The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (6/10): Visually stunning but lacking substance.

“America teaming up with Russia. That doesn't sound very friendly.”

In-between his work with the Sherlock Holmes franchise, Guy Ritchie has decided to adapt The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a TV series that aired in the mid 60’s during the height of the Cold War. In a year where we were already getting the releases of the James Bond and Mission Impossible franchises it was quite a risk and one that didn’t pay off as well as it could have. In order for the film to stand out from these and other similar spy thrillers, Ritchie put the emphasis on the style giving the film a unique and cool 60’s look. Unfortunately the film doesn’t have the substance to go along with the style. There are not many thrills, the villains in this movie are forgettable, and the pacing at times becomes monotonous. The style however is so invigorating and cool that it deserves to be seen for its visual appeal alone. It doesn’t hurt that you have the likes of Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, and Alicia Vikander in the lead roles, all actors who undoubtedly benefit from the stylish fashion of the film. More mature audiences might enjoy the film for its nostalgic and retro value, but most were probably not around that time to be familiar with it. In order to stand out from other spy films it needed a unique approach, and that is what we get from Ritchie here, but at the same time it was also its downfall because the film became all about style leaving it with very little substance.

   

The story takes place in the 60’s during the Cold War as two secret agents are trying to locate the daughter of a German scientist in hopes of finding her father that has gone missing. CIA agent, Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) gets to her first at her garage shop in  West Germany. Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander) hasn’t seen her father in decades, but Solo offers his help to get her out of the country and set up a meeting with her uncle so they can find him. He believes that the Nazi’s are holding him captive and forcing him to build an atomic bomb. While they are trying to escape, Solo discovers he is being followed by a mysterious man who we soon discover is a KGB operative. Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) tries to intercept them before they escape and the two turn out to be an equal match. Solo barely escapes with Gaby thanks to the help of his team who are awaiting them. Later on, he is being briefed by his superior, Sanders (Jared Harris) where he is informed that he is going to be teaming up with Illya to go to Rome with Gaby to search for clues of her father’s whereabouts. Neither of the agents are pleased with having to work with one another after having nearly tried to kill each other, but that is where most of the fun comes from for the audience. It is basically the origin story of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Thanks to its unique style the film stands out from other thrillers, but I’d still recommend Rogue Nation over this. The cast here is great and they have an incredible chemistry. The story borderlines on conventions since you have your typical buddy comedy where two opposite characters are forced together and a bromance ensues. The spy elements aren’t very exciting here although there is one great action sequence involving a chase through an island in the final act of the film that looks stunning. The comedy works, but the thrills don’t as much, so even Spy is a better bet in that department. The cast makes this a much more fun experience than it should’ve been. Cavill and Hammer play off each other extremely well. I still think Hammer is a talented actor, but he hasn’t been able to prove himself after that stellar duo performance in The Social Network. Alicia Vikander is always a treat to watch and despite not getting to do much she always delivers her characteristic charm. If you want to see her in a better film than you need to see Ex-Machina. Hugh Grant also delivers quite a surprisingly charming supporting performance and there are a few twists in this film that kept me interested. Other than that this film is a bit forgettable but still an entertaining ride. Ritchie still hasn’t been able to match the success of his earlier works, but he still delivers a unique visual style of his own.  

My Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (7/10)

¨Slow and steady wins the race. ¨

How can you go wrong with a movie involving one of the best literary detective characters ever? And if that isn`t enough consider having Robert Downey Jr. playing that part. It seems these two guys were meant to go together (although I guess I can say the same thing for him and Tony Starks). Downey Jr. is just a great actor with a perfect sense of comedic timing. Sherlock Holmes isn`t a great movie, but it`s really a lot of fun. It has plenty of action scenes, interesting characters, and a lot of funny moments. Add Guy Ritchie to the mix and you have the perfect popcorn flick. Sherlock Holmes may not be Snatch or Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, but it does live up to the original film. This sequel is perhaps a little lighter and easier to follow which allows for a better pace, but it also is much simpler and the plot pretty plain. What makes this movie stand out from other ordinary action films are the actors and the action scenes. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law have great chemistry together and they share a lot of funny scenes. Jared Harris provided a decent villain who could compete alongside Holmes with his intelligence. Noomi Rapace who really shined in the Swedish Millennium trilogy, doesn`t really stand out in this movie and doesn’t do much since she isn’t given an interesting character. I think she is misused here and it`s too bad because she is really a talented actress. The screenplay written by Michele and Kieran Mulroney is pretty solid. A Game of Shadows is a decent sequel and is a fun movie, but it does have several flaws nonetheless.

