Directed by:
Guy RitchieCinematography:
John MathiesonComposer:
Daniel PembertonCast:
Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant, Jared Harris, Luca Calvani, Sylvester Groth, Christian Berkel, David Beckham (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
With Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, director Guy Ritchie established himself as a master of bravura set pieces and buddy movie banter, before proving he could successfully meld the irreverent spirit with classic properties in his Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Now, Ritchie brings his signature touch to his big-screen translation of the beloved 1960s television spy show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 1963: in the thick of the Cold War, roguish CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) forms an uneasy alliance with brooding KGB officer Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) to thwart a criminal organisation with apocalyptic intentions. The rebellious daughter of a missing nuclear scientist (Alicia Vikander) is their only ticket inside the sinister ring - but to whom is she truly loyal? A desperate race against time will determine whether the scientist’s atomic research will shatter the delicate balance of power in the world. A thrilling spy romp with rich period detail and an infectious soundtrack of cool pop classics, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. puts a colourful, contemporary twist on 1960s espionage and delivers pure entertainment with swaggering ease. (Arrow Films)
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Reviews (12)
(over) An over-the-top stylized, undemanding spy retro one-time movie, which is not purely comedic, but it make you smile throughout the footage. Unsurprisingly, it is entirely dependent (even thanks to the unnecessary bad guys) on the squabble of the central trio, which usually works. Most of the time. And if not, "sixties" Ritchie, "Morricone-like" Pemberton or Uncle Rudi with his fairy tale carry it.
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A breezy and relaxing retro film with a very likeable cast (Armie Hammer, Henry Cavill, Elizabeth Debicki and Alicia Vikander), which, despite being labeled a comedy, has the kind of humour that makes you laugh internally. The interactions, and banter between the three main characters worked to a tee, as did the action scenes, of which there were plenty. A decently made genre mash-up with some good plot twists that manages to keep you both in suspense and mildly entertained.
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I rooted for this film long before the private screening, cheered it for the stylish retro opening and was sympathising with Ritchie's visual imagery and breezy detachment even half an hour or so before the final credits rolled. But what up until then was a harmless play with various genre elements, where the diverse nature of the plot was still held together by the stylish form, the measured performances and the crushing pace, unfortunately transformed into a stale pictorial feast, which didn’t lack humour and plot drive, but all those disparate ingredients were now creaking and forming a standard hyper-stylish spy mess that doesn't offend and entertains at first, but in retrospect is dominated by a chaos with only a dim glimmer of genuinely funny lines or novel story motifs. 70%
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A movie that is pleasant to watch, but you don’t care what’s going on in it. Attractive and stylishly dressed actors who have nothing to do and a likeable retro audiovisual aspect. There’s always something going on, but the runtime feels longer than it actually is. The catchphrases and building of the dynamics of most scenes need more work on the screenwriters’ part. The comic book-like beginning of the final action scene is fantastically bolstered by the music used. A strong three stars.
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Technically, of course, appropriately polished with an entertaining central duo, but otherwise this popcorn flick, like most Ritchie's films, has nothing extra. Surprisingly, the female cast is rubbish both in looks (!) and acting. The retro style may have worked brilliantly in X Men First Class, but here it doesn’t fall on fertile ground with the same elegance and wit.
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