The trailer is a bit misleading when it comes to the actual tone of the movie. Based on the trailer, Ian thought it was going to be a lot funnier than it was and I thought it would have had more action. I point this out because I want you to watch this movie with the right expectations.
That's right: I want you to watch this movie.
As a period piece, it's nearly perfect. The music, the sets, the dialog, and the costumes are all spot-on (I don't know where I picked up the skill, but I can identify when a movie is set based on the cut of suits the men are wearing, and this movie is firmly in the sixties). There's a scene (seen briefly in the trailer) where one character dances in her pajamas: not only are her pajamas period-appropriate, her dancing was, in Ian's words, "ridiculously sixties." There are a couple of things that took me out of the time period for just a moment, but other than those exceptions, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was actually filmed in the sixties.
Particularly impressive is Henry Cavill's performance. He must have practiced his voice for this role because it's flawless. His rhythm and cadence are pure sixties charm that would have been perfect coming from the mouth of any dashing man in Hollywood of the day. And to make things even more impressive, Cavill is British.
The movie is rated PG-13, which is a rating it barely earns. I don't mean to say that it was pushing the limit and was close to an R, I mean that if some of the action was toned down and a single shot of a scantily-clad woman was removed (which was seen in the trailer -- yes, that's as gratuitous as it gets), it could have easily been PG. I don't fault Mr. Ritchie for including what he did, it's just a shame that it's so close to being completely family-friendly.
Speaking of Mr. Ritchie, this film is gorgeous. The shots that he captures, his use of lighting, the way the camera focuses on something mundane in the foreground while the interesting stuff is seen slightly out-of-focus in the background, the clever editing, and the judicious use of flashbacks are all brilliant.
The movie is lighthearted, though I only laughed once (and it was at something that wasn't meant to be funny); there is some action, though, again, based on the trailer, I expected more. Despite these points where it didn't live up to my expectations, it was thoroughly entertaining and a lot of fun. I should point out, however, that both Ian and I are film-buffs, and what we enjoyed was mostly the style of the picture. The story is fun, but not nearly as fun as how the story's told. It worked well for us, but it might not work as well for you. Even so, I strongly recommend this film for anyone that wants to be visually amazed and relive the glamour of sixties.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
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