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The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: original series & films

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  • AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
    Posts: 2,115
    delfloria wrote: »
    I just hope he stays with the UNCLE films, regardless whether he ever does 007. Personally I'd like to see him stay away from Bond and give UNCLE it's own unique sound like Barry did for 007.
    " But the end result is so good it’s a process I would definitely go through again. I am up for U.N.C.L.E. 2, 3 and so on if they do them!"
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    A new influx of Twitter reviews from people who have just seen UNCLE have come in, all very positive:

    The Mr Pink ‏@themrpink 3h3 hours ago 
    #ManFromUNCLE was surprisingly good. It's chock full of Cracker Jack wit and sly charm. Chemistry amongst leads is great.

    Michael Thomas ‏@MTjr_15 4h4 hours ago 
    #ManFromUNCLE was pretty good. Review should be up on @NotYetRatedSite within the next few days.

    Joseph Hammerschmidt ‏@JoetheHammer 6h6 hours ago 
    #ManFromUNCLE sets a new standard for what spy movies can and will be in the future; Ritchie proves he still has the golden touch. #mustsee

    Cory Smith ‏@cjsmith612 7h7 hours ago 
    just came back from mpls preview #ManFromUNCLE very good film a must see thank you #lagoon

    PaulsTripToTheMovies ‏@PaulsMovieTrip 7h7 hours ago 
    In case you're curious, #ManFromUNCLE is the best spy movie of the year. Slick, stylish, and good old fashioned fun. @ManFromUNCLE

    Sarah Mann ‏@twilightreader3 7h7 hours ago 
    #ManFromUNCLE is awesome! ��������#GuyRitchie #HenryCavill #ArmieHammer #hughgrant #AliciaVikander #elizabethdebicki #funny one liners #action

    The Mike ‏@TheMike816 8h8 hours ago 
    Went to see the screening for #ManFromUNCLE it was actually a good movie way better than I thought it'll be

    Delane Cleveland ‏@DelaneCleveland 8h8 hours ago 
    Just watched #ManFromUNCLE. It was good. The plot kept me interested and I liked the characters. Overall, I'd give it 3 out of 4 stars

    Ena ‏@enazhu 8h8 hours ago 
    Love love LOVE #ManFromUNCLE! A+ on the casting and music selection. @ManFromUNCLE

    Michael Lee ‏@michaellorg 8h8 hours ago 
    Just got out of a sneak preview of #ManFromUNCLE. I see it fitting as a double feature with The Kingsman in a lot of ways.

    Legend of Tomorrow ‏@MovieGuyFeed 9h9 hours ago 
    #ManFromUNCLE was a really good movie. The Cavill and Hammer scenes were the best.

    Marcus Freeman ‏@Archymedius 9h9 hours ago 
    #ManFromUNCLE hits all the points. Great directing. Great cast. Great fun. Great-point-oh out of 10.
  • delfloriadelfloria
    Posts: 1,871
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited August 2015 Posts: 17,830
    So basically, this is a rental.
    Sorry, but no extensive use of Goldsmith's UNCLE theme is a near deal-breaker for me.
    I feel bad for Cavill- eff Superman's character & iconic suit, eff UNCLE's theme... he's up against needless odds. He deserves better...
  • delfloriadelfloria
    Posts: 1,871
    I don't know where you are coming from Chrisisall. One of the early UNCLE films from the 60's had less than 15 seconds of the UNCLE theme in it and one of the later ones starring Vaughn and McCallum did not use it at all. So if there are original UNCLE movies from the sixties that don't use the theme why are you using a double standard on this one? Thanks, just curious. At least this one has more of the original UNCLE theme in it than "How To Steal The World" did.
  • SpectreNumberTwoSpectreNumberTwo
    Posts: 389
    Agree with Chrisisall, major mistake by Richie not to include a full rendition of the Uncle theme, I mean look at Mission Impossible, you couldn't have that without that theme, could you?
    It won't stop me seeing it though, but it'll have to be pretty cool to get over this omission.

