The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
2 Waffles!

Compared to last week’s Fantastic Four, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. feels like an Oscar winner.

Set in the early 1960’s, Henry “Superman” Cavill stars as Napoleon Solo – a former super thief who chose to become part of the CIA instead of going to jail. He has excelled in his new job.

Solo’s latest mission is to extract an East German mechanic, Gaby (Alicia Vikander), from East Germany because her long lost father is suspected of working with a secret group bent on obtaining a nuclear weapon, and Gaby could lead Solo to the man in question.

Of course, Solo is far from alone on this mission as he is tracked by one of the KGB’s top agents, Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer). He also excels at his job.

In a twist neither of our spies sees coming, the CIA and the KGB join forces to hunt down this secretive group, who could endanger the entire world, so these two are stuck together, and don’t like it one bit.

Back in the 1960’s, the idea of the Soviets and the Americans working together would be extremely shocking and novel, which made the original TV show so memorable.

However, the premise in modern day relies on nostalgia that is more and more extinct each day, so writer/director Guy Ritchie has to make The Man From U.N.C.L.E. look visually dazzling to appeal to a new generation. This renders it humdrum.

Ritchie does a wonderful job making individual sequences sparkle and crackle with flair and excitement, but dumps entire portions of the plot on the audience like he is dumping a bucket of water on your head. It’s almost as if Ritchie doesn’t think the plot and the action go together, so you get one or the other, but never both at the same time.

Don’t look to the cast to save The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Cavill gamely tries, but doesn’t quite have the rakish, roguish, rascally charm needed to make Napoleon as cool as we want him to be.

He’s not commanding.

He doesn’t embody Napoleon Solo.

He plays Napoleon Solo.

Ritchie and co-writer Lionel Wigram give him the dialogue and situations to do it, but Cavill is too stiff and reserved. In a movie full of fun, breezy moments, situations and dialogue, Cavill needs to go with the flow. At one time, George Clooney was interested in playing the role, and it’s hard to imagine anyone bringing that level of charm and talent after dreaming about what could have been.

Then, Vikander is lost as a character who is not quite femme fatale, not quite worldly wise and not quite naïve school girl. Gaby is not defined enough, and Vikander never finds the right footing to portray her, even after we get the truth about our East German mechanic.

Only Hammer is consistent and entertaining enough. As the unhinged KGB agent with a bad temper, Hammer exactly is what Illya should be, and brings out the best in Cavill as the two share a chemistry based on the rivalry between the two characters.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. has an undeniable entertainment value, so you can enjoy it from scene to scene, but it’s not a great movie.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is rated PG-13 for action violence, some suggestive content, and partial nudity.