The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Starring Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki

Directed by Guy Ritchie

The Story:
Solo (Henry Cavill), is an American CIA agent, recruited after being captured for robbery.  He is at the top of his game, and assigned to bring in asset Gaby (Alicia Vikander), whose father is a rocket scientist who is about to deliver a nuclear warhead to Nazi sympathizer Victoria (Elizabeth Debicki).  The only problem is that Russian KGB agent Illya (Armie Hammer) is also after Gaby and her father's work.

After successfully bringing Gaby in, Solo learns from his superiors that the CIA and the KGB have agreed to work together to stop Victoria before she sets off a nuclear bomb, which forces Solo and Illya to work together.  It should be easy for two spies who are the best at their game to successfully accomplish this task - if the two of them can learn to trust and work together.

The Synopsis:
Director Guy Ritchie delivers his signature style to re-vitalize an old television series into a thrilling, action-packed film.  Famous for his films "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," "Snatch," "Revolver" and the "Sherlock Holmes" series, he's famous for dark shots, interesting characters, stylistic filming, dry wit and creating highly stylized crime comedies.  With "U.N.C.L.E.," he mostly achieves his brand in all ways except for one major way, and in that he unintentionally created the Achilles heel for the film.

Before we get to that, we'll discuss what he did right.  Fans of the original show (so, basically, anyone over the age of 50) would see that this is a new retelling of the classic series.  There's not a lot of connections to the show except for the character names and their roles.  I feel Ritchie had the knowledge in that, for the general moviegoing audience, hardly anyone would be aware of the source material.  This is also a deviation away from previous films based off old series, such as "Get Smart" and "21 Jump Street," which just rehashed their classic shows with a slightly more modern twist.

The filming style is strictly Ritchie, with quick cut-betweens and screen-on-screen divisions that give a sense of immediacy and danger to the film that keeps the audience enthralled in the story.  The cinematography is top notch, with the small issue of the darkness Ritchie films in, where several scenes were difficult to differentiate as you're trying to squint your eyes to see what's really going on.

The fashion of the 60s is in full effect here, along with every small detail in the background.  Ritchie went to great lengths to make sure you feel like you're watching a movie that could've been made in the 60s, and he succeeded - a little too much.  One reason why I feel the film didn't fare as well as it should have was because of this retro style that the average movie attendee could care less about or, more importantly, care to see. 

When it comes to the action, Ritchie toned it down a bit from his classic R brand films "Lock" and "Snatch," and went with his more modern action styles akin to his "Sherlock" series.  Again, this wasn't a bad turn, but it diminished the danger quite a bit when you don't see anyone getting capped in the head.

Now we reach the one thing Ritchie deviated from, that caused the ultimate downfall for the film.  From Jason Statham's Bacon role in "Lock" to Brad Pitt's Mickey in "Snatch" to Robert Downey Jr.'s spot on Sherlock, Ritchie managed to create likable (albeit flawed) characters that are compelling and more than just one dimension.

With "U.N.C.L.E.," Ritchie cast two men who, although have both led their own films, have failed to really attract any fan following.  Henry Cavill, best known as the latest incarnate of Superman, is slick, cool, and sleek as Solo, but his charm is very over-the-top and there's no substance to him.  We get it.  You're the cool guy everyone wants to be.  Until we're around you for five minutes, then we just want to punch you in the face.

Coming off his crippling disaster "Lone Ranger," Armie Hammer once again tries his hand at acting and, once again, ends with a facepalm.  Illya is about as compelling as a carpet stain, but more annoying.  His Russian accent is laughable at best, and the only substance he holds is that he has some severe anger issues which causes his hands to twitch.  Other than that, he has nothing to offer.

You could've had cutout characters and voice overs by the actors, and viewers would've gotten the same experience.

The Summary:
A stylish, compelling story filled with lavish 60s fashion and style, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." eventually falls due to the lack of charm by the leads.

The Score: B+