The ‘Star Wars’ Retrospective- Part 2

The Prequels

Welcome to the second part of my retrospective of the ‘Star Wars’ saga- consisting of six films across nearly 40 years. Last time, I wrapped up the original trilogy- Episodes IV to VI- and this time, I will be focusing on the prequels- the three films that served as a backstory to all the events, characters and twists and turns that we saw in the original three films.

There were originally a lot of brickbats hurled at the prequels back in their day (except for Episode III, which won a lot of takers) but in retrospective, the hardcore Star Wars loyalists love the prequels as much as the original films, sometimes even more. It has to do with how George Lucas, the original creator of the franchise, grabbed the premise back in his hands and decided to expand the universe to unprecedented levels and while this might not have worked always, it nevertheless provides for great entertainment.

So, three prequels, we shall see, hmm. Let’s find out if they are as good as most Star Wars fans say.

1999- ‘The Phantom Menace’(aka Episode I)

Take this, critics and haters: ‘The Phantom Menace’ is certainly not as awful as you all make it out to be; hell, it is not even half as mediocre as deserving of a chunk of Golden Raspberry nominations that it reportedly bagged. If you have to pick a problem with Lucas’s comeback directorial venture- the film in which he grabbed back the creative control over the franchise- it is not those midi-chlorians, or even the little Anakin Skywalker and his origin story, or maybe even annoying Jar Jar Binks (I will get to that later). 

The problem lies in its redundant story- of a measly bunch of fiercely incompetent baddies called the Trade Federation who are out to force the planet of Naboo into submission by the means of a trade blockade and, most ridiculously, a pitiful army of droids who look as flimsy as plastic toys on clockwork. It is this narrative strand that does not clearly work and often overshadows the more interesting angle of the noble Jedi knights Qui Gon Jinn and the restless Obi-Wan Kenobi bringing young Anakin into the ranks. That and of course a few issues as well.

The bigger problem is in the pacing. Lucas’ original 1977 trailblazer was a non-stop thrill ride, even with its modest scale and size. It was pacey, enthralling and always enlivened with instantly quotable dialogue and snap-cracking peril and excitement. The sequels that followed too were thrilling pieces in their breakneck rate and they doled out huge chunks of action, comedy and mumbo-jumbo with élan. This film spends nearly an hour rather awkwardly- Lucas desperately cramming the canvas with random characters and immersive settings and other-worlds but it is only when the film settles down a bit on good old sandy Tatooine that things really start to hum well.

Who knew that our very own intimidating Darth Vader was originally a plucky kid named Anakin Skywalker who made a memorable protocol droid, and worked as a slave for a flying hustler called Watto? Hardcore fans might cringe at how he is even called Ani, by his perennially weary mother but hey, what is so wrong with an origin story that explores innocence that would soon be replaced with evil and darkness? Jake Lloyd plays this knee-high, starry-eyed wannabe Jedi quite well enough- it is just that some of us wanted the child actor of the moment- Haley Joel Osment- to portray the bluesy kid. Still, Lloyd isn’t really bad.

Surprisingly, Lucas keeps the action brief and incidental in the film- there are no big dogfights here- not even much of grand explosions. What ‘The Phantom Menace’ really gets right is the smaller, but more crucial, details- the presence of Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid, looking grandly sinister as always), the subtle tension of the galactic politics, the gruff Yoda (voiced by the always reliable Frank Oz) and his predictions of the emotional hubris awaiting Anakin, the first encounter between the half-completed C-3PO and the mocking R2D2 and that bitter-sweet climax- between a cliffhanger hinting at a greater conspiracy and a colorful celebration. Talking of Jar Jar, he really does grate your nerves and the critics are darn right at that but the greater error seems to be of Lucas to make him such a pivotal character through the proceedings. And unlike the Ewoks, who were adorably resourceful despite their comic pratfalls, Jar Jar’s fellow tribe of Gungans come across as spectacularly useless folks, even as they sport some impressive gadgetry, which is another sore point.

