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

A stylish retro spy spectacle that thankfully doesn't parody the genre. But it takes it in stride and it's good at it. The central trio is very likable (Armie Hammer fits the role of the Soviet fighter perfectly and the cute Alicia Vikander is not just cute and certainly not just some cheap ornament) and her constant jibing is pleasant... And Hugh Grant proves once again that aging doesn't rob a person of a shred of charm, id you don’t let it. Guy Ritchie's direction has swing and lots of ideas, offers a number of rewarding scenes full of humor (including the black one, see the chair) and suspense, and I must especially highlight the amazing soundtrack. The instrumental one by Daniel Pemberton, which therefore pays tribute to John Barry rather than Ennio Morriccone, and the well chosen songs. I'm very satisfied. (12/08/2015)

(over) An over-the-top stylized, undemanding spy retro one-time movie, which is not purely comedic, but it make you smile throughout the footage. Unsurprisingly, it is entirely dependent (even thanks to the unnecessary bad guys) on the squabble of the central trio, which usually works. Most of the time. And if not, "sixties" Ritchie, "Morricone-like" Pemberton or Uncle Rudi with his fairy tale carry it. (12/08/2015)

So in this year of spies (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Kingsman, Spy and I have no doubt about the quality of Spectre), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is unfortunately the weakest link. The film has a solid retro look, with beautiful fashion (hats, big glasses, admirable dresses and suits), gallantry and elegance at every turn, not to mention the cars. Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer are OK, but not dazzling, but Alicia Vikander has a decent shot at being the new Hollywood power star, last year that name meant nothing to me, and this year she has dazzled in Ex Machina, Seventh Son and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a positive calling card for this up-and-coming lady who strongly resembles Audrey Hepburn. What’s disappoints, however, is the action, which is underwhelming and not very satisfying. There is little action and it mostly consists only of car chases (there is one fight and two shootouts) – at least the finale is beautifully set in the mountains with a cross country and an off-road Jeep. However, it lacks a moment that made me want to watch the film again, which is a bummer when I've seen other spy films at least twice. Entertaining yes, but not riveting or spectacular. 75% (22/08/2015)

The cool soundtrack saves an otherwise average spy story set in the days of The Berlin Wall. Pemberton is Morricone’s reincarnation. Ritchie has an incredible feel for music, but the catchy sixties hits were completely overshadowed by excellent instrumental music oscillating between western, spy genre and some weird ethno mix. The acting duo (Cavill, Hammer), trio (Alicia), quartet (Grant) is welcome, I wouldn’t turn down another adventure with them, with a bit more complex story of course. Some isolated scenes are actually genius (the snack in the car), but in general I expected just a little bit more. A fine chill. Noting more, nothing less. Damn. I left my jacket in the other room. (20/08/2015)

I’m really glad that Guy Ritchie was given an espionage farce screenplay to turn into a movie. I said ‘farce’ on purpose because it really does come across like that. The term definitely fits better than the usual term ‘comedy’. At the same time, I’m a bit sad that I didn’t enjoy the movie as much as I’d hoped I would. I was quite unhappy when giving the movie a three-star review after watching it. You see, there are some great scenes in the movie – Guy Ritchie sure is good at those. The fact that Guy Ritchie’s movies are supposed to make a certain impression, but that he is not as good at story-telling is simply true, but on the other hand, he managed to create a great retro atmosphere and a whole number of great action scenes (the final action scene, or the scene at the base near the sea). You simply need to put up with the fact that in terms of the plot, this movie is dead and buried at the bottom of the lake. And Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer don’t really help things either. I really had to work my way towards their characters; nevertheless, I feel that the second time around, it would definitely be a lot better, which is not me saying that I won’t give the flick another chance in the future – I might even change my opinion. If nothing else, the absolutely fabulous Alicia Vikander had so much charisma that it helped heal some of the film’s wounds. So, if nothing else, she definitely was a pleasure to watch – more than anybody else in any other movie for a long time. (27/10/2016)