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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - Feature Film


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#61 delfloria

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Posted 11 July 2015 - 12:46 AM

TV length Polish trailer hits the net with a couple of new shots. https://youtu.be/cEz-8fVVPjo


Observation from Kevin Bertrand Collette after view 40 minutes of the film at a press screening: 

 

So , what to think of it , in the end ?

I , for one , was instantly immersed into that Cold war drama setting . And I never honestly try to put the faces of Mr. Vaughn nor Mr. McCallum in lieu et place of their modern counterparts, Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer.
I guess some die hard U.N.C.L.E fans will scream in rage at the new Illya Kuryakin ( who is first presented as a Bully-type character but then mellows into a nice individual of his own. The Russian accent is much more pronounced than in the TV series of course , but Illya finally appears as a much more interesting character than dapper Napoleon Solo. It reminds me in place of the Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Red Heat police officer . Subtle and unstoppable as a T80 soviet Tank , but with a very big heart and sense of friendship.
Alicia Vikander is a great Female element . She frequently conjures images of Audrey Hepburn, and her interaction with both Hammer and Cavill is genuine and quite fun . Miss Vikander is quite a feisty girl indeed.
As for the music , no classic UNCLE theme heard anywhere but a very 1960s type style , à la John Barry.
Can’t wait to see the final version of the movie .



#62 delfloria

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Posted 11 July 2015 - 07:03 PM

U.N.C.L.E. is back in the 5min. trailer from Comic Con. https://youtu.be/w_Ky4KPzKwY



#63 SecretAgentFan

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Posted 12 July 2015 - 06:02 AM

Looks like a film I will enjoy.  And Cavill really emerges as one charismatic guy who could have been an interesting Bond.



#64 Jim

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Posted 12 July 2015 - 06:57 AM

Slightly counterproductive? Feel like I've seen it now, and therefore won't bother; might pick it up on DVD in due course, I suppose. Doesn't look that great; seems to have about eight scenes in it.



#65 Emrayfo

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Posted 12 July 2015 - 07:06 AM

I haven't watched any trailers for any films beyond the initial teaser trailers for Man From UNCLE, Spectre and M:I RN. Most movie previews are crap these days; studio promo editors have lost the art of enticing without giving everything away. So once I've decided to watch a film I don't bother with any of the trailers. They just ruin it most of the time.

#66 delfloria

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Posted 14 July 2015 - 06:18 PM

Here is some recent feedback:
 
Private screening held last night for "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." in Atlanta, Georgia. The tweets from the general public run something like this: Perfect blend of comedy, action and romance! Loved it........ Classic!............Make sure yall catch the new sexy stylish action flick MFU, it's going to be one for the books..................Henry Cavill is amazing as Napoleon Solo, Entire cast is perfect, soundtrack is A+............. I highly recommend it...........Loved the cast, the story, the 60's fashion, Definitely a must see!.
 
 
Could be a nice comeback for one the characters Ian Fleming had a hand in creating.


#67 delfloria

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Posted 22 July 2015 - 02:51 AM

Illya Kuryakin and the iconic U.N.C.L.E. Special! 10689813_10204219095508803_6043616308846



#68 Emrayfo

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Posted 25 July 2015 - 08:04 AM

Anyone know what watch Armie is sporting in this poster?

#69 delfloria

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Posted 25 July 2015 - 09:20 PM

Don't know about the watch but here is the latest and possibly the last trailer.https://youtu.be/lpETehz1mVQ



#70 Harmsway

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Posted 25 July 2015 - 10:38 PM

Anyone know what watch Armie is sporting in this poster?

Looks like a wrist compass.



#71 JohnnyWalker

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Posted 26 July 2015 - 05:11 PM

The five minute trailer made me feel like I've seen the movie, I'm sure it will be entertaining, just not that interesting. And Cavill seems to be pushing himself further than he can handle.



#72 delfloria

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Posted 03 August 2015 - 01:36 AM

Thanks to the new movie, the first season of "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." DVD set is about to hit stores on August 4th. This is a NEW Warner Bros release in order to introduce a new generation of fans to our favorite show. Info courtesy of The U.N.C.L.E. Inner Circle Group FB page. http://www.ksitetv.c...t-season/72892/



#73 OHMSS Spion

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Posted 04 August 2015 - 04:13 AM

Just got out of a screening of this movie. I liked it a lot. While it was a 60's spy movie, it was still very much a Guy Richie movie, and was a completely different beast from Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, which I watched just a week ago. There was a lot more focus and characters, and a lot less crazy stunts. The fights and action were pretty stylized but well done. The music was good as well, though there was only a hint to the original Man from U.N.C.L.E. theme in the movie that I noticed. Henry Cavil and Armie Hammer both do great jobs, and there is a slight Bond reference by way of a name. I am likely going to watch it again when it's released properly so I can study it more in depth.



#74 Guy Haines

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Posted 04 August 2015 - 12:54 PM

I've actually gone out and bought the TV series DVD. Watched the first two episodes. Be prepared for them being in black and white, as was "Danger Man" in the UK - but highly watchable.

David McCallum's character is, well, not so much woefully underused as hardly used at all in the first two episodes. And the first - "The Vulcan Affair" - appears to be a straight remake of the pilot episode which became the movie "To Trap A Spy", but with THRUSH replacing WASP as the villains.

One recurring theme in both episodes - an innocent female is caught up in and/or recruited by UNCLE to assist in investigating the bad guys.

Another Bond link, by the way. The second episode - "The Iowa Scuba Affair" - was scripted by Harold Jack Bloom, who went on to contribute to the screenplay of YOLT.

And I may be completely wrong about this, because it was a "blink and you miss it" moment, but I could have sworn one of the security personnel in the bad guy's HQ in "The Vulcan Affair" was Richard Kiel. Certainly looked like him, but whoever it was was only on for a couple of seconds anyway.

Two epiosdes down, twenty seven to go. Some more wallowing in nostalgia for me to do!

#75 Turn

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Posted 04 August 2015 - 01:45 PM

That was Richard Kiel. He would also show up in a later episode in that season.

 

He seemed to show up as a guest on a lot of American series in the '60s, not just spy and action shows but comedies like I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan's Island and The Monkees. Curiously, he never guested on Batman or on any of the Irwin Allen shows like Lost in Space or Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.



#76 delfloria

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Posted 04 August 2015 - 05:07 PM

For more conversation and information about UNCLE, old and new, be sure to join us over at the U.N.C.L.E. Inner Circle Facebook page: https://www.facebook...69560823208688/



#77 delfloria

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Posted 06 August 2015 - 04:31 PM

This is a great interview about the original series as well. From the U.N.C.L.E. Inner Circle Facebook group: http://www.foxnews.c...m-uncle-reboot/


Edited by delfloria, 06 August 2015 - 04:31 PM.


#78 Blofeld's Cat

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Posted 11 August 2015 - 08:54 PM

CBR has the following review titled: 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' Loses its License To Thrill....

 

http://spinoff.comic...ense-to-thrill/

 

The bottom line...

 

 

It’s fine. It’s sometimes fun. But in the wake of truly surprising and exhilarating cinema, “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.”s crime is that it’s too easy to overlook.

 



#79 Gobi-1

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Posted 14 August 2015 - 04:57 AM

Saw the film tonight. I enjoyed it and the film is stylish as hell but it was missing something and haven't quite put my finger on it. It's not a bad movie. There's too much good stuff in it but I can't help but feel it was a

Spoiler

 

This is probably a **1/2 movie but I'm giving it *** out of ****. Style over substance. 



#80 Von Hammerstein

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Posted 15 August 2015 - 10:02 PM

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed The Man From UNCLE movie. Cavill did a fine job of playing Napoleon Solo. He managed to hit the character dead center without doing an impression of Robert Vaughn, much the way Chris Pine nailed Captain Kirk without doing a Shatner imitation in the new Star Trek films. Armie Hammer's Ilya was a departure from the demure, dry humor of McCallum, but I thought it worked for the movie. The villain was requisitely villainous, but did lack the unstoppable henchman. Still the movie was fun and I would pay to see a sequel. I only have 2 complaints. The first is this "name the character-begins" phase that's been going through Hollywood since Batman Begins. Always wanting to show us how the person became that person. There would have been nothing wrong with starting both Ilya and Napoleon out with Waverly in UNCLE's New York HQ behind Del Florio's tailor. It shouldn't take more than two seconds for the audience to go "Oh okay, they're spies" and onto the story. The second is the classic Man From UNCLE theme was missing, except for a snippet when Solo was going through the presets on a truck's radio. That was very strange because it looked like the end credits were cut to go with the UNCLE theme. 



