Crazy as it may sound in today’s climate, there was a time when the United States and Russia weren’t the best of friends. For this week’s Disc Dive, we’re traveling back to the Cold War to see how well the CIA and KGB can cooperate in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015).
Title: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Director: Guy Ritchie
Released: August 13, 2015 (Theatrical – Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Russia, Slovakia, Thailand, Ukraine)
Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes
Disc Format: Blu-ray
When a mysterious criminal organization gets their hands on a former Nazi scientist with the expertise to build a nuclear weapon, both the CIA and KGB find themselves with a common problem.
The solution?
Forcing their best agents to work together.
CIA operative Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) are about as different as two people can be. Unbeknownst to them, they’re on opposite sides of the same mission. It isn’t until their respective agencies intervene that the two are reluctantly thrown together.
Their first order of business is tracking down Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander), the daughter of the missing scientist, in East Berlin. From there, the three of them follow the trail to Rome, using Gaby’s ties to the organization to work their way inside.
Napoleon brings the charm and Illya brings the muscle, but it’s Gaby who is their way in. Without her connection to the organization, the whole operation falls apart before it ever gets started.
They make for an unlikely team. But with a potential nuclear threat on the line, can they actually trust each other long enough to pull it off?
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is a lot of fun.
Guy Ritchie made sure this looked as stylish as possible. The costumes, production design, and cinematography all work together to pull you straight back to the 1960s.
If you go into this expecting the non-stop action of a modern spy blockbuster, you may want to temper expectations.
The action here is more measured and in line with the spy capers of the era it pays tribute to. Once you get on its wavelength though, it all works completely in the film’s favor.
Clever writing keeps you on your toes, and the chemistry between Cavill, Hammer, and Vikander makes it all go down easy.
At just shy of two hours, I never once felt it.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is the rare blockbuster that trusts its audience enough to slow down and enjoy themselves.
It’s stylish, it’s charming, and it’s well worth your time.
Well, now it’s your turn.
If you’ve seen The Man from U.N.C.L.E., leave a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and tell me your thoughts on it!
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