The Man from U.N.C.L.E. spoiler free review

American and Russian spies must join forces to stop a nuclear attack during the Cold War.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. resurrects the TV show first broadcast in 1964 for a big screen outing starring Superman and The Lone Ranger and directed by Sherlock and Snatch helmer Guy Ritchie. And it’s turned out to be a lot of fun.

There’s lots of good stuff going on here – including the 1963 setting which lets Ritchie go to town on the 60’s style and presentation, including natty opening and closing credits, massive burned in subtitles and shaky long-lens zooms.

Without a doubt his biggest asset is an extraordinarily game cast. Henry Cavill may have made for a inert Man of Steel but he’s on fire as Napoleon Solo – certainly aping some of Robert Vaughn’s icy delivery but bringing his own debonair appeal.

And he’s matched well against Armie Hammer’s Illya Kuryakin. He still manages to be funny through the accent, sparring with Cavill and recrafting the character as a brawler with a touch of psychosis. When they’re together, the one-liners are terrific, thanks to a script by Ritchie and Lionel Wigram.

The less testosterone-fuelled side is also well served. Ubiquitous lady Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) gets a complex and juicy role and Aussie Elizabeth Debecki seems to be relishing a properly villainous turn as Victoria Vinciguerra.

Great cast, great look, great script – so far so good with this reboot. There’s a fun and flashy set piece to kick things off (though it has been unfortunately heavily spoiled in trailers) and then a good deal of secret spy stuff with wonderfully moulded chins having important conversations in rooms lit for maximum noir effect.

There’s a bit of a pacing issue in the middle third, mostly because the film is surprisingly light on action. Sure there are a couple of gunfights and some fisticuffs but a surprising amount of it is low-key or offscreen.

Ritchie has a real eye for stylish action so it’s a shame there’s so little of it here – in fact almost every action beat has been shown already in promos, leaving little of the spectacular stuff to look forward to. Maybe the relatively low $75 million budget is to blame?

That said, the car-smashing finale is engaging enough and there’s a dark sense of humour throughout which sets this apart from most summer movies. Mostly, I’m not looking forward to the chance to see this cast return for another outing – maybe with a little more boom next time around.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is a bit of a throwback – more about the style and the sarcasm than the on-screen pyrotechnics. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing but may make the film less appealing to those who have become used to the overbearing spectacle of modern cinema. But it’s still a lot of fun, and Hugh Grant is great.

[take away half a point if you're looking for an action fix]

4/5

-Daniel Anderson