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

The 60's Spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is now a sly, spy film. Unlike the outrageous Spy, U.N.C.L.E. has a smooth sense of humor. That sense of humor is very much appreciated.

In 1963, CIA agent Napoleon Solo is sent to East Berlin to retrieve auto-mechanic Gaby Teller. KGB agent Illya Kuryakin doesn't want that to happen. So they have a chase across half the city. But Solo gives him the slip. Later, Solo finds himself paired up with Kuryakin; neither man likes it one bit.

Their mission is to stop the Vinciguerras, a Fascist couple, from getting their own private nukes. Gaby's father, a former Nazi scientist, is their own captive scientist. Gaby is sent with them to help find Mr. Teller. Meanwhile, Kuryakin and Solo's respective governments want Mr. Teller's nuke secrets. They tell each agent to kill the other if necessary...

I did my best to summarize the story, which is credited to four writers, which includes director Guy Ritchie. The premise is pretty straightforward, but some of the plot wasn't. The back-and-forth jumps during certain scenes threw me off quite a bit. Other scenes dragged on for too long. The action scenes were easier to follow. These 116 minutes were kind of uneven.

The film's smooth sense of humor helps it a lot. Its best moments are when its characters act casual in dangerous situations. It even plays a villain's death by electric chair, and our heroes' obliviousness to the incident, for laughs. They're straight men to the world around them. The audience is sure to laugh all the same.

It also helps that the artistic design is great. Production designer Oliver Scholl, Costume designer Joanna Johnston and cinematographer John Mathieson create a striking recreation of the 1960's. Daniel Pemberton's score sets the mood quite well. It goes to show that the film's style is not lacking.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is good for a late-summer spy thriller. It's sure to entertain even if you're not familiar with the TV series. It wasn't perfect, but it was worth the trip to the cineplex.