The original take of director Guy Ritchie on the 1960s classic TV series, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," is out and the reviews from the critics are in. With "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" star, Henry Cavill, in its lead role alongside Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander, fans and followers of the Hollywood stars are eager to find out whether the movie managed to live up to the expectations set by the teaser trailers earlier revealed this year - that is, whether or not "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." succeeded in combining the slick and action-filled theme of James Bond movies with the wit and humor the 1960s are known for.
In a review by Scott Mendelson of Forbes Magazine, the writer describes "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." as an unmemorable film which will leave its viewers neither praising nor disparaging the work. Brandishing the fame of Cavill from "Man of Steel" and Hammer from "Lone Ranger," the latest flick from Ritchie failed to impress critics.
Mendelson shared, "Guy Ritchie's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is the kind of movie programmed to evaporate from your memory hours after you walk out of the theater. It is a trifle, an almost leisurely stroll masquerading as a mid-level action blockbuster." He went on to say that the notable things from the film, albeit abundant in number, merely fall on surface-level. Mendelson further wrote that "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." relied heavily on the charm and quirkiness of the era rather than on "genuine filmmaking craftsmanship." While the writer noted that "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." is definitely not a remarkable film, watching it proved to be "fun."
The same sentiments were echoed by Michael Phillips of Chicago Tribune who gave "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." a two-star rating. While the writer disparaged the acting chops of Cavill - calling the "Superman" actor "ridiculously handsome, inhumanly smug" and describing him as "a clothes rack, not a protagonist" - he was a bit kinder in evaluating the performance of Hammer. Despite calling Hammer occasionally "funny," Phillips reasserted that both "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." lead actors only came across as 60s Ken dolls in the film.
While Phillips was clearly not impressed with "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," the writer admitted that the costumes were right on target and made the whole film bearable to watch. Apart from the costumes, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." Phillips also pointed out that the music in the movie reflected the high respect and regard of composer Daniel Pemberton for the early 60s genre.
As for Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, he found both the "Man of Steel" star and "Lone Ranger" actor as "fantastically dull and uncharismatic." Echoing the thoughts of Phillips in terms of one of the strong points of the film, the costumes and music, Bradshaw wrote that Ritchie created "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." with "lugubrious, self-indulgent men's-mag type tailoring and style in various photoshoot Euro locations." The writer also noted that the performances of the entire cast, the main characters included, were easily overshadowed by a cameo appearance of none other than British star Hugh Grant. Needless to say, Bradshaw was not impressed by "The Man From U.N.C.L.E."
"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." is scheduled to hit cinemas in the United States on August 14, 2015.
