Quartile rating: 9/10 · 3 ratings
At the height of the Cold War, a mysterious criminal organization plans to use nuclear weapons and technology to upset the fragile balance of power between the United States and Soviet Union. CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin are forced to put aside their hostilities and work together to stop the evildoers in their tracks. The duo's only lead is the daughter of a missing German scientist, whom they must find soon to prevent a global catastrophe.
Guy Ritchie's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is visually stunning with inventive split-screen compositions and a gorgeous 1960s aesthetic that elevates the cinematography to a genuine standout. The leads — Cavill and Hammer — have strong chemistry and carry the period-spy tone with charm. However, the plot is fairly conventional spy-thriller fare with a generic villain and MacGuffin, and the ending deflates somewhat anticlimactically after a stylish build-up. Novelty earns a middling score as it's a remake/reboot with Ritchie's signature flair but nothing truly singular beyond its visual style.