The Man From Uncle Review

The Bond films have always had great flair but the 1960s Connery Bond films had their own unique sense of energy to them in that specific period of time and that sense of energy is revitalized and operating on all cylinders in Guy Ritchie’s The Man From Uncle. 

The Man From Uncle follows Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo, a thief turned top-notch CIA agent, as he reluctantly teams up with Illya Kuryakin played by Armie Hammer to work with their asset  Gaby Teller played by Alicia Vikander, a Russian auto mechanic in order to find out and stop the plot that a mysterious criminal organization that has kidnapped Gaby’s nuclear scientist uncle is plotting. The Man From Uncle interjects the sense of wonder and excitement seen in the 60s Connery Bond films and emphasizes humor and a fast-paced narrative from the unique voice of Guy Ritchie and delivers an exciting and investing great picture in return.   

The tone feels reminiscent of 1960s spy movies combined with the campy style of the 1960s but in a grounded sense. The presence of the vibrant spy flair throughout the picture distinguishes it from other movies and gives it a unique feeling. The tone matches well with the pace of the movie which moves at a fast clip and allows the scenes to flow in a sharp manner. The plot escalation derived from this element of the picture translates into high energy excitement as you watch the picture. The excitement created by the tone of the film is felt ever more in the cast of the picture as they play off each other with phenomenal results. 

The chemistry between the cast is electric and feels in the same vein as that of a well put together Marvel movie or even the Friends cast. 

The actors are all very capable and do masterful work in this picture. Henry Cavill is very charming and suave and shows himself capable of being the next Bond easily. Armie Hammer plays off well Henry Cavill as Solo and Kuryakin have a sibling rivalry brothers type dynamic which feeds well into their character arcs and the fun nature of the film. Alicia Vikander shines as the foxy Gaby Teller who won’t be bossed around by any man and has great romantic tension with Kuryakin in the storyline. The chemistry between the leads is outstanding and the actors do a great job of inhabiting their characters which all contrast each other to great degrees with highly entertaining results. This includes Henry Cavill’s Solo who as an ex-thief is charming and smooth- talking contrasted with Armmie Hammer’s Kuryakin who is hostile and easily angered which also contrasts well with his love interest Gaby Teller who is resilient smart and witty much to Kuryakin’s initial disliking. However much the characters have their disagreements they find themselves well suited to working together as their differences add up to unique strengths as a collective force. This paired with Guy Ritchie’s unique directing style makes the drama between the characters highly electric amongst the stylish 1960s esque action scenes. 

The compelling performances combined with the unique tone and fast-paced structure of the film really lends itself to the opportunity for more stories to be explored with this cast. 

 

The episodic nature of the storytelling structure really invites the opportunity for future sequels which we aren’t going to get but really should.The world created by The Man From Uncle sets up a unique team in an arena of high-octane spy adventures that is in need of serialization.  The sequels may not happen due to business reasons as this picture didn’t do too well as the box office, but this film will always hold classic status and an infinite sense of rewatchability. The story world presented by this picture in itself sets up a world of adventures to tell and add that to the fact that this film is based on the 1960s TV series there is plenty of material to mine and look to inspiration to and create a series starring these charming actors in exciting adventures. 

 

As stated, before Henry Cavill makes a strong case for becoming the next Bond based on his performance in the film. He is charming and classy just as Bond should be and based on his other performances, he’s proven he has range as he is able to pull off dramatic material to great effect. The range Henry Cavill has shown himself capable of shows that he can be a highly charming and witty James Bond while at the same time channeling the dramatic and serious material the 1960s Connery Bond films and original Bond books demanded out of the character. Armie Hammer was once almost Batman over a decade ago and Hollywood has tried to make him a huge star ever since such as his Lone Ranger film which didn’t quite do the job but his performance in this film proves he has the chops to be a franchise star and since The Man From Uncle is highly unlikely to be it he really should get another chance at a big franchise sometime in the near future. Alicia Vikander is one of the most charming young actresses working today and I’m glad that Tomb Raider is getting a sequel because the first one she did was a great female Indiana Jones story and I think she can really thrive in that franchise and became a huge star as she deserves. 

Guy Ritchie’s The Man From Uncle is truly an exciting picture in the greatest sense of the word. It has everything you could want from a spy picture from high octane action to lavish locations to beautiful women. The Man From Uncle may not ever get a sequel and that is a shame, but it is a fantastic classic spy film that brings back to life the glory days of the 60s.

Score: A