The Man from U.N.C.L.E
I confess I've seen the new Man from UNCLE three times in the last ten days. (What can I say? Moody Russians really do it for me.)
Some fans of the 1960s series will find this version difficult to mesh with the original, much like Star Trek fans found the 2009 reboot difficult, but there are many good things to be said about it. At it's most basic it's an enjoyable romp of a film, but there are aspects obvious and subtle that appealed to me beyond the story -- there was a great deal of thought and attention to detail put into the film that rewards the careful viewer.
Things I really liked: (in no particular order)
The storyline was no more hackneyed than any other MFU story and fits well with the period.
The characters were given better backstories than in the series.
Illya Kuryakin was introduced in a way that emphasised the difference in stature between Armie Hammer and David McCallum.
Solo's womanising ways were acknowledged without being as blatent as in the series or in contemporary films.
The slightly yellow appearance of the outdoor scenes made me fondly nostalgic (I've no idea what process they used, but it was well worth the effort).
The 60s fashions were fabulous and tailored to each character.
There was a nod to "The Fifteen Years Later Affair" in the discussion on fashion, even though
a) I find it difficult to believe that any KGB agent would know as much about it as Illya did and
b) I hated what the 15YLA did to the character stories (honestly, they may have been trying to play across type for humorous effect but Illya as a fashion designer and Solo as a computer expert was just ridiculous).
Contemporary music.
Technological oneupmanship (though the portable CO2 laser was really pushing it).
Split screen views on some of the action scenes (more nostalgia).
THRUSH was kept in reserve.
None of the leads smoke on screen (anachronistic, I know, but very much appreciated).
Gabby is a lot more than another innocent to be rescued.
Victoria was a good strong female villain who acted first and talked later.
Each of the main characters needed rescuing once during the film (Illya in the water, Napoleon from the chair and Gabby from the vehicle).
The Illya/Gabby connection was handled well - enough there for the het fans but nothing so definitive that the slash fans can't work around it (and the possibilities for Illya/Napoleon hatesex are legion).
Illya's origin was changed from Kiev to Moscow, making him a Russian rather than a Ukrainian. This was irrelevant in the Soviet era, of course, but from our point of view it simplifies things considerably.
The images over the end credits not only had dossier details on the four main characters, but also scenes from the next case in Istanbul (that last little touch is amazing and it made me so happy I was bouncing up and down in the cinema seat when I noticed it).
Things I didn't like:
Three day growth on the male leads -- this really bugged me, because it was a point of pride in the 60s to be as clean-shaven as possible. Men with a heavy beard would routinely shave twice a day if going out in the evenings. Stubble was a flag for illness, slovenly habits or poverty.
Illya's "psychotic episodes" -- I know that they probably wanted to show that he is definitely not the "Ice Prince" of the TV series, but this went a little far, and I hope they tone it down a bit in future films.
(A very minor point) -- I would have preferred Illya's name to be Ilya, which is the most common transliteration now, but I can live with the 60s spelling.
All in all, I enjoyed it immensely and I suspect I'll be dragging kapuahi to see it in Vancouver.
Some fans of the 1960s series will find this version difficult to mesh with the original, much like Star Trek fans found the 2009 reboot difficult, but there are many good things to be said about it. At it's most basic it's an enjoyable romp of a film, but there are aspects obvious and subtle that appealed to me beyond the story -- there was a great deal of thought and attention to detail put into the film that rewards the careful viewer.
Things I really liked: (in no particular order)
The storyline was no more hackneyed than any other MFU story and fits well with the period.
The characters were given better backstories than in the series.
Illya Kuryakin was introduced in a way that emphasised the difference in stature between Armie Hammer and David McCallum.
Solo's womanising ways were acknowledged without being as blatent as in the series or in contemporary films.
The slightly yellow appearance of the outdoor scenes made me fondly nostalgic (I've no idea what process they used, but it was well worth the effort).
The 60s fashions were fabulous and tailored to each character.
There was a nod to "The Fifteen Years Later Affair" in the discussion on fashion, even though
a) I find it difficult to believe that any KGB agent would know as much about it as Illya did and
b) I hated what the 15YLA did to the character stories (honestly, they may have been trying to play across type for humorous effect but Illya as a fashion designer and Solo as a computer expert was just ridiculous).
Contemporary music.
Technological oneupmanship (though the portable CO2 laser was really pushing it).
Split screen views on some of the action scenes (more nostalgia).
THRUSH was kept in reserve.
None of the leads smoke on screen (anachronistic, I know, but very much appreciated).
Gabby is a lot more than another innocent to be rescued.
Victoria was a good strong female villain who acted first and talked later.
Each of the main characters needed rescuing once during the film (Illya in the water, Napoleon from the chair and Gabby from the vehicle).
The Illya/Gabby connection was handled well - enough there for the het fans but nothing so definitive that the slash fans can't work around it (and the possibilities for Illya/Napoleon hatesex are legion).
Illya's origin was changed from Kiev to Moscow, making him a Russian rather than a Ukrainian. This was irrelevant in the Soviet era, of course, but from our point of view it simplifies things considerably.
The images over the end credits not only had dossier details on the four main characters, but also scenes from the next case in Istanbul (that last little touch is amazing and it made me so happy I was bouncing up and down in the cinema seat when I noticed it).
Things I didn't like:
Three day growth on the male leads -- this really bugged me, because it was a point of pride in the 60s to be as clean-shaven as possible. Men with a heavy beard would routinely shave twice a day if going out in the evenings. Stubble was a flag for illness, slovenly habits or poverty.
Illya's "psychotic episodes" -- I know that they probably wanted to show that he is definitely not the "Ice Prince" of the TV series, but this went a little far, and I hope they tone it down a bit in future films.
(A very minor point) -- I would have preferred Illya's name to be Ilya, which is the most common transliteration now, but I can live with the 60s spelling.
All in all, I enjoyed it immensely and I suspect I'll be dragging kapuahi to see it in Vancouver.