Guy Ritchie is one of the strangest and most distinctive auteurs currently working. Having laid the foundations for his career with audacious crime comedies focused on working-class characters, he has since moved onto bizarre action epics like his two Sherlock Holmes films, his Aladdin remake or even his underrated large-scale King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Ritchie is a director suited to a certain kind of work (the action/adventure comedy) who seems intent on consistently challenging himself by venturing out of his comfort zone.
While he has made more daring films throughout his odd but memorable career, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is one of Ritchie's finest moments. From the get-go, Ritchie paves the way for the ensuing madness of the next 116 minutes. It brilliantly introduces the characters, the mysteries, and the suave nature of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in one of the most exciting blockbuster openings in recent memory. We're treated to Cavill's swaggering hero (who is also called Napoleon Solo – do spy names get any better?), the world of deep Cold War unrest at the film's core, the spy send-up score, Ritchie's exciting visual style and, of course, a thrilling extended chase sequence with a Terminator-esque Armie Hammer… featuring grappling hooks! It's a great symphony of spy movie goodness, grabbing the viewer's attention with ease.
The rest of the film follows a classically convoluted spy story that sees its heroes trek around the world (though they do spend a lot of time in Rome) in search of nuclear weaponry, in an attempt to save the planet from evildoers. Those expecting a complex philosophical action film will be sorely disappointed, though there are some allusions to Le Samourai. This is a film much more interested in finding exciting, unpredictable ways to exude as much ‘cool' as it can. Epic cross-cutting three-way car chases? Check. A terrific, cheeky duo of enemy spies forced to work together? Check. A forever unspoken romance that never quite comes together? Check.
All of this is bolstered by some of Henry Cavill's and Alicia Vikander's best work, a terrific supporting cast featuring Hugh Grant, Elizabeth Debicki and… David Beckham?, and a tone that balances its stakes with its light-heartedness almost seamlessly. There are terrific action comedy gags, plenty of strong character definitions utilised for jokes and massively entertaining action antics. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. gleefully leans into the silliness of the typical spy film, doubles down on it and celebrates the genre lovingly while creating a quality action film that stands on its own two feet. Ritchie evidently loves the material he is working with, and that joy comes through completely throughout the film.
Ritchie's spy-thriller romp has also never looked better thanks to this new 4K presentation from Arrow. The film hasn't been this easy to enjoy since before Armie Hammer became infamous rather than just famous, and it has certainly never been so visually enticing. Its '60s pop-art colours catch the eye as they are supposed to, and the costumes manage to look even better than they did in plain old HD. The film itself is riotously entertaining, and its new home release is stuffed with high quality, insightful and interesting special features, beautiful packaging and some fun extras for those already initiated to the charms of The Man From U.N.C.L.E..
Special Features:
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10/compatible)
- Original lossless Dolby Atmos sound
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
- The Hollywood Way – brand new interview with co-writer/producer Lionel Wigram
- A Lineage of Bad Guys – brand new interview with actor Luca Calvani
- Legacy of U.N.C.L.E. – brand new featurette celebrating the original 1960s TV series and its influence on the 2015 movie, featuring Helen McCarthy, David Flint and Vic Pratt
- Cockneys and Robbers – brand new featurette exploring director Guy Ritchie's oeuvre, featuring Kat Hughes, Hannah Strong and Josh Saco
- Spy Vision: Recreating 60s Cool, A Higher Class of Hero, Metisse Motorcycles: Proper and Very British, The Guys from U.N.C.L.E. and A Man of Extraordinary Talents – five archival featurettes exploring the making of the film
- U.N.C.L.E.: On-Set Spy – four archival, bite-sized featurettes going behind the scenes on the film set
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Double-sided fold-out poster, featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
- Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Barry Forshaw, and a reprinted article from CODEX Magazine on the film's cinematography
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. will be released by Arrow Video on July 29th.
