Review of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) by Frederic C. B — 26 Apr 2016

The Good:

The continuous banter and interaction between Napoleon and Illya is fun to see, quite possibly because Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer share a wonderful chemistry with one another. The dry humours are very pleasing, and brings out genuine laughters. There are some fun twists and turns in the second half that makes the movie more and more interesting to see. The action collages looks neat and chic, fits the spy theme very much. The decision to keep the time setting in the 60s is highly commendable, and the choice of wardrobe and music really stands out, bringing the right tone at just the right level. Cavill looks tailor-fit as a sleek secret agent, but it's Hammer who very much steals the movie with his frigid and stern but more entertaining character. The sequel, assuming there's going to be one, should be far more interesting now that the team has been established.

The Not-so-Good:

Eventhough she starts off as smart, tough, and sharp witted, Alicia Vikander's Gabby is eventually relegated into love interest and damsel in distress. That's a structure and typecasting that should have been avoided in this era. The pacing is unbalanced and some parts feel draggish and unnecessary instead. The point of the mission, as well as the antagonists agenda are murky and difficult to understand without repeated viewings. It would have been way interesting had the movie contains more adrenaline rushing action.