The Man from U.N.C.L.E - Review

PG-13  |  116 min  |  Action, Adventure, Comedy
Review - Matt Mungle

**In theaters August 14th*

Synopsis: In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons.

Review: THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E might just be the coolest spy film ever; giving James Bond reason to be shaken if not stirred. Director Guy Ritchie perfectly capture the clothes, style, music, and story of the Cold War era 1960's. His cast perform expertly under his leadership and that is the element that raises this one to the top. 

American agent Solo (Henry Cavill) likes to live up to his name. He is a suave, one man-show who is able to tackle the most intense situation with a calm, cool, effortless swagger. When he has to team up with KGB operative Illya (Armie Hammer) it is not an easy adjustment. Illya is focused, lives by the book, and may be a tad unstable. But the two must work together to find and defuse a nuclear missile that has fallen into the wrong hands. Textbook Cold War spy fodder. 

This if the type of film that not only captures lightening in a bottle but harnesses it and forges it into explosive cinematic energy. The balance of well choreographed action, smartly written dialogue, and perfectly placed humor give the movie a rhythm that never misses a beat. Just when you think you are about to be out of breath from an edge of your seat action sequence they slow it down, offer up some witty exchange and settle into the next act. 

But looks aren't everything (sorry, Henry) and you need a solid story to match the visuals. No problem here. The script uses all those iconic Cold War events to its advantage. Everyone was concerned about the bomb and every country wanted control. No one was completely honest or trustworthy. It was this desire that drove politics then and helps catapult this story forward here. The concept of American working side by side with Russian in that era was unimaginable. And the characters play that up nicely. 

The casting is another thing that could have been a negative element. Finding the right men to fill these shoes and make the conflict believable was important. They had to not only be able to deliver the spy goods but with this script be witty and sharp tongued; all while staying in character. It had to be seamless and believable. Like everything else in this film it was spot on.

Having never seen the original TV show I cant speak to how or if it paid respects. I am not sure it was needed though. Die hard fans of the series could try and nit pick this one apart but in doing so might miss out on all the fun. 

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E is rated PG-13 for action violence, some suggestive content, and partial nudity. It is void of any bad language and the suggestive content is restricted to a 20 second episode. I give it 4.75 out of 5 hidden bugs. It is smart, sexy, spy vs spy cool. 

Final Girl - Review

R  |  90 min  |  Action, Drama, Thriller
Review - Matt Mungle

**In Theaters, Digital HD And Video On Demand August 14*

Synopsis: FINAL GIRL follows a group of charismatic yet sadistic boys who every night, trick a young, blonde girl into meeting them for a date with the intention to hunt and kill her. However, their horrifying ritual takes a turn when they select the beautiful Veronica (Breslin) as their next victim. When the hunt begins, the boys soon realize they messed with the wrong girl. 

Review:  The opening seen of this film is powerful, stylistic, and attention grabbing. It sets the table for what could have been a top notch psycho thriller. But much of this movie (script in particular) is so horribly bad that it would have made a better 5 minute short film and been done with it. Maybe it looked substantial on paper? But when delivered by the cast of the film it comes across forced, unoriginal, and amateurish. 

If I had not seen Abigail Breslin in past roles I would think she has absolutely zero acting abilities. It is painful to watch her deliver these lines in what is an attempt at cold, cunning, and calculating. It is worse than watching a child playing dress up. Even when trying to deliver mild expletives the words roll off her tongue as if for the first time. And it frustrates me to say that because we have all seen Breslin in top form, granted that was almost a decade ago, but still she is better that what we see here. 

Breslin is not the only problem with this project. Wes Bentley plays William, the mysterious guy who has trained Veronica (Breslin) from a young girl to supposedly be a ruthless killer. Veronica was an orphan and William took her under his wing. After 12 years though Veronica still seems like she has had zero training. What have they been doing the last 10 + years?? Granted Abigail bit off way more than she could chew with this character. She simply can't play the tough, detached, bad ass. No amount of direction by Tyler Shields was going to get that out of her. 