Despite its obvious problems, there is much to admire in this. Most notably, it is superbly aided on the acting front by the stately Liam Neeson as the dignified and trusty Qui Gon Jinn and the dynamic Ewan McGregor playing his slightly raw but delightfully edgy protégé Obi-Wan Kenobi. Lucas still has the eye for big wonder and his set-pieces- from underwater cities to a to-the-death saber duel in the end- are often thrillingly spectacular and he even stages a terrific pod race to doff his hat to the chariot race in ‘Ben-Hur’. In the vicious Darth Maul, we get a worthy rival with sizzling lightsaber skills. ‘The Phantom Menace’ is a fine, if rather uneven, film- one that ends better than it starts. But while Lucas knows how to tell a story, it is the story itself that disappoints a bit.

2002- ‘Attack Of The Clones’ (aka Episode II)

Like the de facto hero (we shall know him soon) of this turbo-charged sequel to the seemingly long and rambling, yet perfectly effective, ‘The Phantom Menace’, George Lucas sure had some mind tricks up his sleeve. One of them was that he knew exactly what the hardcore fans and the audiences wanted from him in his second prequel. 

‘Attack Of The Clones’ jumps right away into the action- it is merely 15 minutes or so into the narrative and already, Senator Amidala (Natalie Portman) is nearly assassinated a couple of times and we have our dashing heroes- fiery-eyed Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and self-assured Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)- pursuing the assassin down the skyscrapers and streets of Coruscant- a scene that fantastically roots this outing in the ground and also jerks off the backstory that slowed down much of Episode I.

Remarkably, this should be called the point at which we suddenly become aware of the Vader inside Anakin in more explicit ways than ever. We did know that this impulsive and cocky Padawan has mommy issues bothering in his head but the kind of creepy edginess that Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin shows hints at a path of true darkness and despair ahead for him. It is a shame that Christensen got bashed the most- the young actor is definitely raw and slippery but he does a fantastic job of playing a raw and slippery Jedi as well.

What doesn’t quite work is the romance. For the first time, since we saw Leia in a golden bikini, sprawled over the repulsive bulk of Jabba The Hutt, the series gets several erotic overtones-at a particular point, we even see Amidala in a leather gown that would not be out of place in a kinky store. The dialogue in these torrid proceedings- the seething sexual tension between a lusty-eyed Anakin and a demure Amidala-is actually better than what is normally said by the critics. Yet, after a point, the unnecessary detour of the plot into romantic and sentimental territory feels quite contrived.

Impressively enough, the other things save the day. Ewan McGregor is the scene-stealer here- the true hero of this piece as a skilled and confident Kenobi, staying compellingly heroic and knowing his skills with a saber way too well but also crucially grounded in vulnerability. McGregor, a master actor who has shone in stellar roles in ‘Trainspotting’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’, is clearly in top form here, creating the sort of dignity, sneaky mischief and all-knowing wisdom that makes his character so memorable.

Also good is what Lucas makes of his cast here- Samuel L. Jackson gets a grand chance to kick some ass in style as Mace Windu while the intriguing villains- from a sinister Jango Fett to Christopher Lee’s as memorably menacing Count Dooku, a villain who really helps the film to darken quite spectacularly. The plot is pretty uneven with a tad too simple payoff  even as it introduces to us the Stormtroopers but it has both welcome murky touches (Anakin slaughters a horde of Tuskens) as well as snappy mirth (C-3PO finds his head attached to one of the droids amidst the final chaos). And the action set-pieces are not only bigger- they are also more inventive- a gladiatorial arena with vicious otherworldly beasts, a lightsaber duel in which Yoda joins the fun and even a nifty spaceship chase amidst asteroids. All of it is sheer fun, Star Wars-style, just the way we want it to be.

