The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Guy Ritchie’s smart remake of the iconic 1960s Spy Show gets a 4K UHD upgrade from Arrow Video.
The Film
My father and grandfather (my mother’s father) both loved The Man From U.N.C.L.E., but could never show it to me. It wasn’t until I was in my twenties and the DVD boom (yes, I’m old) that I finally got to lay my eyes on this relic of the Cold War Era. If The Prisoner is the height of Cold War Era Spy Television and Mission: Impossible is the most commercially crass The Man From U.N.C.L.E. falls somewhere in between. It’s the kind of “hip” show that’s analogous to Fred MacMurray using the word “Baby” in Double Indemnity. That is to say that it’s manufactured “cool” or “hip”.
That isn’t a problem for Guy Ritchie’s adaptation of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. which is to its very soul Cool with a Capital “C”. This breezy, fun, light on its feet adventure into espionage is the kind of start-up to a series that we should have had three entries already. Alas, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was too cool for audiences that rejected it for who knows what reason.
Told as a prequel of how Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) met and formed their tenuous relationship that’s the basis for what would eventually become the TV series. Solo and Kuryakin must use Gabby (Alicia Vikander) the daughter of a missing nuclear scientist before his work starts another world war. A war started by rich fascists Alexander and Victoria Vinciguerra (Luca Calvani and Elizabeth Debicki).
There is an effortless charm that runs through the entire film that has been lacking in all Spy Action Thrillers since Jason Bourne showed up in the early 2000s. There’s a style that doesn’t feel shallow but bone-deep imbedded in the film that is unmistakably Guy Ritchie. The push and pull between all characters and their own personal agendas play out much like Snatch or Lock Stock just done on a much larger stage. This plays throughout the entire film until the very end where we find that our three heroes Solo, Kuryakin, and Gabby have been all put through the motions by a greater mind than the three – Hugh Grant in a cheeky cameo.
Rather than rely on the bombast of a huge third act The Man From U.N.C.L.E. relies, as it does through its run time, with cleverly constructed action sequences, a flair for the stylish in music, cars, and bikes. In fact, there isn’t a set piece that isn’t perfectly designed for maximum entertainment. The way that Ritchie and co-writer/producer Lionel Wigram set up action beats to be character-based (see the Kuryakin having to give up his watch scene) and have an arc to them is rare in Spy films, even the best of them. By pulling away from the plot-based trickery and approaching the film more like Midnight Run or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Ritchie and Company have produced a film that eschews most of the critiques that come with IP-based Summer Blockbuster fare.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is only a disappointment because there isn’t a sequel or sequels to watch with this first entry. A point that will have any new fan rightfully upset as a film as wildly entertaining and stylish as this one DEMANDS at least three sequels and if not how about tagging Ritchie to develop a TV series.
The Transfer
The 4K presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10/compatible) is a stunner. The flawless image is dazzling in its 4K UHD iteration. The transfer is sharp with no blemishes or issues. This digitally shot production (using mostly the Arri Alexa XT Plus) in UHD is a colorfully saturated image with amazing black and contrast levels that pop in Dolby Vision.
The Extras
They include the following;
- Brand new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
- The Hollywood Way – brand new interview with co-writer/producer Lionel Wigram
- A Lineage of Bad Guys – brand new interview with actor Luca Calvani
- Legacy of U.N.C.L.E. – brand new featurette celebrating the original 1960s TV series and its influence on the 2015 movie, featuring Helen McCarthy, David Flint and Vic Pratt
- Cockneys and Robbers – brand new featurette exploring director Guy Ritchie’s oeuvre, featuring Kat Hughes, Hannah Strong and Josh Saco
- Spy Vision: Recreating 60s Cool, A Higher Class of Hero, Metisse Motorcycles: Proper and Very British, The Guys from U.N.C.L.E. and A Man of Extraordinary Talents – five archival featurettes exploring the making of the film
- U.N.C.L.E.: On-Set Spy – four archival, bite-sized featurettes going behind the scenes on the film set
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
The all-new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry begins with the opening song, Roberta Flack’s “Compared to What”, and the opening title sequence. Some of the details include the real-life escape attempts from Eastern Berlin; the various adaptations of other Cold War Era Spy TV shows – how this was one of the last to be adapted; the creation of the TV series that inspired the film – the various people involved, Ian Flemming’s involvement, how it occurred, casting, the movies they made from episodes, the various guest stars, how long the series lasted; et. al.; David Beckham’s cameo appearance; the career and personal history of director Guy Ritchie; a larger discussion of the various needle drops in the film – including a discussion of Bob Neal the Music Supervisor; a discussion of the develop process (e.g., development hell) that over the last fifty years and various iterations that almost happened – including the TV Movies, TV Episodes (where original stars Vaughn and McCallum appeared on an A-Team episode, though not as their characters), the various big budget “what if’s” – including Quentin Tarantino, Matthew Vaughn, Steven Soderberg and more – and what those version could have been; the career and personal history of Henry Cavill; the career and personal history of Hugh Grant; the music of composer Daniel Pemberton; the career and personal history of Alicia Vikander; the work of cinematographer John Mathieson – including his methodology and details about his work; the career and personal life of Arme Hammer; the various casting what if’s of Guy Ritchie’s version; a larger discussion of the various locations the production filmed at; and much more. Reesman and Evry deliver a well-researched (along with quoted sources) deep dive into the 50-year odyssey to bring The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to the big screen and this particular production.