  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    I completely DISagree. Why? For the very simple reason that in the early 1960's Jerry Goldsmith wasn't the celebrated composer he later turned out to be. With that I mean that in those days Goldsmith certainly had talent, but wasn't capable yet of writing a memorable score or melody.

    I personally think the "UNCLE"-theme is highly forgettable, and surely doesn't match up with his great melodies from "Star Trek", "Star Trek Voyager", "Basic Instinct", "Alien" or "Gremlins". "UNCLE" is not the only highly forgettable spy-melody he composed. I similarly disliked his theme for "In Like Flint". And it shows that in those days he was still much more of a TV-Series composer.

    And don't forget: Jerry Goldsmith actually did exactly the same what Daniel Pemberton is doing now: He ignored a previous theme more or less (Alexander Courage's " Star Trek"), and he came up with a memorable orchestrated melody, that ranks as highly as other memorable themes, like Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme", Lalo Shiffrin's "M:I Theme" or the "Indiana Jones Theme" and the "Star Wars Theme".

    So go go Daniel Pemberton! Make this your own score. I love that you only gave the Jerry Goldsmith theme a 'throw-away' cameo only....being on the radio only.
  • SpectreNumberTwoSpectreNumberTwo
    Posts: 389
    Gustav would be right if there was a new theme that ran throughout the new film, but having listened to previews of the soundtrack there isn't actually a stand out theme.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    SpectreNumberTwo wrote: »
    Gustav would be right if there was a new theme that ran throughout the new film, but having listened to previews of the soundtrack there isn't actually a stand out theme.

    I heard a couple. But remember, those were 30 sec. previews. I think today or tomorrow we can download the score, so I will listen in great detail to it. In the meanwhile, check Pemberton's themes from my previous posts. Now those were memorable melodies.
  • AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
    Posts: 2,115
    I have mixed feelings. I'd have liked to have had the UNCLE theme in the end titles, but as Daniel Pemberton noted, he has to respect the wishes of the director.

    While I like the UNCLE theme better than Gustav Graves, it is not as iconic as Mission: Impossible and Hawaii Five-O.

    Ironically, those composers (Lalo Schifrin and Morton Stevens) did work on UNCLE.

    There's a bit of orchestration in Schifrin's arrangement of the Goldsmith theme for the second season of UNCLE that foreshadows Mission. There's a few notes of Stevens' score for The Double Affair/The Spy With My Face that foreshadow Five-O.

    Also, UNCLE isn't even Goldsmith's best known TV theme. I'd say that would be Star Trek: The Next Generation (originally written for the 1979 movie). Perhaps Barnaby Jones after that.

    re: something Delfloria mentioned. These UNCLE movies from the '60s didn't have the Goldsmith theme much:

    --The Spy With My Face. There's a Goldsmith credit, but the theme is used sporadically and only in small bits.

    --The Karate Killers. The main title had a song. The theme shows up in the end titles.

    --How to Steal the World. Doesn't appear at all. The main and end titles use underscore by Richard Shores. It is the only UNCLE production not to have a Goldsmith credit.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    I never watched the tv series, so I don´t care for any old theme, as long as there´s some halfway decent music throughout the film. And as long as the film itself is halfway decent.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    The only theme I know is from tge first season and even then it wasn't that memorable but as a fan of season 1 I'm not fussed if the theme isn't in it. It lacks the umph that the Bond and MI themes have.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Not convinced by this movie from the previews. The trailers have also been overkill imo. Can't see this translating to a long running series even if it's decent. M:I has the advantage Bond does in that it's rooted in the present and why I believe it can continue to evolve. That series has also found it's niche in exceptional stuntwork, while Bond has gone for more acutely dramatic themes. I don't see much about UNCLE that suggests I can anything from it that I can't from a Connery Bond.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139

