The 1964 TV series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum provides the basis for this stylish action film with Superman‘s Henry Cavill taking on Vaughn’s role as Napoleon Solo and The Lone Ranger‘s Armie Hammer stepping into McCallum’s shoes as Illya Kuryakin. The series found rival agents from the U.S. and Russia forced into teaming up as part of the United Network Command for Law Enforcement, and that premise is also the setup for the 2015 feature film from director Guy Ritchie.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is set during the Cold War and finds Solo and Kuryakin starting off on the wrong foot after attempting to kill each other while on separate assignments. Their first meeting as partners almost ends in Illya strangling Napoleon, and only their handlers are able to keep the two from finishing each other off. Their rocky start as a newly formed team doesn’t smooth out as each has their own style of approaching the job of infiltrating a terrorist organization, battling each other over the pettiest of items including how to dress the woman, Gaby (Alicia Vikander), they’re charged with protecting.
And speaking of the woman Solo and Kuryakin are protecting, in a refreshing twist, Gaby isn’t exactly the shy damsel in distress who doesn’t know her own mind but instead is just as adept at pulling off a double cross as the handsome agents who believe they’re the ones with the upper hand. She’s even the seducer rather than seducee in a scrumptious dance scene set to “Cry to Me.”
Ritchie not only directed this entertaining romp but also co-wrote the script with his Sherlock Holmes collaborator Lionel Wigram. The ‘60s come alive on screen in this gorgeous production featuring striking costumes, hair, and makeup, and the retro vibe is absolutely pitch-perfect. Ritchie’s energetic style fits the international spy tale well, with the film’s snappy pace and jazzy action scenes keeping the audience engaged. Ritchie intersperses his action scenes with humor, and in particular a scene of Cavill’s Napoleon relaxing in the cab of a truck, munching away on someone’s leftover lunch while Hammer’s Illya tries to outrace gunboats in a manmade inlet is hysterical.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (shouldn’t it be Men From U.N.C.L.E.?) is Bond-ish but less violent and it never takes itself seriously. The plot is fairly basic but that doesn’t matter as what makes this spy film worth the price of a ticket is the chemistry between Cavill and Hammer. Cavill’s Napoleon does a wink and a nod in Bond’s direction before taking the character and making him his own. Cavill shows he can tackle the film’s light humor (we already knew he could handle action scenes).
Hammer’s Russian accent is deliberately cartoonish and yet it completely works because of the actor’s commitment to playing it straight. The banter between Hammer and Cavill is wickedly sharp, and it’s fun to watch the two attempt to one-up each other be it in selecting wardrobes, choosing weapons, or hand-to-hand fight scenes. Both men look incredible in their ‘60s attire and while Hammer’s character is constantly made fun of and compared to a walking Greek statue, Cavill’s no slouch when it comes to chiseled bodies.
The cast, the cars, the score, the wardrobe…everything about The Man From U.N.C.L.E. works together to make this wild ‘60s spy thriller not only surprisingly fresh and entertaining but also worthy of a sequel.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for action violence, some suggestive content, and partial nudity
Running Time: 116 minutes
Release Date: August 14, 2015
