The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (8/10)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows was Guy Ritchie's last movie, and it wasn't the best by any stretch. But The Man From U.N.C.L.E. sees Ritchie back in a big way.

Stylistic, it's very Guy Ritchie and you can tell from the start. But Ritchie has also kept the look and feel of the 60's that you would have thought this movie was actually shot in the 60's.

But what I loved particularly about this movie was Ritchie's use of the contrast between the quiet and the loud. There were more than a few scenes when Ritchie would focus on the quiet side but we know something loud was happening on the other side. I won't spoil what they are here but they were unmistakable.

Same goes for using soundtracks. Not only were the song-selection perfect for the movie, but the use of songs to emphasize on an upcoming scene, where the song just dropped off abruptly to give the scene that added quietness to it. I thought all these things were brilliant.

Once again, Ritchie's use of light and shadows came through as well. Particularly in the opening chase sequence, which also was a brilliant setup for the tone of the movie.

Henry Cavill spoke with a perfect (to my ears) American accent, but in a manner that was really smooth to hear. He dropped the speed of his speech down by just a notch and it made a world of difference for the character he portrayed.

Armie Hammer went toe-to-toe with Superman and stood his ground. I loved their back-and-forth banter because their chemistry was so great. Alicia Vikander could and should have finished stronger in the third act because the first two acts painted her as such a strong female character, but her acting was brilliant and impressive as she held her own in her petite frame against the two, physically intimidating men who were always beside her.

Same went for Elizabeth Debicki as the lady with the cold stare and icy-steel demeanor. Sylvester Groth playing Vikander's uncle was another great choice of actor who gave a great performance. In fact, Ritchie has formed a brilliant supporting cast that helped carry the movie so well.

What I would have liked to see more of was Hugh Grant and Jared Harris, whose minor roles were just too minor. And I wanted to see Grant breaking out of his comfort zone, but he was still acting like the Hugh Grant from romantic-comedies.

It's also a wonder that all American characters were played by British actors. No wonder they see the Brits and Aussies as more and more of a threat in Hollywood.

What was lacking slightly was more hand-to-hand combat, because what he got was mostly wrestling. Other than chase sequences, there weren't much of action in the whole movie. But these are very minor for me.

Ritchie's collaboration with Lionel Wigram in writing the screenplay was very consistent in producing a well-paced action movie that had numerous humorous effect. Overall, a highly entertaining flick.

And do look out for a blink-and-you'll-miss cameo by David Beckham.