Style over substance can definitely still be appreciated by the appeal of its own craftsmanship, but maybe putting that aim out of hand could bring a quite different result, and that is basically the case of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. This is meant to be a throwback to the old school spy movies where it's all about the hero's swagger, campy villains and some cool, slick sets all around. But the movie lacks the fun or at least the energy of this campiness and even the coherence of the plot at some points. There is a lot to admire through the surfaces of this film, but everything else is sort of too smug to enjoy.
The plot isn't really that complex, it's the typical saving the world by thwarting an evil plan type of mission. However the movie has a lot of stylistic gimmicks like juxtapositions and slick camera work, which takes this narrative to a different spin. As silly as some of these details can be, the movie doesn't really take the advantage of having fun with this absurdity. It's more fond at being cool than anything else. While it is effective through that ambition, it is frustratingly devoid from any serious tension. Even at some crucial moments, it rather feels uneventful, in spite of seeing how the scene was build up. It is so smug, we even see the protagonist eating a sandwich while his partner is having a dangerous boat chase. That scene is impressive by its tone and cinematography, but then it seems to solely exist to show off how cool this guy and the movie are.
And that is what it often feels like in this movie; visually, it's undeniably stunning, probably some of the best looking imagery you'd see in a blockbuster, but you don't always find any purpose or connection through a particular moment, because sometimes there isn't much to merit other than its own swagger. Though the characters do have their worthy moments, like whenever Solo and Illya are trying to show off which of their country's agency have better gadgets and technology. Their spark should have given more of these comedic moments maybe little more.
The acting is much of the same as the visuals; Henry Cavill is perfect as the spy of the film's era, though this character is rather dated in our time where we root better for relatable heroes, but his wittiness should have given a real sense of humor; the Chianti scene doesn't count since the movie is having a profoundly whimsical moment right there; but really, that would have made this character work, at least in our sensibility today. Instead, Armie Hammer gets the jokes; his character has a temper and pathos that often become a punchline or treated with petty suspense; otherwise, it's just a blatant stereotype, like many of the characters here.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is remarkable in its style, it fabulously captures the groove of its setting. But again, it's also too smug because of it. There is so little reason why the movie has to have this straight face since the story doesn't offer much subtlety or the characters aren't given any deeper personalities. It's definitely meant to be adventurous and campy fun, but it's too narcissistic apply those and even make the plot easy to follow. Therefore, it's just swagger and fancy suits around these glossy action.
The plot isn't really that complex, it's the typical saving the world by thwarting an evil plan type of mission. However the movie has a lot of stylistic gimmicks like juxtapositions and slick camera work, which takes this narrative to a different spin. As silly as some of these details can be, the movie doesn't really take the advantage of having fun with this absurdity. It's more fond at being cool than anything else. While it is effective through that ambition, it is frustratingly devoid from any serious tension. Even at some crucial moments, it rather feels uneventful, in spite of seeing how the scene was build up. It is so smug, we even see the protagonist eating a sandwich while his partner is having a dangerous boat chase. That scene is impressive by its tone and cinematography, but then it seems to solely exist to show off how cool this guy and the movie are.
And that is what it often feels like in this movie; visually, it's undeniably stunning, probably some of the best looking imagery you'd see in a blockbuster, but you don't always find any purpose or connection through a particular moment, because sometimes there isn't much to merit other than its own swagger. Though the characters do have their worthy moments, like whenever Solo and Illya are trying to show off which of their country's agency have better gadgets and technology. Their spark should have given more of these comedic moments maybe little more.
The acting is much of the same as the visuals; Henry Cavill is perfect as the spy of the film's era, though this character is rather dated in our time where we root better for relatable heroes, but his wittiness should have given a real sense of humor; the Chianti scene doesn't count since the movie is having a profoundly whimsical moment right there; but really, that would have made this character work, at least in our sensibility today. Instead, Armie Hammer gets the jokes; his character has a temper and pathos that often become a punchline or treated with petty suspense; otherwise, it's just a blatant stereotype, like many of the characters here.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is remarkable in its style, it fabulously captures the groove of its setting. But again, it's also too smug because of it. There is so little reason why the movie has to have this straight face since the story doesn't offer much subtlety or the characters aren't given any deeper personalities. It's definitely meant to be adventurous and campy fun, but it's too narcissistic apply those and even make the plot easy to follow. Therefore, it's just swagger and fancy suits around these glossy action.