We are back in 1891 London right where the first film left us. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) believes that Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris) is responsible for a series of bombings across Europe that is threatening world peace. No one else seems to suspect Moriarty is involved and the press believes a group of anarchists are responsible for the explosions so Holmes decides to investigate on his own. Moriarty isn`t pleased to find out Holmes has been disrupting some of his plans. Irene (Rachel McAdams) continues to work for Moriarty delivering certain packages for people who sometimes end up dead, but Holmes gets in the way a couple of times. Meanwhile, Watson (Jude Law) is back visiting Holmes the day before his wedding expecting to celebrate his bachelor`s party, but Holmes has other plans. He has intercepted a message from Irene for a gypsy named Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace) and wants to find out what the Professor might be planning. At the bar Holmes saves Heron`s life after discovering that Moriarty wants her dead since her brother who works for him has been sending some messages to his sister. Watson doesn`t get the bachelor party he was expecting, but he makes it to the wedding the next morning. The honeymoon will also be interrupted after Moriarty threatens Watson and his wife, so Holmes decides it`s time to save his best friend by throwing Watson`s wife (Kelly Reilly) off the train and having her rescued by his brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) while he and the doctor try to stop the Professor from beginning a World War.

Like the first film, Sherlock Holmes is very grayish, since that is probably what London looked like during 1891, although this time we get to travel all over Europe as Holmes chases Moriarty from one place to another. The plot is way more simplistic than the first film, but the action sequences are very similar. Ritchie always includes these sort of really fast paces action scenes with a lot of editing (which I`m not a really huge fan of since sometimes it`s hard to follow what`s going on with so much cutting and pasting. There are also some slow motion scenes which are sort of cool looking, but also a bit distracting. I think the best part of the series is the performances from Downey Jr. and Jude Law. This is what makes the franchise work and makes for an entertaining film. The action mixed with the comedy works really well and makes this an enjoyable movie experience. A Game of Shadows isn`t one of the best movies of the years, and it isn`t very memorable either, but it was a lot of fun and much better than other action films. It is very similar to the first film so if you enjoyed that one you will definitely like this sequel, and if you didn`t than I don`t think you will really be interested in seeing this because it follows pretty much the same design. The costume design in this movie is also pretty good, and it was fun to see Robert wearing all sorts of costumes throughout the film. A Game of Shadows is fun and you won`t be disappointed.

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My Review: Sherlock Holmes (7/10)

¨Madame, I need you to remain calm and trust me, I'm a professional. Beneath this pillow lies the key to my release.¨

Sherlock Holmes took me completely by surprise. Guy Ritchie`s Sherlock is very different from the one the public is familiar with. Yes he is smart as always, but Ritchie makes this Sherlock more athletic and in occasions he seems to have even better moves than James Bond (take the boxing scene for example or the opening sequence). Holmes takes a whole new level in this movie as he becomes more of an intellectual action heroe. This was one of the movies I was looking forward the most this year and when I heard Guy Ritchie (Snatch, RocknRolla, and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels) was going to direct this film I was excited. The movie is very entertaining despite having a weak plot and a confusing story because of the chemistry between the two main characters and the comedy that works much better than the actual action scenes. Robert Downey Junior is the true reason this movie worked because he is just so much fun to watch on screen and he gave a terrific performance once again. He has so many funny punch lines like the one I quoted above which is what really makes this movie work. This is an entirely different Sherlock Holmes from the one we are used to seeing or reading about, but he is fun none the less. The plot has several flaws, but the main ingredient is the performances from Downey and Law. The movie can be appreciated more as a buddy comedy than an actual smart action thriller.

I do not want to waste too much time on the plot because it is not all that important and you probably will enjoy it more the less you know about it, but I will introduce the main characters. Robert Downey Jr. proves once again that he is among the best actors at the present. He is Sherlock Holmes, the smart detective who never misses a sign and can deduce anything from very small clues. This Sherlock can also take some blows and give several more so we see him in a lot of action. He also tends to get depressive if he doesn`t have any case to resolve so he tries to keep his brain busy at all times. His companion is Dr. Watson, played brilliantly by Jude Law. Both of them are roommates and work together in every case, and Watson seems to be the one who tries to keep Sherlock out of trouble. In a way Watson takes care of Sherlock and makes sure that his brain doesn`t get him into too much trouble and that requires keeping his mouth shut at times. The relationship between these two characters is what makes the movie work. Downey Jr. and Law are excellent together and most laughs come from the interactions they have and the situations they end up in. Rachel McAdams plays Irene Adler; she is a con artist who even fooled Sherlock a couple of times in the past. Even a character like Sherlock Holmes can be blinded by love and that helped make his character more believable. She is also a great actress and a pleasure to watch on screen. Watson is engaged to Mary Morstan, played by Kelly Reilly, and Sherlock is not too excited about his partner leaving him. The villain, Lord Blackwood, is played by Mark Strong (who reminded me a lot of Andy Garcia). He practices black magic and proves to be quite an adversary for Sherlock. The acting and chemistry between the actors in this film is one of the highlights of the movie.

The plot has to be taken very lightly in order for you to really enjoy this film, but by the end of the movie most everything is explained and ends up making sense. The real magic in Sherlock Holmes is the chemistry between Law and Downey Jr. who have proven that they can make a franchise out of this. Ritchie`s directing style is present here once again with several action scenes filmed in slow motion, combined with some flashbacks and flash forwards in order to follow Sherlock´s mind and chain of thought. He also creates interesting and original characters even from very familiar ones. Downey Jr. is one of the best at delivering funny dialogues and he has great screen presence which is a must for an action star. I think there are only a handful of actors in Hollywood who can match this kind of screen charisma that Downey Jr. has. Overall I recommend this film because it is highly entertaining even though the plot has some weak points in it.