Not knowing what the television show The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is like I went into the theater with the background of being an avid Guy Ritchie fan.
If you are a fan of his dry wit humor and his pacey action this film is for you. The film is set during the early 1960s and the catalyst is a criminal organization getting hold of a scientist who has the capabilities of building a nuclear bomb. The unique aspect of this if that the scientist can make the bomb with ease that the USA and Russia know not. This threat is to be dealt with by top agents from both sides: Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Illya Kiryakin (Armie Hammer).
Even though I am a Guy Ritchie fan I was put off a bit by the casting of the main roles. I thought that Henry Cavill, who's claim to fame is being Superman, did not have the acting chops to pull off a believable and likable secret agent. And the counterpart to this thought was Armie Hammer, who played the Winklevoss brothers in The Social Network, another actor I thought untested. However, both pleasantly surprised and showed good acting chops.
The film's strong points are the action and the chemistry of the cast. The story is a bit straight forwards but the direction is superb. There are some great shots that shouldn't go unnoticed. All in all the film had the jazziness of a James Bond film and the wit of Sherlock Holmes. It's definitely not a huge hit but it could garner a sequel or two. Guy Ritchie gets another thumbs up for this latest film.
If you are a fan of his dry wit humor and his pacey action this film is for you. The film is set during the early 1960s and the catalyst is a criminal organization getting hold of a scientist who has the capabilities of building a nuclear bomb. The unique aspect of this if that the scientist can make the bomb with ease that the USA and Russia know not. This threat is to be dealt with by top agents from both sides: Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Illya Kiryakin (Armie Hammer).
Even though I am a Guy Ritchie fan I was put off a bit by the casting of the main roles. I thought that Henry Cavill, who's claim to fame is being Superman, did not have the acting chops to pull off a believable and likable secret agent. And the counterpart to this thought was Armie Hammer, who played the Winklevoss brothers in The Social Network, another actor I thought untested. However, both pleasantly surprised and showed good acting chops.
The film's strong points are the action and the chemistry of the cast. The story is a bit straight forwards but the direction is superb. There are some great shots that shouldn't go unnoticed. All in all the film had the jazziness of a James Bond film and the wit of Sherlock Holmes. It's definitely not a huge hit but it could garner a sequel or two. Guy Ritchie gets another thumbs up for this latest film.