The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Review

Let’s just say this is not your average spy movie filled with action packed sequences and villains with disfigured bodies gunning for world domination. This movie surpasses the bond movies in terms of swag power.

Based on a hit show of the 1960s with the similar title, Guy Ritchie , as usual, breathes life in this reinstallment with his rugged script and dry humour and over the top cinematography which is his trademark and in the end this movie turns out a perfect blend of RockNRolla and Sherlock Holmes, his previous works.

Napoleon Solo(Cavill) is a thief turned CIA agent kept on a leash by his handler Sanders(Jared Harris).Illya Kuryakin(Armie Hammer) is the perfect KGB spy-Indestructible, raw power with a knack for surveillance technology. Their paths collide in part of Berlin (one under the Russian influence ). And in comes Gaby Teller(Alicia Vikander, fresh from passing the Turing Test in Ex Machina). What starts as a simple rescue mission for Solo turns into a joint mission between the KGB and CIA to infiltrate the evil shipment firm headed by the Alexander and his wife Victoria(Elizabeth Debicki) on a warpath to obtain the research from Gaby’s father and build their own nuclear warhead.

Things gradually build up as they develop the characters of both Solo and Illya while Waverly(Hugh grant) makes a significant but short-lived entry in their plans.

Cut to Highly Sensitive infiltration sequence, betrayals and surprises, we land up with a high-speed monster jeep (Badass!) chases along the island and Cavill dropping the hammer on Victoria, the movie runs away with stellar performances from both Cavill and Hammer. Uncle Rudi and Gaby’s father(A play on the name of Edward Teller, father of hydrogen bomb) are underutilised but the plot seemingly does so in order to avoid making it too narrative.

What works for the movie:-

1)The background score – Daniel Pemberton, You sir are a genius.

2)The humane side of the Russian Spy (High fashion designing sense in woman’s clothing)

3)Hugh Grant!

4)Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo, judging the fact that the likes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling, Robert Pattinson, Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Michael Fassbender, Bradley Cooper, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Chris Pine were approached for the role too.

The movie does keep you intrigued till the very end (Blame the sentimental Russian and his father’s watch) and keeping aside the fact that it was an origins story, the slow narration and lack of freshness in the story is justifiable.