Let's talk about Shields for a minute. This was his first crack at directing and it was so brutally apparent. His background as a photographer is impressive. He has the ability to capture people and images stunningly. That would explain why the set design and the look and feel of the movie was superb. If the actors had kept their mouths shut the entire time it would have been a rave success. It has a very sinister Grimm's look about it. The shadowing and use of color are grand. But this isn't an art exhibit it is a movie. And without a strong story and top notch acting all the window dressing in the world can't save it. 

FINAL GIRL is rated R for disturbing violent content, and some language. It is an adult thriller with dark themes and graphic acts of violence. This is a very sub par film and I can't even recommend it for on-demand viewing. I give it 1 out of 5 belt straps. The 1 is for the look of each scene but nothing more. Very disappointing indeed. 

Screening passes to see the new Fox pilots!

Free advanced screening passes to see the pilot episodes of the new shows...

GRANDFATHERED,
THE GRINDER, and
SCREAM QUEENS

Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at 7:30pm 

To get your pass click here or go to gofobo.com and use the very extra groovy passcode: MungleLovesFox

GRANDFATHERED
Premieres September 29, 2015
When you’re so skilled at bachelorhood that it’s on autopilot, what’s the fastest way to bring your cruise-controlled lifestyle to a crashing halt? Television icon John Stamos (“Full House,” “ER”) stars in a new comedy about the ultimate bachelor who discovers he’s not only a father, but a grandfather. Successful restaurateur and man-about-town JIMMY MARTINO (Stamos) is used to being the most suave, most handsome and most single person in the room. All that changes with the surprise appearance of Jimmy’s adult son, GERALD (Josh Peck, THE MINDY PROJECT), and his baby daughter, EDIE. Now Jimmy has to unlearn a lifetime of blissful selfishness and grapple with the fact that he went straight from single to grandfather in six seconds flat. 

THE GRINDER
Premieres September 29, 2015
 How many TV lawyers does it take to try a real-life case in a real-life courtroom? One, and his name is THE GRINDER. Starring Emmy Award nominee Rob Lowe (“Parks and Recreation,” “The West Wing”), THE GRINDER is a new comedy about a famous TV lawyer at a crossroads. When his legal series ends, he decides to move back home and join his family’s real law firm – despite having no formal education, no bar certification, no license to practice and no experience in an actual courtroom. 

SCREAM QUEENS
Premieres September 22, 2015
Wallace University is rocked by a string of murders. Kappa House, the most sought-after sorority for pledges, is ruled with an iron fist (in a pink glove) by its Queen Bitch, CHANEL OBERLIN (Emma Roberts, “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” “Scream 4”). But when anti-Kappa DEAN MUNSCH (Jamie Lee Curtis, “Halloween,” “A Fish Called Wanda,” “True Lies”) decrees that sorority pledging must be open to all students, and not just the school’s silver-spooned elite, all hell is about to break loose, as a devil-clad killer begins wreaking havoc, claiming one victim, one episode at a time.  Part black comedy, part slasher flick, SCREAM QUEENS is a modern take on the classic whodunit, in which every character has a motive for murder…or could easily be the next blood-soaked casualty.

New Blu-ray releases - 08-11-15

SYNOPSIS: In “Hot Pursuit,” an uptight and by-the-book cop (Witherspoon) tries to protect the sexy and outgoing widow (Vergara) of a drug boss as they race through Texas, pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
 • The Womance
Reese and Sofía’s on-set crazy-mashup-antics. From dance moves to car crashes, see these women light up the screen and leave us in stitches with their side-splitting comedic styling.
 • Say What?
Watch the hilarity that ensued when Reese and Sofía each tried to speak the other’s language. See Reese get her tongue tied trying to speak Spanish and watch Sofía’s tongue actually go numb from trying to speak English. 

ALSO AVAILABLE THIS WEEK