2005-‘Revenge Of The Sith’ (aka Episode III)

The Star Wars series often gets the threequels right and how. If ‘Return Of The Jedi’ ended the original tale of Luke, Leia, Han and Darth Vader with a fittingly rousing fanfare, Lucas’ third prequel- and the most direct prologue to the saga- is a truly larger-than-life, epic-sized beginning to the entire story of Luke, Han and Leia and, most crucially, Darth Vader. The film is so perfectly linked with Episode IV- it even ends on the sands of Tatooine- that such a perfect harmony renders the other two prequels almost redundant. You almost forget about the grating nature of Jar Jar and the Trade Federation as well as the sloppy romance between Anakin and Padme. This is a film literally soaked in chaos and chaos it is, of the highest order that demands you surrender to it gladly. Like I said, almost.

The astounding thing is how sublime it all feels. ‘Revenge Of Sith’ is clearly Lucas’ finest hour as a fantasist- ever since he first plunged us in outer space and made us cover our ears on the sound of those iconic first laser beams. It is not only the director at his ambitious, unshackled best but it also is, most crucially, a wonderful slice of grand entertainment in which there is actually a great narrative aiding the grand effects elsewhere.

You know the story, so no need to tell you about it. What is worth talking here is the way Lucas makes the proceedings so enthralling that this tale rarely feels dull or even predictable. Right from the breathlessly entertaining, intermittently hilarious and overall stunning rescue of Palpatine in the film’s first twenty minutes, the direction and storytelling exhibit a solid confidence. Bravely and enticingly, the film tugs us into darker territory and while some of the spectacle here- powered with awe-inspiring digital effects-is a bit overkill, it nevertheless looks all monumental.

Sure, there are a few rough spots here and there. Most of them happen to be again in the strained romance and while Christensen as Anakin is not as bad as the critics say, it is Portman’s Padme who ruins the show by her obviously fake mannerisms. And it is a bit of a downer that Anakin’s personal demons are rendered a bit secondary to the compelling backdrop of the story. There could also have been a bit more of General Grievous.

But the larger delights often make up wonderfully. It is hard not to be awed by the massive action set-pieces- the aforementioned rescue in outer space, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s(McGregor, now as self-assured as Sir Alec Guinness) jangling duel with Grievous, the snarling Palpatine (a pitch-perfect Ian McDiarmid) taking on his ‘little green friend’ Yoda in a menacing standoff and an iconic lightsaber duel between the vicious Anakin/Vader and Obi-Wan against the volcanic flames of the planet Mustafar. And it is equally awesome to see the smaller details perfectly etched- Palpatine’s dubious ideas of recreation, C-3PO’s unease in flight, Stormtroopers rallying against the Jedi, Anakin being nudged into the Dark Side and of course, that unforgettable punch of nostalgia- on seeing the first actual glimpse of cinema’s most famous villain wreathed in a swirl of smoke.

The result is classic ‘Star Wars’ stuff- a film as great as those original trailblazers (no disservice to Episodes I and II).

So, here I end my retrospective. And here is an unofficial ranking of all the six films

6- ‘The Phantom Menace’- A charming adventure that starts disastrously (Droids, Gungans and Jar Jar Binks) but a thrilling pod-race and two fine Jedi knights save the day and it ends on a compelling note.

5- ‘Attack Of The Clones’- Lucas amps up the action and even introduces Count Dooku as well as those famous Troopers and the Fetts but that uneven plot and the unnecessary romance cut some of the fun. Still, it is entertaining as hell and McGregor is a great Kenobi.

4- ‘The Empire Strikes Back’- Irvin Kershner takes over the helm, directing a breathless and menacing race through the galaxy, while letting Luke train with Yoda and allowing Han Solo and Leia to rule the roost. Yet, despite the thrills and spills, it is not really the greatest of the series.

3- ‘Revenge Of The Sith’- A story which Lucas always wanted to tell ever since the first 1977 film and he tells it with grandstanding effect. Gritty storytelling, fine side performances and that much-awaited climatic revelation are aided by solid, stunning spectacle all around it and delivers the goods with the true confidence of a visionary at his best.

2- ‘Return Of The Jedi’- Unfairly overlooked and sorely underrated, Richard Marquand’s ambitious, full-blown and truly epic threequel is as gloriously fun-filled as the ‘Star Wars’ universe could be. The action set-pieces are mesmerizing and intense, the dialogues and characters better than ever, Vader’s emotional core is finally unveiled and boy, even those furry Ewoks are so, so adorable.

