The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

So this is what launching a franchise should look like. A 1960's style spy-thriller pitting Russian, American, British and remnant Nazi forces against each other in the efforts to thwart nuclear proliferation and gain military control over the world. Mostly played as a straight political thriller with the appropriately occasional hijinks. The film stands on its own and never once felt like a placeholder or "just a setup". Characters were introduced in the first 10 minutes and then their relationships were allowed to develop/evolve throughout. If only Fantastic Four had been like this... But understand that this is not the next coming of Bond or Bourne. While colorful and active in plot and filming, the acting comes across as too mechanized, or too ordinary. Maybe this is intentional and part of the gestalt, but I found myself 'bleh' while walking out.
3 stars (out of 5)