The Man from
U.N.C.L.E. (2015) – My immediate reaction after seeing this film, one
confirmed by consulting with my resident expert (hat-tip to you, pops), was
that this was a film that didn’t need to be called The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to succeed, both in its construction and in
the general lack of major audience appeal for the 1960s television show. Put
another way, this could have been “The Adventures of Jack and Vlad” without
affecting the plot at all. As it stands, though, we have an entertaining action
flick which would have been just as good on its own strengths; slick CIA man
Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) begrudgingly teams up with his opposite number
from the KGB, Ilya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), to guide an East German mechanic
(Alicia Vikander) into the lion’s den to stop a nuclear weapon from falling
into the wrong hands. I very much enjoyed the period piece aspect of the film,
set in 1963, and the trademark Ritchie sense of humor, reminiscent of Ritchie’s
Sherlock Holmes films. While this is
clearly intended as an opening salvo in a franchise which the mainstream
audience didn’t seem to demand any too highly, Armie Hammer acquits himself
finer than he did in The Lone Ranger;
though it’s difficult to see Cavill and not think “Superman,” he’s well-cast as
a smooth operator, a kind of American James Bond. Vikander is her usual engaging
self, though the film waits until the third act to give her more to do than
wear mod fashion; surprisingly, it’s Elizabeth Debicki, late of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, who
gets the meatier role as the scheming villainess. In short, I dug it, and I’d happily watch more installments.That does it for this week’s edition of “Monday at the Movies.” We’ll see you next week!
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