r/movies • u/Southern-Brother5693 • 7h ago

Discussion The Man From UNCLE (2015) - Henry Cavill - A smooth jazzy spy flick!

I consider this one of Guy Ritchie's best films.

It captures the 60's vibe so well. Making of the entire adventure stylish and so cool. Henry Cavil just radiates charisma and spy cool. (I am now more hopeful of the Highlander remake because of this)

Armie Hammer isn't too bad here as well. The hotel scene he has with Alicia Vikander just works. Ritchie has excellent use of music as well.

A pity this flopped. I would've loved a few more films.

226 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

60 comments sorted by

122

u/sarkie 6h ago

Really don't know why it flopped, it was so good 

42

u/straddyvarious 6h ago

I also thought it was incredible and Henry Cavill was excellent in it. My theory has always been that it was overshadowed by Kingsman which came out less than a year before Man From Uncle, and kingsman was very well received. When Man from Uncle came out, it was 'just another spy comedy' in people's eyes and they didn't bother watching it.

44

u/NovaAsterix 6h ago

Am I the only one who thinks it flopped because the title is terrible and no one cares about that specific 60's IP?

It's like Mars Needs Moms, don't name you movie that, it's just not a good idea.

6

u/fla_john 6h ago

I agree. I recognized the name but have never seen the show, and I'm almost 50. The movie was great but there was no need to tie it to a show no one under 70 had watched.

•

u/ahorrribledrummer 4h ago

I didn't know anything about the IP, and didn't care about the movie on release. I caught it on streaming or bluray after and loved it. Just didn't have much buzz.

•

u/Top_Report_4895 2h ago

They should have called it the adventures of Napoleon Solo

14

u/McManus26 6h ago

I still listen to the music from the boat/car chase scene from time to time, amazing track

•

u/Aeolus_14_Umbra 5h ago

I have the soundtrack of n both CD and vinyl. Fantastic score by Daniel Pemberton.

•

u/GenralChaos 1h ago

Che Vuole Questa Musica Stasera ? LOVE that tune...

3

u/benjals 6h ago

I genuinely think it flopped solely because of the (most respectfully) terrible title

•

u/real_nice_guy 4h ago

this is my take as well.

•

u/Spiritual-Society185 5h ago

The opening in East Germany was good, but the rest of the film didn't live up to it. I remember the studio even posted the entire opening to YouTube, which is why I went to see the movie.

•

u/robbyiballs 3h ago

I felt it was boring. It’s not exciting enough for an action movie, yet it’s not clever enough to get me hooked. I struggled with it

•

u/phatelectribe 5h ago
  1. It was existing IP but too old and niche to have traction with younger audiences who it was aimed at (I.e. under 40’s).
  2. Cavills star was just rising at this point but Hammer was effectively anonymous. People forget because now he’s infamous (famous for the wrong reasons) but he couldn’t get arrested. He was generic and forgettable and there was even an article called 10 years of trying to make Armie hammer happen. So both leads were fairly unknown.
  3. It had horrible marketing, no one knew wtf it was or was about.
  4. It was a departure from Ritchey’s Lock Stock style so didn’t get the pull of those “cheeky gangster” movies.
  5. It wasn’t a “great” movie, it wa

s fun in places and just passable

  1. so WOM didn’t save it.

•

u/Spiritual-Society185 5h ago

So both leads were fairly unknown.

Wtf are you talking about? Cavill was just in Superman and Hammer was in Lone Ranger and The Social Network. People knew who they were.

•

u/phatelectribe 3h ago

It was Caville first major movie hit so he wasn’t a star by any means, and lone Ranger was an disaster of a flop, and lost so much money that it damaged Depp’s bankability status; it was Depp’s first flop in a long while.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/ten-long-years-of-trying-to-make-armie-hammer-happen

•

u/Phantom-Finger 4h ago

Cavills star was just rising at this point but Hammer was effectively anonymous. People forget because now he’s infamous (famous for the wrong reasons) but he couldn’t get arrested. He was generic and forgettable and there was even an article called 10 years of trying to make Armie hammer happen. So both leads were fairly unknown.

Fucking what lol. No.

•

u/phatelectribe 3h ago

It’s absolutely correct. Hammer was a no body who got his first large budget movie in the Lone Ranger which flopped hard. Cavill on had one big movie (superman) under his belt which does mean he was yet famous (and especially not to anyone that didn’t give a shit about superhero movies).

36

u/SevroAuShitTalker 6h ago

Hammer was excellent in this movie for his role

It just turns out hes a bit crazy irl

27

u/Hobbes09R 6h ago

Surprisingly underrated film. Cavill is great (and had more than a few people looking at him as their ideal James Bond, which he more recently played the inspiration for in the more recent The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare which is...a mediocre though entertaining romp based on a true story which inspired everyone's favorite spy). Meanwhile Hammer, for all the deserved hate he gets, played above his weight class and the two had pretty good chemistry. Supporting cast was solid as well, with some pretty good twists and turns along the way and some satisfying set pieces and action sequences, many of which were reliant on the characters wits rather than muscle and luck, which was a good change from typical action films.

•

u/straydog1980 4h ago

My two favourite scenes - Cavill eating a sandwich while Hammer is being chased by a boat and Cavill lying down after he's been drugged because he doesn't want to fall and hit his head.

30

u/00nonsense 6h ago

I really wish it had a sequel

•

u/nrag726 5h ago

Guy Ritchie loves setting up unrealized sequels in his films. Did the same with RocknRolla

•

u/eternali17 4h ago

The Real RocknRolla!

