Fantastic 4).
During the 1960s, the height of the Cold War, agents Napoleon Solo (played by Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (played by Hammer) team up for U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement). Their mission it to thwart plans of a secret international criminal organization group led by a dangerous vixen hell bent on shifting the balance of power when it comes to nuclear weapons and technology. Their only hope is Gaby Teller, the daughter of a missing German scientist, who can infiltrate the organization. Time is of the essence as they work to prevent this potentially catastrophic attack.
What I Liked:
The jokes were plentiful and witty. The audience in my theatre laughed so much that I couldn’t always hear the lines.
The style is refreshing. Many popular movies this summer are CGI heavy and most of the successful ones are sequels with the exception of a few. This is a reboot, but the series has been under the radar for so long that it feels new enough to pop culture. It established itself as a distinctive option thanks to its setting alone.
The action was slick. I thought Hammer and Cavill played off each other really well. They are now one of my favorite on screen duos thanks to this film
The pacing never really let up. I never felt a lag and I never felt bored.
What I Didn’t Like:
Areas in the story felt a little weak. Its best selling points will be everything but that
Summary
I’ve seen a few spy movies this year (The Kingsman, Spy, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation) and they were all really good. It’s certainly a good year to be a fan of this genre. I thought it would be easy to rank my favorites, but I cannot. Either way, I certainly recommend this one.
User Review
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Images Courtesy of IMDB
