The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015) Reviewed By Jay

United States, 14 August 2015

 

Jay´s Review

This stellar cast really caught my eye! Here is a trio which easily delivers a tongue-in-cheek script for a PG-13 audience, most of whom have never seen the original TV show. All three actors are beautiful to look at; the script delivers nicely nuanced sexual tension; we enjoy witty repartee with nary an F-bomb; we gawk at wonderful locations; the Cold War is evoked with music, clothing, cars and spies. There is plenty of action which features gunfire, speed boats, motorcycles, a dune buggy, various trucks...and just a bit of blowie uppie stuff. Watch the stunt driving!

Directed and co-written (with six other collaborators) by Guy Ritchie ("Sherlock Holmes") this reboot of the classic television series has us laughing from the first high-energy scene that opens the movie, to the final one which I won't describe.

Here is that eye-catching cast:

  • * Henry Cavill ("Man of Steel" and "Immortals") CIA agent Napoleon Solo is working for the CIA to avoid a prison sentence. He has to work with a Russian operative to find and confiscate an illegal nuclear bomb. This actor is British playing American.
  • * Armie Hammer ("The Lone Ranger" and "The Social Network" where he plays twins!) KGB operative Illya Kuryakin has anger issues and trouble with impulse control. His job is to secure the bomb before that despised American. This actor is American playing Russian.
  • * Alicia Vikander ("A Royal Affair" and "Anna Karenina") Gaby Teller is supposed to intercept her German father who defected to the Americans after WWII, but may have helped a rogue organization build that bomb. She is Swedish playing German in English.
  • * Hugh Grant ("About a Boy" and "Bridget Jones") Waverly seems to call the shots. Really?
  • * Elizabeth Debicki ("The Great Gatsby") Victoria Vinciguerra brings glamor to the Cold War. This Paris-born actress was raised in Australia and is playing ...maybe Italian?
  • * Andrew Jack ("Sherlock Holmes" and "The Lord of the Rings") is the brilliant dialect coach who worked with our stars and made them sound authentic.

As we exited the theater we agreed that this delightful outing should become a series. The four principals are perfectly cast, they play comedy with beautifully understated delivery, and it is a pleasure to spend time with them. Let's watch for them again; cross your fingers!

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