In the 1960s the chasm between the Americans and Russians was wider than the Grand Canyon. They virtually never worked together, at least officially, and in fact stood in opposition to each other on most global issues. They would never work together. But as my mother told me, “Never say never.” In the new film The Man From U.N.C.L.E., they have two of their top agents working side-by-side to save the world from a nuclear weapon falling into the wrong hands.
Meet Napoleon Solo, the perfect American agent. His good looks and charm get him into the nicest places. He can woo the ladies at any stop and can pull the trigger to take out the worst bad guys. He has his criminal past to thank for his position in the CIA. To get his sentence reduced, he agreed to work for the government, yet even they didn’t know how talented he could be. He does not like the Russians.
Meet Illya Kuryakin, a dedicated Russian KGB operative. The youngest to join the Special Forces and one of the best they have seen in years, Illya is generally stoic in demeanor, but has a tendency to get volatile when provoked. He does not like the Americans.
When it comes to light that a criminal organization may be working on a nuclear weapon that could have long-lasting ramifications on the world, Solo must join with Illya to try to stop them. Their only lead, Gaby Teller — the daughter of a German rocket scientist who is believed to be working for the organization — will hopefully lead them right to her father.
Together, Solo, Illya and Gaby set off on the mission together in hopes of stopping the nuclear proliferation. That is, if they don’t kill each other first.
In the 1960s, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a very successful television series with Robert Vaughn and David McCallum in the lead roles. With this reboot from Guy Ritchie, we get Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as our two agents. This film starts with the origin story of the people who make up the foundation of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.).
Cavill embodies Solo in the film. Perfect attire, perfect dialogue and being the perfect ladies’ man give Cavill all the tools for a successful performance. Hammer initially felt slightly out of place to me as Illya; however, he grew on me throughout the film to become what I envisioned for the Russian. The talented Alicia Vikander overshadows the two of them when she shares screen time. She is cool and collected, sexy and smart, and keeps the boys in line like only a woman who is neither invested in the Russian nor American side of the fight could.
A high-octane action spy film, U.N.C.L.E. took a little time to grab me. It would be easy to fall by the wayside during the first 40-odd minutes. Sure there is an initial action sequence to kick off the film, but then we just seem to tread water. I found myself not caring about the characters and wondering what would come next. But as Vikander got more screen time and her character developed I found myself eagerly anticipating what would happen next.
The other thing that helped get me invested in the film was the introduction of the villain. That villain is so vital in making this genre of film work, and the appearance of Elizabeth Debicki as Victoria Vinciguerra was impressive. Her ability to control the screen, battling both men and women and running an incredibly powerful criminal organization, blew me away. Sleek and sexy — but as vicious as ever — Debicki exudes the mean and nasty, yet womanly, qualities that I hoped would shine through.
After the slow start, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was up to the challenge. If you let Ritchie’s film build, the payoff is quite nice. At times cheesy, but always fun, it reminds me of why we have always admired those in the spy game. They get all the excitement, they get the girls, and they have fun doing it. Sign me up for U.N.C.L.E. — I wanna be Napoleon Solo.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander
Director: Guy Ritchie
Grade: B