A Very Public Apology to Guy Ritchie

​Okay, so a bit of history you don’t need. I was a Man From U.N.C.L.E. fan. I even remember the black-and-white episodes before they switched over to Living Color. Mostly, it was because of David McCallum and how friggin’ cool I thought he was. Someone, please, bring back the turtleneck. In the sixth grade, I went to Washington D. C. with my entire class. I broke off from my group in the capital building, sneaking down the halls while humming Jerry Goldsmith’s iconic theme. Currently, I own the DVDs of the first season and all of the theatrical movies the studio greedily cobbled together from two-part episodes.  Simply put, I am that big of a fan.
 
That is why when the Guy Ritchie film, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) was released, I did not attend. My hopes had already been dashed with the 1981 television reunion. Seriously. I just didn’t think I could take another such disappointment. 
 
I recently read a defense of the Ritchie version and decided to try it. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed it thoroughly. More of a reimagining than an actual origin film, it, amazingly enough, sets the just the right one. The look, the feel, the soundtrack, the screenplay, and the direction all work together to give the sixties cold war film just the look it needs. The repartee between Henry Cavill and Arnie Hammer is spot on, the arc of the two characters builds nicely, and each do their part in keeping the spirit of the original television series alive.
 
For all of that, I believe I owe Guy Ritchie an apology. Fuck the James Bond film. You did all right with Uncle.