The Hollywood Way (16:14) – an all-new interview with co-writer/producer Lionel Wigram. The interview begins with the film that hooked him as a child. Some of the details include how he got his foot in the door production with Elliot Kasner; working at Warner Brothers – which led to Sherlock Holmes and working with Guy Ritchie; what attracted Ritchie to The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; the early years of their friendship while Ritchie was attempting to get Lock, Stock made; the various iterations – most of the modern with one exception; the casting of the film; the late additions to the ending at Ritche’s insistence; the reaction upon release – and the box office reception; and much more.
A Lineage of Bad Guys (15:26) – an all-new interview with actor Luca Calvani. The interview begins with the actor discussing his character in the film. Some of the details include how he got his start in New York – including Actor’s Studio, TV Series, and films; how he got the role in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; what was it was like on the set and how many revisions Ritchie and Wigram did on set; the various interests he has and how it compares to Ritchie in ways and how their similar in their interests; the first table read; the production locations – and how that bonded the cast; and much more.
Legacy of U.N.C.L.E. (28:38) – an all-new featurette celebrating the original 1960s TV series and its influence on the 2015 movie. This appreciation takes us through the series itself [the casting, the production, the rise of stardom for the cast, the guest stars, the formula, the novelizations, the films, and the films they made from episodes], the cultural relevance it had in the 1960s and the newly filmed version. The featurette covers a lot of ground beyond and outside of the TV Show, though unfortunately there are no clips from the series. Featuring interviews by critics/historians Helen McCarthy, David Flint, and Vic Pratt.
Cockneys and Robbers (25:13) – an all-new featurette exploring director Guy Ritchie’s filmography. The featurette is almost a visual essay with three contributors instead of one. Taking us from his origins with Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels; his upper-middle class origins – and how this effected his life and rejection of class and education; his rising through the ranks in the UK film industry – including meeting with Matthew Vaughn; how Trudy Styler and Sting got involved with Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels; how Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels went with the UK Culture and “Lad Culture” that was huge at the time of release; the making of Snatch – and how the film became Ritche’s “brand” and the level of actor and budget he got; the downturn of his work in Revolver and Swept Away; his bounce back with Rock ‘n Rolla; Ritche’s love of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – and how it’s a throughline within his work; the lack of female characters in his work; the Sherlock Holmes films – and how it came to be and his spin on the cliché of the tired and true story; how The Man from U.N.C.L.E. fits into the director’s filmography; his filmography post-The Man from U.N.C.L.E. projects; and much more. The featurette is wonderfully edited for maximum visual impact. Featuring comments by Kat Hughes, Hannah Strong and Josh Saco giving us a great understanding of what makes Ritchie’s films and his style so crowd-pleasing.
Spy Vision: Recreating 60s Cool (8:32) – this archival featurette (from the original Blu-ray release) is a look at the costumes, production design, props, hair, and music that make up the film’s retro style.
A Higher Class of Hero (7:12) – this archival featurette (from the original Blu-ray release) is a look at Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin.
Metisse Motorcycles: Proper and Very British (4:46) – this archival featurette (from the original Blu-ray release) is a look at what went into restoring the very famous bike that is featured so prominently in the final chase of the film.
The Guys from U.N.C.L.E. (4:55) – this archival featurette (from the original Blu-ray release) is a quick look at Cavill and Hammer and the respective roles they play.
A Man of Extraordinary Talents (3:13) – this archival featurette (from the original Blu-ray release) is a look at Guy Ritchie as a director including his skills as a chess player.
U.N.C.L.E.: On-Set Spy (5:02) – four archival, bite-sized featurettes going behind the scenes on the film set. There’s some great B-roll footage from the various locations and sets. The submenu allows you to play these featurettes individually or all at once.
- Don’t Swim Elegantly (1:06)
- You want to Wrestle? (1:08)
- Heli Restored (1:07)
- A Family Thing (1:46)
Theatrical trailer (2:35)
Image gallery – consists of 33 production stills, behind-the-scenes photos, and poster art.
The Final Thought
Arrow Video has given us the stacked special edition of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. we wanted. Highest Possible Recommendations!!!