‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ Reviews: A Stylistic Masterpiece Or Mess?

‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’ is just about to hit theaters which means reviews are pouring in. Is the Cold War thriller an inventive triumph or bizarre mess? Here’s a roundup!

In The Man From U.N.C.L.E., which officially opens in theaters on Aug. 17, esteemed director Guy Ritchie reimagines the television series from the 60s, exploring a mysterious criminal organization which is planning to use nuclear weapons to further disrupt the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer take the reigns on the acting front, forced to work together to fight the evil powers that be. Sounds juicy, right? Check out a review round up!


The Guardian:

Guy Ritchie has re-vamped the 60s TV spy caper The Man From UNCLE with co-screenwriter and co-producer Lionel Wigram, adding sex interest and machoising any residual hint of camp, but slathering the whole thing in lugubrious, self-indulgent men’s-mag type tailoring and style in various photo shoot Euro locations.

The Wrap:

This new Man from U.N.C.L.E. would be an instant masterpiece if it were consistently as good as its best parts, but even as a hit-and-miss affair, it’s a bracing bit of late-summer fun for anyone who has given up the notion of a major studio offering anything truly revelatory until at least October.

IGN:

A Guy Ritchie movie usually guarantees slick, stylish entertainment that combines clever plotting, smart jokes and, in recent years, fast-paced action. But where that approach helped turn his Sherlock Holmes movies into two of the most inventive blockbusters of the last decade, it doesn’t quite work for this big-budget re-boot of TV series The Man From U.N.C.L.E., with the film never quite adding up to the sum of its parts.

Indie Wire:

While Ritchie’s budget for international travel may be smaller than [Sam] Mendes’, the visual pleasure of his film lies in the period styling, the undeniable attractiveness of the leads and the customary verve of the director’s set pieces.

So you’ve read the reviews, now it’s your turn: do you plan to see U.N.C.L.E.?

— Casey Mink