The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015 movie)

^{The Man from U.N.C.L.E. spin off movie reviewed by Sunday Simmons}

Having not been around in the 1960s, I missed out on the birth of some of the most brilliant, pivotal moments in television history. From the inception of classic sci-fi - notably Doctor Who and Star Trek, to the explosion of spy shows riding on the coat tails of 007 - The Avengers, Mission Impossible, and most importantly, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Luckily for me, all these epic shows have been repeated multiple times throughout my childhood and beyond, and I was able to become a firm fan. It was during one of these reruns, that I realised just how much I love The Man from U.N.C.L.E. From Jerry Goldsmith's iconic theme, to Robert Vaughn's Napoleon Solo and the inimitable David McCallum's Illya Kuryakin.

This thrilling series ran from 1964 to 1968, and spawned a whole host of copycat shows, novels, comics, and the direct spin off series The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. starring the lovely Stefanie Powers (Hart to Hart). A made for TV reunion movie hit the small screen in 1983, with Vaughn and McCallum reprising their roles. It's worth seeing, if only for the passing tribute to Ian Fleming in the form of a cameo by George Lazenby (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) as an unidentified agent driving an Aston Martin DB5 - Bond's trademark car. But that's not the spinoff movie I'm here to talk about. 

In 2015, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie finally hit the big screens, and thanks to writer and director Guy Richie at the helm, it did very well for itself. With Henry Caville (The Witcher, Magic Mike) taking on the role of CIA agent Solo, Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger) as KGBs finest Illya Kuryakin, and a supporting cast including Hugh Grant (Love, Actually) and Jared Harris (The Crown), the U.N.C.L.E. movie doesn't try to bring the premise into present day, which is just another of its charms.

And so to the plot. It’s the 1960s and the Cold War is raging. Gaby Teller (Swedish actress Alicia Vikander) is the daughter of an eminent scientist, trapped in East Germany. CIA agent Napoleon Solo is assigned to assist her in fleeing across the Berlin Wall and into West Germany- with KGB agent Illya Kuryakin in hot pursuit. The action comes thick and fast as they find themselves thrown together to save the world from nuclear disaster.

From Germany to Rome, this flashy thriller has everything you'd expect from writer and director guy Richie (Snatch, Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels), as our two opposing agents decide if they can really trust each other. I actually really enjoy Caville in this role, and the now controversial Hammer plays a decent Kuryakin, although I'll always have a special place for David McCallum in my heart. You really can't beat the originals sometimes. 

All in all this is a thrilling watch, witty, with some sharp dialogue, rocket scientists, spies, stunning visuals, and keep an eye out for footballer David Beckham in a cameo role! An absolute must watch, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. movie is arguably one of the best spin off movies to come out of the 2000s, and it's available to watch now on Amazon prime video, YouTube, and Google play movies!