“Codename UNCLE”: cheap Bond of Guy Ritchie – SPIEGEL ONLINE

You have the easy times very clearly say: Guy Ritchie is a fake. An impostor. Perhaps the best and most successful Hütchenspieler recent cinema history.

The glory of the Britons, who was married twice with Madonna, based on a movie – the very funny and very British rogue story “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” of 1998. The would never become a cult film when would not just fall into the Zeitgeist fairway of the first Tarantino enthusiasm. The successor “Snatch” varied the whole thing with Brad Pitt and more budget, but even with “Revolver” and “RocknRolla” the air was out of Ritchie’s concept of crude underdog comedy.

Its pastiche technique is as clever as transparent: If Ritchie something hinkriegt what others have staged virtuosity before him, he increased the pace, lets go a staccato witty sayings at the viewer, lulling him with tasteful, very loud music and builds as many visual antics behind the other, that one can not help but quietly “Wow” to say. According to this principle worked his opulent-trivial “Sherlock Holmes” -Spektakel. You should now follow the master detective of the Master Agent: James Bond.

As a template for “Codename U.N.C.L.E.” served Ritchie and his writing partner Lionel Wigram of 007 creator Ian Fleming for US television fictional series “Solo for UNCLE”, which was regarded as the epitome of hip TV entertainment in the sixties: the middle of the Cold War had an American and a Soviet secret agent side fighting side against supervillains! The main character, US Agent Napoleon Solo, was a charming pocket-Bond. Beside him, a stubborn Russians warrior named Illya Kuryakin.

50 years on this series knows hardly anyone, least of all young cinema-goers. It hardly makes sense for the spice “UNCLE” -Update with funny parodies on the original. A dilemma about the Ritchie film stumbles ultimately – if the original is not cannibalize namely, their own characters and the new story must be all the more original. But if they are not.

object of desire: An East Berlin car mechanic

Here, Ritchie has a top cast: Armie Hammer, after all, the only good thing “Lone Ranger “it is not possible to have only rudimentary acting sympathetic to hüftsteifen Kuryakin also. Besides confidently the slick “Superman” actor Henry Cavill as Charm Stud by. Installed As with his interpretations of Holmes and Watson Ritchie between Solo and Kuryakin latent homoeroticism. However, remains too subtle to ignite.

The two in character as ideologically antagonistic agents of the secret organization “UNCLE” paired to complete a typical Bond mission: A crazy rogue couples (terrific oversubscribed: Luca Calvani and Elizabeth Debicki) has the former Nazi scientist Udo plate (Christian Berkel) forced to build a nuclear bomb trigger World War III should. His daughter, the attractive East German car mechanic Gaby (Alicia Vikander) is intended to help get at plate – and is of course, as soon as an object of desire between the two macho spies.

From this triangle case and the fact that both agents are mandated to eliminate each other in an emergency, could have spring heart and soul of “Codename UNCLE”. But, again typical of Ritchie: The competitive Gezicke of men is more important to him than the formulation of his first really interesting female role. Because, even the “Ex Machina” -Talent Vikander not save much.

What remains is a handsome spy thriller, which begins with a great chase through staged nightly East Berlin – and then will always care less, the more viable the scenes, each retro-nostalgic are the elements of equipment. There are great guest appearances by Sylvester Groth as Mengele-waste and Hugh Grant, who is the British UNCLE boss Waverly with ravishing restlessness. The soundtrack of shooting star-composer Daniel Pemberton shines with exquisite soul and lounge-jazz.

This all sounds perfectly and can look good, but ultimately pushes Ritchie again just cardboard cut by a beautifully designed setting, which he does not know how he did great with Focus, real emotions or even a should fill action.

Watch the trailer for “Codename UNCLE”

Codename UNCLE

21

USA 2015

Original title: The Man From UNCLE

Director: Guy Ritchie

script: Guy Ritchie, Lionel Wigram

Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Sylvester Groth, Christian Berkel, Hugh Grant, Jared Harris, Elizabeth Debicki, Luca Calvani

production Warner Bros.

rental: Warner

Length: 117 minutes

Certificate: From 12

From: August 13, 2015