    I think the appeal and it's simultaneous drawback is that its a period piece movie; whereas the original show and the Connery Bond movies were actual modern films. I agree, the UNCLE movies by default don't have the legs to be a long running movie series as the setting will get old extremely quick but for now it's getting a good reception so I hope it doesn't disappoint.
  • AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
    Posts: 2,115
    This discusses the main differences between Bond and UNCLE:

    https://hmssweblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/09/the-main-difference-between-flemings-two-spy-heroes/
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Bond is at his best when he's morally ambiguous. Do what ever it takes to get tge job done. Sleep with the enemy, being entertained at a dinner party hosted by tge villain, not bothered by a few collateral deaths, drinking on the job...perfect. can you imagine of Bond was still able to slap women in the face? You could definitely kiss the billion dollar box office bye bye!
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    RC7 wrote: »
    Not convinced by this movie from the previews. The trailers have also been overkill imo. Can't see this translating to a long running series even if it's decent. M:I has the advantage Bond does in that it's rooted in the present and why I believe it can continue to evolve. That series has also found it's niche in exceptional stuntwork, while Bond has gone for more acutely dramatic themes. I don't see much about UNCLE that suggests I can anything from it that I can't from a Connery Bond.

    I disagree. I think the reason why "UNCLE" could work for Warner Brothers, is the fact that it isn't a copy of James Bond or Ethan Hunt. Look to the latest Jack Ryan movie. It just didn't stand out, because simply put there are already two big spy franchises: "James Bond 007" and "Mission: Impossible". It's impossible to compete with that.

    So what Warner is doing, is not that different from what 20th Century Fox is doing: Both want their own spy franchise, but both movie companies see that it needs to differentiate itself from Bond & Hunt.

    It is one of the reasons why "Kingsman The Secret Service" was such a surprise success. A 2nd "Kingsman"-movie is in the making as we speak. I can really see "The Man From UNCLE" doing something similar as "Kingsman": A +400 Million global box office take, securing also a sequel for this, possibly succesful, Warner-franchise.
  • delfloriadelfloria
    Posts: 1,871
    You can't get the same dynamic from Bond that you do with the friendship and camaraderie that's found between Solo and Illya. These stories are about their friendship as much as their assignment. Saying it does not have legs because it's a period piece is like saying Indiana Jones or Downey's Sherlock Holmes won't work.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    delfloria wrote: »
    You can't get the same dynamic from Bond that you do with the friendship and camaraderie that's found between Solo and Illya. These stories are about their friendship as much as their assignment. Saying it does not have legs because it's a period piece is like saying Indiana Jones or Downey's Sherlock Holmes won't work.

    Fully agree. The last two Sherlock Holmes films worked 200%. They were both critically acclaimed period-piece action flicks.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    edited August 2015 Posts: 9,020
    @Gustav_Graves

    I don't see UNCLE becoming a franchise. Let's face it, Ritchie isn't big box office material. Sherlock Holmes doesn't count, that was an easy sell especially with Downey Jr. as lead.

    I can't see UNCLE doing as well as Kingsman. Kingsman was full of big stars Hollywood power. Kingsman was a surprise to many, especially the level of violence, which certainly is one of the reasons that movie did so well.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm soooo looking forward to UNCLE, I adore Cavill, I really hope he'll be the next Bond, the cast is superb and it's a Ritchie film.

    Another thing that strictly speaks against UNCLE getting sequels. Cavill is under contract for several movies up to 2019 and if Batsy vs Supes does a billion they will even plan ahead of 2019. Or he becomes Bond in 2020.
    Now tell where there is time for an UNCLE sequel.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    BondJasonBond006 wrote: »
    @Gustav_Graves

    I don't see UNCLE becoming a franchise. Let's face it, Ritchie isn't big box office material. Sherlock Holmes doesn't count, that was an easy sell especially with Downey Jr. as lead.

    I can't see UNCLE doing as well as Kingsman. Kingsman was full of big stars Hollywood power. Kingsman was a surprise to many, especially the level of violence, which certainly is one of the reasons that movie did so well.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm soooo looking forward to UNCLE, I adore Cavill, I really hope he'll be the next Bond, the cast is superb and it's a Ritchie film.

    Another thing that strictly speaks against UNCLE getting sequels. Cavill is under contract for several movies up to 2019 and if Batsy vs Supes does a billion they will even plan ahead of 2019. Or he becomes Bond in 2020.
    Now tell where there is time for an UNCLE sequel.

