Before this all-new Arrow Video edition, Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E 2015 film found mid-level success at the Box Office, and while we know this doesn’t always matters in a film-making sense, the general consensus wasn’t overwhelmingly stimulating and so, until this point, I hadn’t actually delved into the adventure.

That main release probably wasn’t helped by endless rumours of different actors connected to film, and it also went through numerous rewrites, as well as involvement along the way from the likes of Matthew Vaughn (who I occasionally confuse with Ritchie due to their stylistics), David Dobkin, and Steven Soderbergh. In the end though, the film still picked up a great cast with Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander as the lead three who got involved in this new take on the classic 1960s TV series.

Before we dive in, the initial elephant in the room – or should we call it ‘flat cap in the corridor’ – is Guy Ritchie’s stylistic approach to his movies, and that certainly comes across as I expected, even with a lesser knowledge over the original source material and series, but his filmmaking nature is evident here, although a little more subtle in places, but that can sometimes become a little tired. However, with a personal penchant for a fresh spy thriller, I actually enjoyed this certainly suave ride, as the 2015 edition of The Man from U.N.C.L.E features a selection of very watchable highlights.

Set in 1963, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. follows the charming Cavill as Napoleon Solo, how’s that for a name out of a hat, and he’s a CIA agent who knows what he likes, what he’s good at and what he doesn’t like; in this case those Russians. And to be fair this is the height of the Cold War, and there’s a man out there in a similar style to Solo, except his attitude isn’t quite as chilled, and that’s Hammer’s KGB agent Illya Kuryakin – complete with a decent enough accent, and while they’re at loggerheads to begin with, they’re going to have to team up for the greater good (greater good) because there’s something greater that could end up taking everything over and out… in a dead sense.

So, beyond their distinct resentment towards each other, and there are some entertaining fight sequences that highlight this, shot in a similar Ritchie fashion but with a little bit more of a 60s haze, the larger issue is a criminal organisation who operate internationally and want to unsettle the typical global balance of power. Whatever that really means, But, to get things sorted, they must work together to defeat the bigger baddies in a race against time, to eventually bring back the power to those who, er, control it? Secret spy narratives are always weird really, but together they must find a way to grab their power back, if they can stop arguing, that is! Oh, boys!

But, of course, that’s not all because there’s Alicia Vikander’s Gaby Teller setting hearts alight, and putting up her own fight, in an era where it’s less expected from a smart woman, and she’s a key component to everything coming together and, quite genuinely, first-class as always. Overall, you’ll find I’m being quite vague with the plot reveals but that’s because there are decent spins on the story, and if you’ve not visited TMFU, this seems like a good opportunity. Plus, there an even more impressive co-starring cast with the likes of Elizabeth Debicki. Jared Harris, Sylvester Groth, Christian Berkel, Luca Calvani, Misha Kuznetsov, and even Hugh Grant popping up along the way.

While we all know that smooth and sharp fight scenes are a cornerstone of Guy Ritchie films, like the aforementioned Vaughn, often forgoing rational military/spy training (as it seems unusual that everyone would have modern James Bond-like fighting skills) but with Cavill, Hammer and Vikander getting fully involved, there’s much to enjoy in that context, and a very pleasurable long car-person-chase sequence as well (“He’s trying. To stop. The car”) – which is worth re-watching if you haven’t yet. And while Ritchie hallmarks can go beyond the ‘real’ connection of what’s happening, and it doesn’t always hit the mark, it can offer a certain service to the film that fits the escapism.

In truth, The Man from U.N.C.L.E held more charm and easy charisma than I expected. While there’s a heavy hand on the smooth element from time-to-time, leaning in on an equal measure of Bond and Powers (as the latter pastiche is so brilliantly done), this film is certainly a vehicle for Henry Cavill’s roguish charms, alongside a stellar Alicia Vikander, with Armie Hammer’s Russian dry-spy  getting the literal punches in, with little held back, when other options aren’t getting him what he wants.

The thing is, they’re a very likeably trio and with a decent marketing campaign, you feel like there was an opportunity for further ventures, and I could see their worldwide escapades going down well in a limited streaming series. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. may not blow the genre out of the water, but I genuinely liked the adventure and would happily settle into a series with an even more secretive and sturdily built world that could be a rewarding romp. As it were.

The Special Features are as follows but unfortunately I didn’t have access to the full rundown this time. However, the 4K UHD looks as sharp as Cavill’s jawline – and the setting itself leans into the era with grace and a passion for the style and designs of the era.

• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10/compatible)
• Original lossless Dolby Atmos sound
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
• The Hollywood Way – brand new interview with co-writer/producer Lionel Wigram
• A Lineage of Bad Guys – brand new interview with actor Luca Calvani
• Legacy of U.N.C.L.E. – brand new featurette celebrating the original 1960s TV series and its influence on the 2015 movie, featuring Helen McCarthy, David Flint and Vic Pratt
• Cockneys and Robbers – brand new featurette exploring director Guy Ritchie’s oeuvre, featuring Kat Hughes, Hannah Strong and Josh Saco
• Spy Vision: Recreating 60s Cool, A Higher Class of Hero, Metisse Motorcycles: Proper and Very British, The Guys from U.N.C.L.E. and A Man of Extraordinary Talents – five archival featurettes exploring the making of the film
• U.N.C.L.E.: On-Set Spy – four archival, bite-sized featurettes going behind the scenes on the film set
• Theatrical trailer; Image gallery
• Double-sided fold-out poster, featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Barry Forshaw, and a reprinted article from CODEX Magazine on the film’s cinematography
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative

The Man from U.N.C.L.E 4K UHD is out now from Arrow Video: arrowfilms.com/the-man-from-u.n.c.l.e.-limited-edition