With mega blockbusters coming out this year like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars: The Force Awakens still to come we seem to forget that 2015 is the year of spies. Kingsmen: The Secret Service seemed to please everyone, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is doing very well, and the next James Bond film, Spectre, is set to come out this Fall. However, this weekend we get a spy film I haven't seen in a while; the classic sixties spy adventure.
Based on the 1960's television series, Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer are agents Solo and Illya. Both from opposite sides of the Cold War, and both despise the other. However, when nuclear war is set to erupt from an unknown party the American and Russian agents must team up to bring down the bad guy. Along for the ride is actress Alicia Vikander; best known for her part in Ex Machina.
The chemistry between Cavill and Hammer was quite a delight in the film but to me the one who shined brighter was Cavill. The current Man of Steel played the James Bond stereotype perfectly. He was a spy who was good with the ladies, good with the jokes, and had quite the light touch when it comes to robbing the bad guys. Maybe it's because the CIA recruited him out prison after becoming a world renown thief. On the other hand, Hammer's character has a quick temper, which is a constant character flaw that gets him in trouble throughout the film. The only other notable actor in this movie is Hugh Grant from British Intelligence; but sadly isn't in enough of the film.
Director Guy Ritchie's style I think works perfectly with this genre film. The characters were sharp and so was the dialogue. Some of the plot may have been predictable, but I haven't smiled so much in a theater since I saw that Avengers round shot a few months back. Another lackluster part of the film was the relationship between Hammer and Vikander's characters. Their semi-romance just didn't seem to work for me because I couldn't understand why these two people would be attracted to each other given their personalities.
But, there is still plenty to like in this film. As I was walking out I kept humming songs from the movie. I think because the music had such an impact in each scene. For example, Solo just sits in a truck and eats a sandwich, while listening to the radio, as Illya is having a dog fight with some bad guys on boats. It was really funny. And as a guy who also sells suits for a living I also loved the wardrobe. Not just the sweet 3-button suits Cavill wore, but also the fun sixties dresses Vikander was in.
I will also give Ritchie some credit on the run time. Some movies these days seem to drag out and go on too long, but as the film reached it's climax Ritchie did a mulit-split screen action sequence that could have lasted ten minutes, but was over in less than three. It helped speed things along to get back to the plot and characters of the film, and kept the film under two hours. Besides, once you've seen one cliche spy movie shoot out you've seen them all.
I really think this film has something for everyone(over the age of 13) and I would definitely recommend it over any film that has come out within the last month. Although, I have not seen Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation but I saw the previous two, and it's all the same at this point. If you don't believe me just ask Honest Trailers.
When is comes down to it this movie did several things for me. It helped convince me Henry Cavill can play more than just Superman, Guy Ritchie is starting to become of my favorite directors, and reminded me how good classic spy movies were. These days people just make an action movie with some government agents and call it a spy movie. When was the last time Tom Cruise seduced the female villain just for kicks? Or when did Daniel Craig walk into a room and immediately charm everyone into liking him? This is old school, Sean Connery, spying my friends with a lot of laughs.
By the end of the film it's all set up for "the team" to do a sequel and I am itching for more. I think Cavill found another franchise for him to continue besides the DCCU, and Hammer has found a role he hasn't sucked at in quite a few years. Now I just have to convince my wife to give this film a try so I can see it again, because this was last on my schedule of summer movies. Now give me Star Wars!
RATING: B
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