1       1- A New Hope’- No matter how good its sequels and prequels will be, there will be no ‘Star Wars’ film to beat the fresh, enlightening and enthralling 1977 original. Lucas’s space swashbuckler is still every bit the seminal creation of a true visionary of modern cinematic entertainment. Clearly, J.J Abrams has a tall order to beat this classic’s unrivalled magic.

The ‘Star Wars’ Saga- A Ride Through A Galaxy, Far, Far and Away

Part 1- The Original Trilogy

Yeah, I know. There are more than couple of months left for the great George-Lucas universe of grandiose, effects-filled, action-packed space opera cinema to be rebooted at the capable hands of minted action favorite J.J. Abrams (with Lucas still serving as creative consultant, obviously) in the hotly awaited ‘Episode VII- The Force Awakens’. But ever since seeing the rushes at the lively Comic Con held at Bombay last December and then egged on by a fervent fanatic of the Force, my fellow film and comic book buff Danesh Balsara, I have finally decided to leave behind my earlier reservations (‘the saga sounds so childish!’) and finally revisit the entire series from the scratch. And, boy, the results are nothing short of a sweeping, overwhelming feeling of wide-eyed wonder, twinkling joy and sheer pleasure for the senses.

The ‘Star Wars’ films are the pulpiest of mainstream entertainers- unabashedly free from any pressing requirements to take on serious themes of contemporary relevance (though Lucas once found parallels between the fantastical battle on Endor and the Vietnam War) and packed with purely fictional mythology, outer space worlds where the normal rules do not apply and a firm sense of old-fashioned storytelling. Yet, because of these very things, they are also irresistibly entertaining- rollicking pieces of solid storytelling, either made special by the burgeoning wealth of characters, both intriguing and inane, or by the meticulous, universe-busting attention to action and spectacle. The result has been the distinguished work of three directors, helming a total of 6 films- some which hit the bullseye perfectly, some which faltered due to an indulgence of effects and modern technology.

But as the most dedicated ‘Star Wars’ fan will vouch, pretty much all the films are memorable in their big and small ways and what is important is how the myth has nevertheless persisted and even flourished. So, to begin with, here comes my take on all the six films- as I watch them with the fresh senses of a virgin ‘Star Wars’ fanatic.

In today’s segment, I will cover the original trilogy that kicked off with a watershed moment of the late 70s and neatly wrapped up the tale 6 years later with a suitably grand denouement. In the latter part, which I will unveil next week, I will talk about those unfairly overlooked prequels which actually did break the boundaries and today are gaining quite a horde of admirers.

So, begin the retrospective, shall we, hmm? May the Force Be With Me!

1977- Star Wars (aka- Episode IV- ‘A New Hope’)

The first film of the grand saga was a $11 million space opera film, made with painstaking effort and loads of reluctance from the financers, betting on a merely 2-film old director, best known for a simple, much-loved film about youngsters growing up in small-town America.

George Lucas, soon to join the ranks of Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, as pioneers of the modern action movie, would infuse his breakout venture with the same mild innocence of that film into the tropes and characterization of a wonderful small-town charm and the result is, right from the soon-to-be-iconic opening scroll of titles and prologue text to the final credits, a film distinctly the work of a real visionary-lush, stunning and quite masterfully compelling.

The plot is as old as the hills- a youngster with bare origins (Mark Hamill’s conventional yet wonderfully sublime Luke Skywalker) is tugged into a perilous mission to save the day, aided by the choicest weapons and the trustiest allies, and defeat an evil empire. But Lucas’ razor-sharp writing and his elegant direction often make this square premise look like something truly deep. The pace is lightning quick, the characters all riveting- from lovably good (Harrison Ford’s cocky Han Solo, Alec Guinness’ brief but dignified Obi-Wan-Kenobi, Carrie Fisher’s spirited Princess Leia and so much more) to goofy (the bickering androids C-3PO and the smart R2D2) to truly sinister (the first, forbidding sights of Darth Vader, brought to life by David Prowse and James Earl Jones, still linger as much as his pithy kingpin quotes) and the sense of excitement, peril and humor still feels sprightly and jaunty, like a great, old-school Walt Disney creation.

