The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

A Bond worthy adventure.

If ever there was a film that did not hold the name of Bond but deserved to, it’s this one.

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Sometimes the best of films are the ones that fly under the radar. Like ancient artifacts hidden in an old abandoned warehouse akin to one Indian Jones could be found in, they often harbor the most interesting of concepts. A true outlet of creativity, which is saying something these days.

And it's here, among the dust that is Hollywood of late, we find this one. Now, before I get into what I like and don't like about it, let me recap the story.

Henry Cavill (pardon me while I swoon) plays dashing and intelligent CIA agent Napoleon Solo, who, while invested in a new case, has been unceremoniously teamed up with a rival KGB operative, Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer). The task at hand? Rescue the daughter of a nuclear scientist, infiltrate a dark and mysterious criminal organization, and stage the mother of all spy missions in order to prevent nuclear holocaust.

So, let us begin with the cast. As if we needed further evidence that Henry Cavill should play the next Bond, he plays this part beautifully. But, that's one thing I really like about him. He's consistently good, even when the script (not this one) is lacking, he shines every time. Armie Hammer is underrated as well. Though The Lone Ranger left something to be desired, and Mirror Mirror fell between the cracks (you can read that review here), he has a well rounded range which does not get enough attention. Alicia Vikander who is relatively unknown to me, did a marvelous job as the scientist's daughter/MI-6 operative, and Elizabeth Debicki who fills the role of the primary antagonist, Victoria, is stellar in her performance as well. I am a huge fan of Jared Harris so, of course, I would have liked to see more of his character, but that's just me. And with Hugh Grant bringing in the rear, how can you not love this cast.

The only thing I didn't like here, and I'll admit I'm being a bit nitpicky with this, were the accents. I appreciate that they are trying to adhere to the original (which I've honestly never seen) but few things grind my gears more than a fake accent. Linguistics (or I suppose sociolinguistics?) is a bit of a passion of mine so I will say I'm not easy to please. Some can pull it off quite well. Hugh Laurie, for example, did a marvelous job with his American accent for his role in House. Hugh Jackman is a master at it as well. Henry Cavill, as much as I think he's a fantastic actor, just isn't one of them, and Armie Hammer's faux Russian accent wasn't any better, sounding more German to me than anything.

Crappy accents aside, let's move on to the technicals. The cinematography is fun and playful, something akin to the Oceans films which I really adore. It's also a bit of a throwback to the old Bond films which just emphasizes the entire Bond persona this film exudes (another thing I really like about it). The music is still kind of lacking but it holds up well enough. I just wish it were more pronounced, to really bring in that vintage feel.

Now for the story. I must say it is very well written with some clever twists and turns that keep you on your toes, and the humor is top notch. Again, it has that old world Bond level appeal that, even though it doesn't bear the name, it would hold its own against. I do feel like there's more character-wise that's left out or summed up abruptly but it's a common issue I see with both book to film or, in this case, television series to film adaptation. And it's something that really is just unavoidable. But without seeing the television series, I think they did a great job here.

Final Thoughts: A really fantastic piece. If you are a fan, like me, of the old vintage Bond films, you will love this.

So, that goes without saying, a big thank you to

Josh Tatter

for the recommendation! Honestly, it's one of the best films I've seen in the last decade.

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