There are movies out there that don’t get their fair shake, and there are directors who fall under the same category. What happens when you end up with both? You get, arguably, a fantastic movie that somehow underperformed and is vastly under appreciated and underseen. There is only one movie we could be talking about, and that is Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015). It’s a stylized masterpiece that will satisfy all Ritchie fans and even those who have never seen the show will at least find the movie entertaining.

With a cast stacked with Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Elizabeth Debicki (TeneT), Henry Cavill (Argylle), Armie Hammer (Sorry to Bother You) (before he was cancelled), and Hugh Grant (Paddington 2), it really does not make sense why this movie is not held in a higher regard. Ritchie (The Covenant; Snatch) brings his signature flare and style to the film, so this screamed (since time of release) to be presented in the greatest way possible to truly amplify the sharpness and how brilliant this film simply looks. It may have taken a near decade, but Arrow thankfully came to the rescue and gave Guy Ritchie and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. their due flowers and a released a must-have version for anyone who likes the spy genre.

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. reversible cover. Image courtesy of MVD Entertainment Group/Arrow Video.

If you’ve never seen The Man from U.N.C.L.E., this is the only way to watch the movie. If you have seen it, then you know why this needs to be added to your collection. If you saw it and didn’t like it (like me, originally), you need to revisit it, because it deserves one’s attention. This is the best looking 4K to possibly come out this year and will be touted as a reference quality disc for years to come. Simply put, this restoration from Arrow makes The Man from U.N.C.L.E. a definitive purchase that presents one of the most stylized directors of all time with a beautiful 4K that simply will leave the audience’s collective jaw on the floor.

The film focuses on CIA agent (amply named) Napoleon Solo (Cavil), who is not on the greatest terms with the CIA in of itself, as he forms an unholy alliance with KGB officer Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) in the 1960s. They’re working together to ensure the world doesn’t cease to exist due to Victoria’s (Elizabeth Debicki) goal with her criminal empire. Without giving too much away, the action and set pieces combined with the plot and tension of the film itself are what create the world of espionage and stylization that make The Man from U.N.C.L.E. one of Guy Ritchie’s best movies to date.

With Arrow, there is always a plethora of bonuses and extras which makes purchasing their 4K release worth every single penny and then some. First and foremost, this release comes with a double-sided poster featuring the original art and new art commission by Dare Creative as well an illustrated collector’s booklet which features new writings by Barry Forshaw and a reprint article from CODEX Magazine discussing the films cinematography. Aside from the physical extra goodness, the movie also comes with the original lossless Dolby Atmos sound. There are a ton of new features included in this 4K release, but the most interesting ones are “The Legacy of U.N.C.L.E.,” which is a brand-new featurette celebrating the original 1960s TV series and its influence on the 2015 movie, featuring Helen McCarthy, David Flint, and Vic Pratt. This feature is super engaging and interesting, especially for people who’ve never seen the television show. Following up with this feature is “Cockneys and Robbers,” which is a brand-new featurette exploring director Guy Ritchie’s oeuvre, featuring Kat Hughes, Hannah Strong, and Josh Saco. Both of these features provide such insight into Ritchie and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as a whole, furthering this being one of the best purchases of the year.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Special Features:

• 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
• 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

Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray July 30^th 2024.

For more information, head to the official Arrow Video The Man from U.N.C.L.E. webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Group The Man from U.N.C.L.E. webpage.

Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews

Tags: 4K UHD, Alicia Vikander, Arrow Video, Christian Berkel, David C. Wilson, David Menkin, Davis Entertainment, Elizabeth Debicki, Guy Ritchie, Henry Cavill, home release, home video, Hugh Grant, Jared Harris, Jeff Kleeman, Lionel Wigram, Luca Calvani, Misha Kuznetsov, MVD Entertainment Group, RatPac Entertainment, remaster, Sylvester Groth, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Warner Bros. Pictures, Wigram Productions