A smash-hit in its time, bagging half a dozen Oscars, spawning a merchandise of figurines, books and, inevitably, a horde of spoofs in various media, ‘Star Wars’ remains, to date, Lucas’s most perfect creation as a director- (which is not to say that the sequels are any bad)- a winning blend of larger-than-life, innovative spectacle and solidly conventional mainstream routines (that John Williams score has to do something with it as well). Yet, its biggest triumph is how we often turn to it, even today, in sheer, galaxy-sized wonder and with a confidently bemused smile on our lips, as we witness an epic beginning to a great saga, complete with blazing action, radical effects, top-notch performances from its cast and an unforgettable delightful charisma.

1980- ‘The Empire Strikes Back’(aka Episode V)

There are sequels which stand up to the originals and there are those which even succeed the same. And then, there are good sequels, hailed unfairly as superior to the original features. It is the case with ‘Goldfinger’ being lauded and loved more than the far superior ‘From Russia With Love’. And it is the same case with ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, a film which is undoubtedly solid and spectacular in its own way, but hey, what is all this about loving it more than the great 1977 original?

That said, this follow-up to the original tale does have a lot to it. Lucas gave over, temporarily, the direction duties to newbie Irvin Kershner and even decided to bring over the writing responsibilities to more capable hands like Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett and the result was a film, with a rubber-tight narrative, a far striking streak of throbbing menace and an excellent cliffhanger of an ending, which made us all wait in abated breath for the next film. Interestingly enough, Hamill’s wet-behind-the-ears Luke is detached from most of the action, letting the always irresistible Solo to take over the proceedings. This might be about Luke’s journey to Dagobah and learning the ropes with the wizened yet wise Yoda (voiced wickedly by Frank Oz) but when it comes to the adventure with the asteroids, cave monsters, bounty hunters and more, well this is all about Solo.

Credit the charismatic Ford, on his way to become Indiana Jones soon, for making Solo so effortlessly cool, as well as Fisher’s now alluring Leia as his perfect foil. The two banter lovably towards a sparky romance through the bumpy ride while Luke finally discovers, after a particularly vicious lightsaber duel, that Vader is after all his father- in that classic, often gimmicked, moment with that great one-liner.

Yet, for all the great stuff all around- the constant sense of danger and dread, the deadpan humor and some stellar action scenes- the battle on snowy Hoth is almost like a trench skirmish on the Russian front- it is a bit of a letdown, though one should blame the critics and columnists more for that. It is in no way superior to the freshness and riveting energy of the original but it does stand alone as a pretty solid entertainer and yes, it is indeed great to see Kershner to push the envelope and nudge the series in compellingly dark territory in terms of narrative. It is sad that this promising director never quite rose again to this height- (don’t even talk about ‘Robocop 2’ or even ‘Never Say Never Again’- a movie everyone remembers only for Barbara Carrera).

1983- The Return Of The Jedi (aka Episode VI)

Unfairly overlooked by most critics as merely a fun-filled but inferior threequel to the first two pieces, ‘Return Of The Jedi’ is nevertheless, and rightfully so, one of the most beloved of all the films in the saga. A fresh viewer will observe how deftly writers Lucas and Kasdan change the mood with this third outing. While the first film begun the story on a suitably grand note and the second invested itself in darkness and star-crossed (literally) romance, it is the third film that ties the loop, ending the exciting foreplay of the first two films with an orgasmic, organic climax of its own. Not that Richard Marquand’s directorial offering was merely interested in ending things with a bang and a fiesta- sure, we get it- but he also made sure that for most of the film’s 134 minute duration, we are constantly entertained, enlivened and enthralled.