#81 Yellow Pinky

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Posted 16 August 2015 - 12:25 AM

Just got home from seeing this with the wife and one of my grown daughters.  Overall I found it to be immensely entertaining and appreciate that it nailed the 60s look and feel and stayed light and breezy rather than trying to make everything gritty and revisionist.  I laughed and was genuinely invested in the climax.  Kudos to both Cavill and Hammer who were far better than I expected and had some genuine chemistry.  I'm hoping against hope that we get a sequel as it would be able to hit the ground running with everything in place.  Hugh Grant made for an excellent Waverly.  The sets, costumes, and cinematography are all top notch.  And the musical score is outstanding.  


Edited by Yellow Pinky, 17 August 2015 - 02:11 AM.


#82 George Kaplan

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Posted 17 August 2015 - 10:45 PM

Saw it on Saturday; thought it was a blast.  It managed the comedy-character-spy action tightrope better than the series did, never lapsing into outright parody of itself like I felt some of the weakest parts of the TV series did (and don't get me wrong, I do love the TV series, but I admit that it had some serious flaws).

 

Glad to see the conceit of the "innocent" was carried over, and the story felt very in keeping with an UNCLE story despite UNCLE not yet existing.

 

Did it need to be an origin?  Not really.  Do we need the elaborations on Solo and Kuryakin's past?  Not really.  But it all worked pretty well.  Would see a sequel.



#83 hoagy

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 06:27 PM

Very fun movie.  Unfortunately for those who'd like to see more - myself included - it did not do well in its opening weekend.  Apparently, youngsters know not about "The Man (and Girl) from U.N.C.L.E." and are not pre-disposed to seeing it.  Word of mouth may help, and the older audiences who went to see it -- those who remember the show -- often are not intent on being there opening weekend.

So why didn't that happen to the Mission: Impossible movie when it came out ?  Yes, the show had aired more recently, but neither show made it to "Nick at Night" and MI would have been just as unknown by the youngsters.  MI, though, had (and still has) Tom Cruise, who brings 'em in.

If people hear how good and fun UNCLE is, it can have a better-than-presently-expected run.

If the producers and actors are open-minded with regard to how to bring forth a sequel, how about a 6 to 8 episode arc on HBO or some other cable or internet producer ?  That may seem rather long for an UNCLE story, so perhaps it would be like a trilogy in 1-hour segments ?  Maybe even half-hour segments, with the opener and closer running longer ?

At any rate, right now, the movie is a great fun...even though the Aston parked at the races has a tail spoiler (not so as of 1963), the 4WD vehicle which Solo drives at the end is too current-day for 1963, the lady saying "I'm outa here !" is wrong for 1963, the rest is SUPERB. In particular, the "Innocent" and the Villain look absolutely fabulous in their 60s fashions.  A little ahead of time for 1963 ?  Maybe, I'm giving leeway, figuring they both were fashion-forward and ahead of the crowd.



#84 George Kaplan

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Posted 18 August 2015 - 09:28 PM

Well Ilya helpped with Gabby's fashion, and we know HE was fashion forward given in "The Fifteen Years Later Affair" he'd become a famous fashion designer... :)



#85 delfloria

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Posted 19 August 2015 - 05:42 AM

Cry U.N.C.L.E.

