Cast: At the top are Henry Cavill (Man of Steel), Armie Hammer (The Lone Range), and Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina). The supporting cast includes Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant, Jarred Harris, and some other names I don't recognize who don't make enough of an impression to point out.
Plot: Solo (Cavill) is a CIA agent tasked to protect Gaby (Vikander), a mechanic with some familial ties to the construction of a nuclear missile. Illya (Hammer) is a KGB agent they reluctantly team up with. You see, it's the 60's, Cold War era, so that's not a sturdy alliance. The two men don't particularly like each other and Gaby isn't helping. Then there's Victoria, a rich woman who wants to blow up the world, or rule the world, or maybe just make a lot of money by selling the missile (I wasn't sure about her motivation).
Thoughts:
I like this genre and this specific shade especially. It's a light movie that uses all the conventions of spy movies in an entertaining way. Nothing about this is new. In fact, it borrows the setting from Spy, the tone from Kingsman, and the dynamic from Focus (maybe? I can't quite narrow that last one down).
It works because I like the characters and the plot isn't intrusive. Henry Cavill is enjoying himself greatly. He's the Jack Sparrow to Hammer and Vikander's Will and Elizabeth. Every time I think of Cavill in the movie, my brain goes to Matt Bomer in White Collar. That tells you everything you need to know about him. Hammer gets more mileage than I expected out of a role that on paper is little more than "do a Russian spy impression". His attempt to remain composed the whole time works well with Cavill and Vikander, who are both determined to make him as uncomfortable as possible. Vikander's character is the least fleshed out initially. There is a reason for that which I'll let the movie explain.
One of my favorite things about this is that it's not a love triangle between the three leads. Solo is doing his thing. Gaby and Illya have an attraction, although a lot of it is a game of Gaby's. The script works hard to make the three equals. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. No one is the lone hero.
With Guy Richie movies, I'm familiar to the point that when I watch one, I can say "Guy Richie directed this" but I can't tell you what gives it away. So, I'll put it like this. If you enjoy his movies, you'll enjoy this too.
It didn't sell me on the movie in any special way, but I enjoyed the end credits. It fleshes out the background of nearly every character in a way that wants me to see the movie again. It also shows a hypothetical next mission, like getting a sequel in case there isn't one.
Elephant in the Room: Really, another spy movie? This is the third comedic homage to 007 this year by my count (Kingsman, Spy, The Man from UNCLE) with a James Bond movie still on its way later this year. That's perhaps too much for some. Not for me. Each of them have been different enough to keep my interest. The period settings is the main selling point for this one.
To Sum Things Up (in 57 Words or Less):
A light, bright, retro spy movie. The leads are enjoyable to be around and the plot mostly stays out of the way of the fun. A nice soundtrack too.
Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend
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