The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

Written by CinemaSerf on November 11, 2022

This could never be described as Guy Ritchie's best work, and Henry Cavill really is about as rigid as that jaw bone of his - but it does have redeeming features. It doesn't take itself at all seriously; there are loads of gadgets, stylish costumes and the even a soupçon of a score that could have been penned by Morricone. Set against a background of cold war mistrust, Illya Kuryakin (a comically thick-accented Armie Hammer) partners up with Cavill ("Napoleon Solo") to prevent an evil Spectre-like organisation from proliferating nuclear weapons. Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Debicki provide added glamour - and quite a bit of what menace this rather weak effort generates. I am not sure if it is intended (or not) to be a sort of "Bond" meets "the Saint" spoof - but it's tongue is firmly planted in it's cheek; there are quite a few decent comedic sequences and Hugh Grant manages to steal the few scenes he is in - as the enigmatic "Waverly". It obviously comes across way better than the original television series, but maybe that's the problem - it is all just a bit too classy and slick when it needed to be a bit more rudimentary.