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

Reviewed by Lynn Barker on Aug 14, 2015

Rating:

Will two hunky guys on a spy caper entertain you? Check out Kidzworld’s movie review of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

By: Lynn Barker

Back in the 1960’s, Americans lived in fear that Russians would start a nuclear war that would destroy the planet. Forcing American and Russian spies to work together to stop a third party criminal element from also building a nuclear bomb was a necessary evil. Can these two very different guys kill the bomb before killing each other?

Can we work together?Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Story Goes

Suave C.I.A. agent and master thief Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) is assigned to get auto mechanic Gaby (Alicia Vikander) out of East Berlin so that she can help find her rocket scientist dad who is thought to be building an atom bomb for a cartel of international baddies. It’s a wild escape into West Berlin with Russian spy Ilya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) hot on their trail.

Henry as Solo in shadesCourtesy of Warner Bros.

The two spies are forced by their governments to work together to find the rocket scientist, get his research and stop the bomb. Along to make the connection is Gaby who has to pose as an undercover Ilya’s fiancé. Gaby and Ilya have a romantic connection but Solo seems to walk in every time they are about to hook up.

Gaby (Alicia Vikander) with her two spiesCourtesy of Warner Bros.

After several close calls with bomb building International criminal syndicate head Victoria (Elizabeth Debicki) and a developing friendship, American and Russian Solo and Kuryakin are ordered by their governments to destroy the bomb then kill each other and make sure that the other country doesn’t end up with rocket scientist’s notes or bomb-building records. Will the guys be able to complete their mission?

Solo (Henry Cavill) with evil Victoria (Elizabeth Debicki)Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Wrapping Up

You can’t take The Man from U.N.C.L.E. seriously. The plot is taken from nearly every early 1960’s James Bond movie. Just have fun! It’s a kick to watch hunky Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer tear each other down verbally while running around with hot ‘60’s women in some great fashions! After their first encounter, American Solo tells his boss that Russian strongman Ilya Kuryakin is “barely human. He tore the back off my car!”

At the auto races with the baddiesCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Director Guy Ritchie throws in some really funny visual humor. I really enjoyed several scenes in which something either wacky or serious is going on in the background while the person in front of camera has no clue. Watch for a funny scene in which Superman Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo, is casually munching on a stolen lunch with a wine chaser while partner spy Ilya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) is frantically driving in circles in a speedboat in the distance searching for Solo until his boat is blown up by the baddies.

Henry and Armie on set with director Guy RitchieCourtesy of Warner Bros.

The two leads bicker and argue much like Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock Holmes and his friend Watson (Jude Law) in the Sherlock Holmes films also directed by Guy Ritchie and, for the most part, it works. There is a cute, budding romance between Armie’s Ilya and rescued auto mechanic girl Gaby (Alicia Vikander) posing as his fiancé. However, with all the light action/humor in the rest of the film, a scene in which an evil ex-Nazi torturer gets what’s coming to him is really harsh and a little creepy. Although some of the action/chase sequences are fun and clever, after seeing the latest Mission Impossible film, they seem a little lame.

Escaping in a speed boatCourtesy of Warner Bros.

Younger kids might be bored but teens should enjoy some laughs, the ‘60’s fashion parade and watching Henry and Armie’s stylish and humorous bromance. We go about three stars.