In a summer that has, thus far, been dodgy at best (“Mad Max: Fury Road” is still the pinnacle, with “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Jurassic World,” and “Ant-Man” providing the most fun to date), is an August release again slated to become the movie of the summer?
That’s what some have said thus far about “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” the kitchy swinging-60s-cool adaptation of the classic spy television show.
Not really updating the material for modern audiences, “U.N.C.L.E.” amps up the 60s vibe for this film, that puts an American spy (Henry Cavill) together with a KGB agent (Armie Hammer) to stop a mysterious organization that wants to unleash hell on Earth–namely, start a nuclear war between the US and USSR.
A little bit of classic James Bond, a little bit “Lethal Weapon” (subbing cultural and national differences for racial ones), “U.N.C.L.E.” is one of those pictures that many of us see in the commercials, shrug at, and may or may not ever give the time of day to again.
But, every now and then one of these types of films catch on (the “Planet of the Apes” reboots are a recent example) that hit the right end of the quality continuum and strike a chord with audiences.
Will “U.N.C.L.E.” be that movie this year, or will it be tossed to the scrap heap of late-summer remakes that we quickly forget about? Only one way to find out…
