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

I really think there needs to be some kind of test that remakes of classic series or older films should have to go through to ensure they are least as good the originals. If that were the case I’ve a feeling we’d have never seen this version of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. as it would have failed.

Set in the early 1960’s, Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin join forces, Solo being CIA, Illya being KGB, to defeat a mysterious criminal organisation who are trying to create nuclear weapons.

Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Stardust) plays Solo with Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger, The Social Network) playing Illya and Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, A Royal Affair) playing Gaby, whose father is the man who has thought of some way of making nuclear weapons easier than previously, or something.

I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever felt so bored in the first 30 minutes of a film. Why is Armie Hammer trying to be Russian (and failing, badly). Where’s the action? The Intrigue? The suspense? The original series had all of these, week-in-week-out. This film had none in nearly two hours.

Vikander was wonderful in Ex Machina and yet somehow she seems to be less human in this role. Hammer I just don’t get. He has all the charisma of a brick wall in this and Cavill is annoyingly smug throughout, because of course the Americans have to be don’t they?

Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest) plays the role of Victoria who is in charge of the place where they are making the weapons. And Hugh Grant pops up too as Waverly, British intelligence. Got that? CIA, KGB and British intelligence working together in the 60’s.

The one-liners / quips whatever you want to call them don’t work, barely raise a smile to be honest. The story is, just uninteresting, the action few and far between and why American actors are playing Russian and Parisian/Polish actors are playing British is completely beyond me in this day and age.