As an U.N.C.L.E. fan, I was not going to miss this movie. And while it has little of the panache of the original TV series, it offers some charming moments. The original was innovative in its use of droll humor. There was nothing cooler (in 1964) than a double-entendre from two guys tied to chairs fitted with dynamite. In this sense, the movie is true to the show’s roots. Future partners Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) start out as mortal enemies; after all, one’s CIA, the other is KGB . Turns out this is a prequel, the story of how they teamed up, and how Alexander Waverly of MI6 (Hugh Grant) became their leader—the acronym stands for United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. As super agents for their respective countries, they’re naturally competitive, which is one source of humor. And of course, there’s the requisite love interest, in this case an adorable East German gearhead (Alicia Vikander), and evil elements who threaten world peace (that’s why it calls for a multi-national task force). Hammer was admirable as Kuryakin, even though they made his character a somewhat stiff Russian strongman (not at all how I remember the dimunitive David McCallum). Henry Cavill was an excellent Solo, suave and dapper; however, in this version he’s a former art thief who became an ‘asset’ to avoid prison.
Should You See It? Yes, it’s entertaining (if predictable), and the characters are fun.
Viewed at Galleria 6 Cinemas