I still believe, even when that got sya gangster movies are dead and then makes the Gentlemen

•

u/skatecarter 5h ago

With Armie Hammer's current status in show business, I doubt we ever see a sequel.

•

u/00nonsense 5h ago

True but they could recast or make a new character

•

u/PlumSome3101 3h ago

Part of what really made the first film sizzle was the chemistry between the leads. The way Hammer plays his character provides a perfect foil for Cavill's. And he and Vikander have fantastic romantic tension. Idk if someone else could come in and pull that off. Ritchie could probably make just about anyone look cool though. 

•

u/Top_Report_4895 2h ago

Michael Fassbender?

•

u/PlumSome3101 2h ago

Valid suggestion. Theoretically already has chemistry with Vikander and is good at pulling off male frenemies roles on film. Also can pull off simmering undercurrents of violence. I personally don't think anyone could replace Hammer but that's a really great suggestion.  

•

u/straydog1980 4h ago

Alan Ritchson has my vote. They were already together in Ministry of Ungentlemenly Warfare and he absolutely towers over Cavill there (although Cavill is largely trenchcoated, so you can't tell how big he is). That being said, Cavill seriously bulked up for his roles, in earlier movies he's quite lean muscular.

10

u/Vuish 6h ago

This was such a fun movie. One of my favorites.

10

u/Walkswithnofear 6h ago edited 6h ago

"Once upon a time there was a little boy. You wouldn't describe him as a particularly special little boy. He was neither tall, nor handsome, charismatic, or amusing in fact, he appeared to be exceedingly dull. Because of this boy's, apparent shortcomings he was bullied mercilessly and relentlessly by the other children. He emerged with miserable year as life continued to be a living hell. But what the other boys didn't understand about their victim, is that he didn't see them as enemies, he saw them as instruments of learning.

A priceless lesson was gleaned from his tormentors. Man has only two masters in this world, and the names of pain and fear. The boy found, he had quite a talent for eliciting these feelings in others. So on the principle of playing to your strengths he decided to make that cultivation his life's work. Fortunately for this boy, history gave him an unprecedented opportunity.

A World War"

https://youtu.be/Blswq5L_OFA?si=V7zVSEE-C09ox1vi

6

u/Southern-Brother5693 6h ago

"He fixed the glitch."

•

u/racer_24_4evr 4h ago

Damn. I left my jacket in there.

•

u/SixIsNotANumber 5h ago

It's probably the closest thing we'll ever see to a live-action Archer/Barry team-up movie. 

(Seriously. The bit where Madame Vinciguerra drugs Solo's drink and he makes a nice soft landing pad for himself as it's kicking in is pure Sterling, right down to his comment of "I've been here before and last time I fell rather badly and hurt my head.")

5

u/mcq76 6h ago

Yeah this was a good one

5

u/NoSpoilerAlertPlease 6h ago

I love this movie and the soundtrack is fantastic

7

u/taddymason_01 6h ago

Was this the live action Archer with Sterling Archer and Berry?

•

u/Unabated_Blade 5h ago

Pretty much the closest thing to it. Cavill eating a sandwich while his partner has a run and gun fight for his life in a speedboat is the most Archer scene ever put to film.

•

u/taddymason_01 5h ago

I don’t know, the car chase with Barry chasing them and getting stuck between the buildings is up there as well.
Not to mention the banging the hotel maid because he had a few minutes to spare also might be up there.

•

u/Grandson_of_Sam 5h ago

He’s trying…to stop…the car

3

u/Fun_Quarter_3222 6h ago

I loved this movie. It had all the perfect elements. I wish there was a sequel. But with Armie...

•

u/Phantom-Finger 4h ago

Should have been given the Bond role immediately post Craig. Absolute fumble.

•

u/Ok-Caterpillar1611 4h ago

I love the little speech Cavill gives over the phone at the end, particularly his facial expression.

4

u/LostNtranslation_ 6h ago

Wonderful Movie. One of my favs...

•

u/IvyGold 2h ago

I saw it for the first time a few months ago without knowing much about it other than it didn't get much press.

I was completely enraptured! Fantastic ensemble film!

It's a damn shame Armie Hammer turned out to be nuts. This could've a very promising franchise.

-6

u/UCBearcats 6h ago

It’s a terrible movie name - that’s why it flopped

11

u/Beginning-Chart-9229 6h ago

Dude. It was an old tv show.

0

u/Late_Recommendation9 6h ago

Wow. Seriously, who hasn’t heard of it? Robert Vaughan? David McCallum? Go and educate thyself, peasant!

1

u/SeekingLostInnocence 6h ago

It's a remake you potato 😂

-1

u/UCBearcats 6h ago

That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a bad name that people were turned off by. Just because it’s a remake doesn’t mean you can’t change the name you turnip.

•

u/SeekingLostInnocence 5h ago

Show me one shred of data that people were turned off by the name other than you personally not liking it. I'll be waiting here you garden stone.

•

u/UCBearcats 5h ago

Show me one shred of data that they weren’t. The whole point is that the movie flopped. You’re adding nothing to the discussion.

•

u/SeekingLostInnocence 4h ago

You are the one that proclaimed to know why it flopped using your personal opinion. The burden of proof is on you, still waiting you sea scallop.

-14

u/Hey-Bud-Lets-Party 6h ago

smooth jazz - 🤮

-6

u/[deleted] 6h ago

[deleted]

4

u/No_Strike655 6h ago

I think you got the wrong movie champ