    Well, I agree Ritchie isn't as big as Matthew Vaughn. But still, don't underestimate the $ 524 Million global box office gross for "Sherlock Holmes 2" and the $ 546 Million for "Sherlock Holmes 2". Yes, yes, Robert Downey Jr. has a great part in it, but it's not all.

    I think "UNCLE" will surprise us similar to what "Kingsman" did.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    edited August 2015 Posts: 11,139
    delfloria wrote: »
    You can't get the same dynamic from Bond that you do with the friendship and camaraderie that's found between Solo and Illya. These stories are about their friendship as much as their assignment. Saying it does not have legs because it's a period piece is like saying Indiana Jones or Downey's Sherlock Holmes won't work.

    When I said it doesn't have legs it was in reference to being a long running cinematic series, which I made perfectly clear in my comment. I'm not looking at BO appeal because i have faith it'll do good business. However, there's a reason why there are only 2 Downey Sherlock movies and although they could do more, don't expect UNCLE to see a pattern of output that resembles MI or the fast and furious movies. It's just not going to happen.

  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    doubleoego wrote: »
    delfloria wrote: »
    You can't get the same dynamic from Bond that you do with the friendship and camaraderie that's found between Solo and Illya. These stories are about their friendship as much as their assignment. Saying it does not have legs because it's a period piece is like saying Indiana Jones or Downey's Sherlock Holmes won't work.

    When I said it doesn't have legs it was in reference to being a long running cinematic series, which I made perfectly clear in my comment. I'm not looking at BO appeal because i have faith it'll do good business. However, there's a reason why there are only 2 Downey Sherlock movies and although they could do more, don't expect UNCLE to see a pattern of output that resembles MI or the fast and furious movies. It's just not going to happen.

    I think you just cannot say that at this point. Fox is making a part 2 to "Kingsman" as we speak. And it took several lacklustre "Fast & Furious" entries (four) to arrive at the franchise's stunning box office takeover as of 2015.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    So, what's your point? Kingsman and the fast and furious movies aren't anchored by being period piece movies like UNCLE is. You're dreaming if you think UNCLE will end up being a long running, multi movie franchise.
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    doubleoego wrote: »
    So, what's your point? Kingsman and the fast and furious movies aren't anchored by being period piece movies like UNCLE is. You're dreaming if you think UNCLE will end up being a long running, multi movie franchise.

    I'm not dreaming. I'm just saying it could either ways.
  • AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
    Posts: 2,115
    It has been more than three decades since the last UNCLE production. I'll worry about sequels/no sequels later.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    edited August 2015 Posts: 11,139
    There was absolutely no need for UNCLE to be set in the 60s because it was never a period piece tv show but the films have decided to make it a period piece and such a move illustrates the intent for this movie series to have limited output. You can only do so much cinematically with a very distinct period piece era and it doesn't help matters when the song they're using heavily to promote tge film, Nina Simone's version of feeling good was released in 1965; which already potentially stipulates the length of time in that era. (Not that I'm using the song as a benchmark to flat out determine that the film is actually set in '65 but you know what i mean).
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    doubleoego wrote: »
    There was absolutely no need for UNCLE to be set in the 60s because it was never a period piece tv show but the films have decided to make it a period piece and such a move illustrates the intent for this movie series to have limited output. You can only do so much cinematically with a very distinct period piece era and it doesn't help matters when the song they're using heavily to promote tge film, Nina Simone's version of feeling good was released in 1965; which already potentially stipulates the length of time in that era. (Not that I'm using the song as a benchmark to flat out determine that the film is actually set in '65 but you know what i mean).

    I think one need to gamble a bit when launching a new spy film. "Jack Ryan" with Chris Pine wasn't a period piece. It still did lackluster at the box office.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    The Jack Ryan movies could be and offer more but with 4 different lead actors taking on the role in subpar movies and no dedicated vision to make it a stable franchise it's always going to be flip flopping along. Who knows when the next one is coming but it's problems are a very different abd distinct set of circumstances from UNCLE.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,359
    I see UNCLE doing way better than Kingsman. Kingsman was an average spoof. It was the appetizer before a bigger and better meal. UNCLE at least is trying to be it's own thing without boasting that it's got what Bond is or was apparently missing.
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