I was a junior and then senior in high school in 1964, when Beatlemania hit, and I was as caught up in it as anybody. The recent anniversary of their Shea Stadium concert got a lot of nostalgic talk going, particularly on oldies radio. (Not that someone as hip and culturally relevant as me listens to such a thing.) What hardly anybody discusses, though, is where the concurrent spy craze fit in.
August 18th, 2015 by Max Allan Collins

.
.
Of course, James Bond – his anti-Beatles remark in the otherwise great GOLDFINGER a rare tin-ear moment from the filmmakers – was a big part of the British invasion. The success of the first few Bond films meant imitations were inevitable, and lots of spy stuff hit the screens, some of it more straight like THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD and THE IPCRESS FILE, but a lot of it crapola like the Dean Martin “Matt Helm” abominations.

A ton of the imitations came out of Europe, particularly Italy, and those mostly terrible movies – for which I have an inexplicable fondness – are now lumped together as the Euro-Spy genre. The two OSS 117 parodies of recent years were takes on Bond, yes, but also on the straight OSS 117 movies from the ‘60s based on a long-running novel series that actually pre-dated James Bond. Some of these are among the best Bond imitations – SHADOW OF EVIL, MISSION FOR A KILLER, PANIC IN BANGKOK. (These are either unavailable in the USA or available only gray-market and/or pan-and-scan form. Check out Amazon France for better copies, most of which have English subtitles.)

But in Iowa in 1964, only the really mainstream spy movies made it here (again, the Dean Martin junk, and the very good Harry Palmers with Michael Caine) and that was true for a lot of the country. Buffs for this stuff wouldn’t see the Euro-spy movies until they hit TV a decade or two later in butchered, horrendously dubbed format, or in the last few years as DVDs and Blu-rays, often with wide-screen images intact and English subtitles. I particularly like the Joe Walker/KOMMISAR X series from Italy, but there’s no excuse for it.

Meanwhile, back in ‘64, television stepped in to feed a spy craze that couldn’t breathe on one Bond film a year and occasional double-feature double-oh-seven re-releases. So a number of spy series hit the small screen, most prominently THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (co-created by Ian Fleming, a fairly little known fact) and I SPY. I’ve revisited both series in the last several years, and neither holds up very well. Of course, I SPY is now on the pop-cultural scrap heap, thanks to Bill Cosby’s little hobby.

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. was always spotty. A few years ago, working my way through the show in a spy’s briefcase, I knew I was in trouble when late in the first season – generally considered to be the best – an episode written by the great Robert Towne blew chunks. But at the time, the show was a very big deal. The first episode was expanded, shown in color (the pilot had been shot that way but the first season was otherwise in black-and-white, and the pilot aired that way), and some new violent, sexy scenes were inserted. Also a big scene with David McCullum, who was a non-entity in the pilot but had Spock-like popularity with viewers that got him the second lead, very quickly. This cunning patchwork was titled TO TRAP A SPY and was released theatrically to some success. There were seven more of these recycled MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. movies, mostly utilizing TV two-parters, although only the first two did well, and several went overseas with no stateside theatrical release. They are available as a set on DVD from Warner Archive.

Though Bond was obviously immune, the spy craze died quickly, particularly on TV. THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., in its third season, went campy, following the lead of the new craze, the Adam West/Burt Ward BATMAN. Everybody hated this version of U.N.C.L.E., and the next half-season (they were cancelled midway) went back to more straight fare, too late. I SPY lasted three seasons. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, thanks to great music and a cool premise, out-lived every other espionage show of the era.

What most Baby Boomers remember about THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (and U.N.C.L.E. was not Uncle Sam, but an organization that seemed vaguely tied to the U.N. for worldwide law-enforcement) (no, I won’t spell out the acronym) are Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo (a name Fleming contributed) and David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin. The latter with his Beatle-esque haircut and understated Russian accent was a big pop-cultural deal. Vaughn, smooth and unruffled and impeccably attired, was arguably the best secret agent of the craze but for Bond himself.

So you’re waiting for me to slam the new movie, I suppose. Well, I’m not going to because it’s terrific. Director-co-writer Guy Ritchie has made a sly, darkly funny film that invokes not just the series but Bond and the entire spy craze era, with the look of the film drawing heavily upon the Harry Palmer trio. The twisty script is sexy and clever and occasionally scary. The music is witty and mixes zither exoticism out of FUNERAL IN BERLIN with Ennio Morricone cues, during which the direction takes an overtly Serio Leone take. The leads are fine, Armie Hammer redeeming his LONE RANGER travesty with a Kuryakin reworked into a volatile near psychotic, while Henry Clavill channels Robert Vaughn. It was this near impression – revealing the actor had really studied the series – that won me over early on. Clavill has Vaughn’s cadence and cool, as well as the dimple in his chin.