The title announces it quite aptly- ‘Return Of The Jedi’ indeed marks a return for Luke into the main narrative. What is particularly one of the innumerable delights of this film is how it twirls its hero’s slippery innocence to a wise, all-knowing sense of heroism that lifts him above the hero template. Hamill is clearly at his best here- sure-footed, witty and heroic by terms- he even has the glorious guts to defeat such nasties like Jabba The Hutt and even take on both Vader and his domineering mentor Emperor Palpatine (a spine-chilling Ian McDiarmid) as well.

Ah, that scene with Jabba The Hutt, a fascinatingly repulsive marvel of practical creature design and model animation….it is a highlight of so many things at once- nifty suspense, madcap humor, swashbuckling action and even simmering heat in the form of Leia in a saucy gold bikini. And it ends with an appropriately incendiary explosion as well as an ultra-smart Luke helps his buddy pilot Han Solo escape the carbonite clutches of sickly beasts. It is the measured intimacy of moments like these that lend Marquand’s film a wonderfully unique groove of its own. Towards the film’s epochal climax, there is a huge space battle raging, with the rebel pilots taking on the massive Imperial fleet but the film admirably cuts away from the bigger set-piece to the smaller, more crucial moments of intensity and excitement. So, on one hand, we have Luke unforgettably facing off with Vader, trying to egg his father to choose good over evil, coming darn close to losing himself to the Dark Side in a protracted sequence of sheer intensity. On the other, Marquand balances the seriousness of the occasion with the free-wheeling slapstick nature of the teddy-like tribe of Ewoks aiding the outnumbered rebels in the jungles of the moon of Endor and taking down Stormtroopers with catapults and slingshots with hilarious fury.

The Ewoks were the original bone of contention for the critics and even some fans sneered at how this marked the point at which the series started becoming a bit tweeny and all. But as far as some of the recent retrospective opinions go, they are, as Solo put it memorably, ‘not bad for a furball’. Those are rather lovably goofy characters that are also rather cuddly and charming as well and they indeed lend a furry helping hand to the proceedings. And that alone should not be the reason to consider this film as inferior in any way. ‘Return Of The Jedi’ is an instant classic in its grand, slightly ungainly but mostly operatic way. It does conclude the first part of Lucas’ story on a truly grand note and Marquand does quite a neatly spectacular job of upping the action ante quite well. And yes, its cheery celebratory climax does make you wonder what new turn of story will ‘Episode VII’ hold.

So, that is it then. I have covered the original trilogy today and that gives me another week to have a look at the prequels and give them my view on them. So, stay hooked and rest assured that this retrospective will really work wonders, both with the virgins as well as the hardcore fans. The Force Is Strong With This One.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E- The 60s Show, Served In Style

‘Aren’t they friends now?’ asked John Connor in James Cameron’s superlative ‘Terminator 2- Judgment Day’; he was obviously referring to America’s hitherto favorite enemies- Russians. Yet, in the world of Guy Ritchie’s latest rollicking spy caper, the yodeling Yankees and the sneaky Soviets can actually be, not just friends, but also partners in a mission to save the world. And no, as the KGB boss of this film’s red-necked Russian tough-guy informs him, one should never kill his partner on the first day of the mission.

Such wishful thinking itself makes ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E’ such a must-watch for the fans of the ready-made spy thriller genre but Ritchie, one of the most unabashedly cocky and cheeky directors of recent times, has also laced the indulgent meat with the choicest sauce of the freewheeling zing best associated with the decade of The Beatles, Flower Power and ‘Dr. Strangelove’- I am talking of course the colorful and freaked out 60s, also incidentally the era when both the super-powers were embattled in the fiercest space and missile race as well as the most entrenched propaganda (as portrayed faithfully by the wonderfully jazzy opening credits).

Yet the reason quite why we still hold in fascination the old James Bond films, even as the newer outings boast of more political relevance and riskier stakes, is how that chunk of 60s cinema has often captured the turbulent, far-from-cold war in firmly tongue-in-cheek ways and the result has been great entertainment cinema- escapism filled with charm and campy camaraderie.

‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E’ is not quite clever as those wonderfully unassuming films of yore but boy, it does best what it sets out to do- serve a simple, largely guessable and even politically sterile spy movie premise with a sizzling 60s sauce of frothy color, cheeky humor and- most crucially- a wonderful and whimsical sense of crackling bromance that alone makes the entire stylish-looking film soar, much like James Bond’s reliable jetpack.

                        

It begins in a dark and dire East Berlin, the kind of place where you can see Soviet soldiers walking the streets as if they have stayed on since 1945. Impeccably dressed CIA agent Napoleon Solo (sounding a bit like an unforgettably iconic hustler from the yore of classic blockbuster cinema) is here- to help defect Gaby Teller, an innocuous-looking femme fatale who is being spied by the laconic KGB star Illya Kuryakin, who is also driven, bitterly, to kill Solo himself. And yet, a nasty brawl inside a bathroom later, the two are told by their respective intelligence heads to unite to stave off certain nuclear disaster at the hands of none other than their erstwhile common foe-covert Nazis.

If all this sounds a bit too serious like a Le Carre paperback, rest assured it isn’t. This is a film packed literally with glitz and goof- with Ritchie and co-writer Lionel Ingram making the proceedings refreshingly laidback and more content with the sparkling wit flowing in the verbal repartee and the overall feel to the enterprise rather than detailing itself. This is a film which throws its oddly matched lead pair into a plucky adventure filled with more spills than thrills. It is positively hilarious to see the two ace cloaks and daggers fumbling in a sunbaked, Euro-pudding Rome and with enough juicy nuance to these riotously comic set-pieces. Kuryakin, for instance, a tough guy, who when explaining his brawn under disguise intones that he jogs, has a luggage of psychotic batshit behind him and often finds it slipping from his meaty grasp on the field while Solo, a cocky, self-assured scrounger of the highest order, can also fall prey to the most melting of all seductions.

All these are great moments ripe for the film to deliver brilliant, well-earned guffaws, and some may suspect that ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E’, despite taking quite a lot of the zing from the famous TV series, is Ritchie’s eye-rolling pastiche of the spy genre- the same way his London gangster yarns of the 90s. But make no mistake; even beneath the back-slapping hilarity, there is some actual heart to this deliciously flaky plotting. Much of the film’s emotional throb and comic spontaneity is amply provided by the remarkably natural and well-timed chemistry between its male leads. To begin with, both resent each other’s tastes and espionage technologies and yet, driven by something far more significant than their respective missions, they stick together nevertheless and end up becoming uncanny buddies. It is this wonderfully fresh bromance between these two leads- between the hunk and the chunk that makes the film so endearing, even when its cylinders are not quite firing.

Yet, it doesn’t quite matter to Ritchie whether they have to fire or not. There is a wonderfully languid and leisurely feel to this thing and while this might disappoint those expecting a surge of adrenalin that the director brings to even his most flawed outings, all this rather looks and sounds sublime, given how finely crafted it all is. In the middle of the film’s relentless and voluntarily funny spills of the spy tropes, there is a truly wonderful moment- scored beautifully to a piece of classical radio music- when a boat pursuit going in the backdrop is rendered secondary to some classic indulgence- a swig of a drink, a bit of a loaded sandwich and some nice, wry contemplation. The scene sums up the film’s approach pretty well- this is a film cheerfully taking itself not even an ounce seriously. Ritchie is all in the surface- adding his own typical zingy, whimsical and split-screen trickery all set to a killer score (shot marvelously by John Mathieson) and shooting the locations with an inspired blend of Bond-style kitsch and when two spies in disguise take a night walk near the ruins of a Roman gallery, we can recognize a nicely placed nod from ‘North By Northwest’. There is more of this clever film-referencing in a scene modeled on a similar situation in the Roger Moore-classic ‘Live And Let Die’. Perfect.

