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

Yesterday I got to see the very first screening for the upcoming WB movie, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  Here is my review:

After watching this movie, I honestly wish that Armie Hammer was cast as Batman over Ben Affleck. because the chemistry Hammer has with Henry Cavil is EXACTLY how the relationship between Batman and Superman should be (Albeit slightly different because superheros).

I will not spoil the movie, but every-time Hammer an Cavill were together everyone in the theater had their eyes glued to the screen, and when the music kicked in, EVERYONE held their breath. Tensions were high as the Russian Spy, played by an American,  squared of against the American Spy, played by a Brit. Never have i felt so tense as these two stared each other down with disgust.

But the movie wasn't just about high tension between the two spies, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a PERECT blend of comedy, action, spy drama, and even a bit of romance. Alicia Amanda Vikander brings a sexy bit of charm and grace to counter the testosterone of the two male leads.

 



However, parts of the movie were a bit tedious for me. There are a few moments where Guy Ritchie, the director, puts something onscreen that is Incredibly subtle. Initially I was proud that I noticed what was going on, only to have those moments literally pointed out for the audience members who were not paying close attention. In fact there was one instance that literally happened 45 seconds prior in the film that Ritchie decided he needed to explain away via editing exposition.

This is something Ritchie has done in many of his movies (most noticeably in his Sherlock Holmes films.)  I felt that there was no reward for audience members who could pay attention to details.
This is the downside of audiences complaining on social media about 'Plot holes' in quality films.

Just because you are not capable of following the logic of what is happening on screen, does not make that scene a plot hole.The fact that Guy Ritchie feels the need to go back and explain what just happened detracts from the film.

I'm not saying that the way he explains the scene is done poorly, in fact, it is done very well. I think nigh impossible not to understand what happened in these scenes based on the way the film is edited. However, the people around me must have been clueless, because they seemed to have an "Aha now, I understand" moment everytime the movie explained itself.

For me these parts of the movie comes across as, "HEY AUDIENCE MEMBER, DID YOU SEE THIS INCREDIBLY SUBTLE THING I JUST DID? HOW COULD YOU NOT SEE THIS? ARE YOU NOT PAYING ATTENTION??? FINE I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU MISSED IN THIS COOL STYLIZED SEQUENCE."

Alas, I digress...

I'm going to say this now. The Man from U.N.C.L.E most certainly has my FAVORITE editing in any motion picture of this year. James Herbert deserves an Oscar for this film because the editing makes the movie better than what the story actually provided. There was one sequence near the end that could have been edited as a traditional action sequence. Instead it was edited in a highly stylized manor that fits the lore and tone of the movie perfectly.

In conclusion, I will say DO NOT WATCH ANY TRAILERS OR TV SPOTS. This movie works better if you have little or no understanding of the plot. The story of the movie itself was not as spectacular as it could have been. While story completely fits the lore and tone of the film considering its a period piece, it feels like the story taken from the TV show and not adapted well enough for a 2 hour movie.

If you are a fan of the 60's show, you will probably guess how things operate based on how the film is done. Unfortunately, just watching a small segment of the TV show ruined a pretty cool reveal in the movie.

Overall I give this film an 8.3/10 or 4 stars.

I want to give the film a 9 based on the acting and editing alone, but the story keeps this movie from being the best spy movie of the year. While it may not be as good as James Bond, I definately enjoyed this movie just as much if nor more than the Mission Impossible franchise.

Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. centers on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe.