Cavill and Hammer have each toplined major tentpoles before, so it’s something of a mystery why neither makes much of an impression here, but there’s a curious vacuum at the center of “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” that nearly certainly owes to its casting. How is that Vikander, who played the robot in the recent (and worthwhile) “Ex Machina“, was twice as lively and five times as human in that picture than in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”? However, after a summer that’s brought such already-iconic action as “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Mission Impossible 5”, audiences will expect more from “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” than it delivers.
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It was a family affair Monday night for English director Guy Ritchie, who attended the New York premiere of his film The Man From U.N.C.L.E. with his two oldest sons, Rocco and David, and new wife, Jacqui Ainsley. “U.N.C.L.E. went from being camp to being goofy, and from being number one to being off the air”. Most important, the script penned by Guy Richie and Lionel Wigram reflects the trademark double entendres and comedic bickering that they injected into the Sherlock Holmes series.
Leo G. Carrol, as U.N.C.L.E. executive officer, doesn’t perform much, just enough to start the ball rolling, it seems. “I haven’t seen an episode for 30 years, but harking back to what I remembered, I tried to capture what I remembered growing up”.
Debonair and reckless as Solo, “Man of Steel” star Cavill comes across more British than American in his tailored-suit appearance and nimble Cary Grant demeanor – at least until Hugh Grant surfaces late in the film as his future boss, Waverly. Armie Hammer plays Kuryakin and he’s every bit as intriguing and quietly tragic as McCallum was in the original show, although his moments of repressed rage are somewhat oversaturated. Both are made of the stuff that typical spy movies forget to throw in.
U.N.C.L.E.’s cast is a talented bunch with fairly stacked resumés. And you can see why. “As an actor, one of the biggest resources you have is YouYube because it’s on YouTube”. Coming at each other from rival sides are Solo (Henry Cavill, still looking pretty Supermanish) and Kuryakin (Armie Hammer, with conventionally cut hair, alas), who’s specifically identified as Ukrainian but is no less fanatically committed to the Motherland. As strong and capable as her male counterparts, Gaby spends most of the film interacting – and occasionally flirting – with Illya. It is one of those rare birds that manages to take the source material and do right by its predecessor, while having its own fun creating a unique avenue of enjoyment.
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The story itself is standard spy movie fare, and you already know the drill: the world’s in danger, nuclear technology is in the wrong hands and our heroes must set aside their considerable differences in order to save the day, and that’s about it.