Some of this fascinatingly frippery blend of original quirk and inspired pastiche also becomes darkly serious, in the most self-assured way possible. The fascinating score, for one thing, when not echoing jazz classics of the age, often swells up like Ennio Morricone’s instruments in top, slinky form- Ritchie uses these crescendos subtly and perceptively- and in one unforgettable scene, things turn extraordinarily menacing and truly dark- with an evil scientist justifying his devilish intentions with all the delusional grandeur of a classic villain straight out of Tarantino. Ritchie also packs in the right amount of snap and slink- his dialogue quick, quirky and solidly punchy even with memorable nods to whether Dior matches with Paco Rabbane or not- as well as welcome digs at technological glitches as well as the right mannerisms and culture clashes.

The action, however, is purely incidental- both good and a bit of a downer. The opening hilarious yet exhilarating defection- with the two agents battling it out, one with brains, the other with brawns- is a hell of a white-knuckle chase, fashioned like a breakneck Looney Tunes chase and a final vehicular rumble through the thick jungle packs in much sober punch but in between, we have mostly comic standoffs when one would expect some more heat. In the old Bond films, things often ended with a big bang- some contrived yet spectacular finale inside some hidden fortress, hideout, lair or even in some exotic locale and this film merely ends with a stellar joke- not a bad idea, really but what about a bomb defused with a password that reads ‘UNCLE’? 

Nevertheless, there is plenty of wit between the proceedings and this alone overcomes the flimsiness of the material all around- there are some little nuggets that are absolute surprises, adding some wonderful sophistication to the show on display. And boy, the casting works wonders.

Henry Cavill, a delicious-looking Brit, who was last seen squirming unhappily in his other-worldly superhero tights, is an absolute blast as Solo, looking uncannily like a resurrected Roger Moore with a jet-black mane of brilliantine and, it must be noted, drastically lesser ham. He knows his way in a dapper suit quite well and it is his assured ways in the film that add to the buttery-smoothness. He is quite a charmer, literally, delivering his lines with finesse and using his hands and silver-coated tongue to whistle-worthy effect.

The women bring the heat but also remain firmly interesting themselves- Alicia Vikander’s Gaby is a sun-kissed beauty blessed with a deceptive sweetness as well as an enigmatic stare that makes her so deliciously sketchy. And Elizabeth Debicki is a truly terrifying vamp- her Victoria is the film’s equivalent of a classic Bond villain and she also serves as a great femme fatale. The way she gazes hawk-like at a near-unconscious Solo in the velvety grip of her manicured talons is both richly sensuous and supremely unsettling in the old-school way.

Yet no one gets the beat of this twisted caper quite like Armie Hammer, as the thick-headed Soviet Kuryakin. It is perhaps a seemingly gigantic miscast- for Hammer is every bit a muscular American in contrast to the normal exotic flavor that the Eastern portrayal usually requires. But what is wondrous is how Hammer makes it all so believable. He is convincingly rugged and thuggish in his ballsy action sequences and looks truly badass when ripping off the butt of a car but he is equally lovable when insisting that Gaby, playing his supposed fiancé in the spy con, should dress according to his whims. He is quite a goof when simmering silently to the point of using his fists and equally slick when chucking at the American bugs placed inside his hotel room and announcing that they are technologically inferior as well. And he is absolutely a blast when narrating, with prudent seriousness and equal slipperiness, that Rome’s Spanish Steps are actually a Soviet creation, echoing a trenchant form of propaganda.

‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E’ is a crowd-pleaser in the purest sense possible- a wonderful flaky piece of entertainment- brimming with some well-used spy clichés, adding some genuine little twists and turns and making the most of the dazzling 60s style and its superbly confident cast to craft both a nice buddy adventure- something like ‘Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid’ of the cloak and dagger genre- as well as an old-school caper. It might not have ground-breaking thrills or a searing narrative punch but who cares? ‘Kingsman –The Secret Service’ has already delivered the former, while ‘Spectre’ is just a few months away to deliver the latter and perhaps, for the moment, all we need is a bit of the same laidback moment of bemused, grinning reflection- accompanied with a few delectable surprises in that box on the seat. Ritchie doles them out and with great, tasty sauce to go along with them. As Solo would ask, 'How is that for entertainment'?

My Rating- Three and a half stars out of Five