It’s an origin story, and U.N.C.L.E. itself is barely introduced at the end, though charmingly so, Hugh Grant nailing the spy agency’s boss, Alexander Waverly (the great Leo G. Carroll on the TV series). It sets up a series of films that probably won’t happen. Unfortunately.

Something this smart and witty may not work on the current generation, who won’t get the references and will wonder why every scene isn’t an action one, like the latest video game or the new MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. Now I liked the Tom Cruise film, found it great fun, but it’s just one Cruise action set piece after another linked by clumsy expository scenes and winning comedy relief from Simon Pegg. THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. won’t be everybody’s cup of spy, but it’s my favorite film of the summer.


Edited by delfloria, 19 August 2015 - 05:43 AM.


#86 Major Tallon

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Posted 19 August 2015 - 08:27 AM

Very nice, delfloria.  That pretty well sums up my own memories and feelings.  I enjoyed U.N.C.L.E.'s first season and afterwards wondered why they'd messed up such a show with such great promise.  I'd seen a bunch of negative reviews of the new movie, so I wasn't expecting a lot, and I was very pleasantly surprised.  I hope they'll do another.



#87 Turn

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Posted 19 August 2015 - 01:41 PM

I take issue with Max Allan Collins saying the Robert Towne-penned "The Dove Affair" blew chunks. It's a personal favorite of mine. His opinion, of course, but it seems strange he singled that episode out.

 

I love Dove's classic Iron Curtain/Cold War atmosphere, which wasn't a part of many UNCLE episodes. Project Strigas also had a Cold War theme, but not nearly as interesting for me, and gets classic status mostly on the basis of having Shatner and Nimoy as guests.

 

I think I know what I'll be watching later on today.



#88 Emrayfo

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Posted 24 August 2015 - 12:49 AM

I saw this on Saturday night with my fiancee and we both really enjoyed it. Guy Ritchie is back in form. It is light fare, stylish with a good dose of humour and a solid mix of action and suspense, including some real chemistry from the leads - both of which carried off their roles with aplomb. A very entertaining and stylish bubblegum film, which is what I want for a Saturday night after a busy week. Everyone in our sitting left the cinema in a very good mood. I sincerely hope there is a sequel because we the audience, and the production team and cast, deserve one.



#89 trevanian

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Posted 24 August 2015 - 12:59 PM

I used to pray THE PRISONER wouldn't be remade, but look at some of the talent involved: Christopher McQuarrie did a version that didn't get made about 15 years back, when he was really going great guns (WAY OF THE GUN is awesome.)

 

then Nolan hired the couple who wrote TWELVE MONKEYS (one of whom also wrote UNFORGIVEN and rewrote BLADE RUNNER!!) to do a new version, but that was around the time of the miniseries, so it never happened either. Have never seen either script turn up anywhere on line, along with PLANET OF THE TITANS these are my 'holy grail' in terms of unproduced scripts.

 

I watched less than 2 minutes of the miniseries and have no interest in seeing even another second of it ever, but considering what an inspiration the original was to so many, it is perhaps unfair to malign attempts by talented folks to expand upon its vision without diluting it ... at least until we see the trailer for same!


Sorry, that was in response to page 1 quote, didn't realize I wasn't at the current page.



#90 Harmsway

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Posted 24 August 2015 - 05:09 PM

I enjoyed The Man from U.N.C.L.E. film quite a bit. It didn't have much to do with the show, but it was a nice throwback to a certain kind of light entertainment that was about pleasure more than story. The sequence where Napoleon Solo enjoys a nice meal while an action sequence occurs in the background nicely sums up the film's priorities.

 

This is also the first time I've liked Henry Cavill in anything. He'd make a very good Bond indeed.