I saw this on television when it first aired , and remembered it as being terrible. But with the recent DVD issue , I had to Return To The Man From U.N.C.L.E....
One cannot deny the natural chemistry between Macallum & Vaughn , but it's a shame the writers didn't give them a decent script.
This is the lamest U.N.C.L.E. venture ever! ( Yes , even worse than some of Season 2 & 3's worst episodes. ) The trouble begins with a terrible "updated" version of the theme song , and spirals from there! ( Apparently they couldn't find the original logo or typeface either - how do you ignore something so iconic? ).
There is far too much time wasted on setting up the affair - which in itself is far too simplistic and easily resolved - and not enough time developing...well...anything else. The writers would rather spend every other scene with one character or another mentioning that "15 Years" have passed...read the title , got it. There's also just a plethora of terrible jokes - including the lame James Bond inclusion, ( Yeah , Ian Flemming , co-creator , got it , back in the 60's , carry on! ), and the typical "Oh you're so out of step" gags ,and throw in a few "old guys teaching the new pups a lesson" gags , and you've got a confused stew that is neither comedy nor drama. Also , since this is the 1980's , all car wrecks or "dangerous scenes" , have to show the bad guys running to safety just before the big bang! ( Makes you miss the days of the sleeper darts! )
The acting is fairly plastic , including an appalling role for Gayle Hunnicut. ( As a "Russian" operative , the writers weren't even clever enough to have her and Illya interact! ). And a major waste comes by way of getting Solo & Kuriyakin back together only to spend most of the Affair in different countries and not performing as a team! A waste of time. A waste of Vaughn & Macallum. A waste of Anthony Zerbe & Keenan Wynn! CLOSE CHANNEL D!
One cannot deny the natural chemistry between Macallum & Vaughn , but it's a shame the writers didn't give them a decent script.
This is the lamest U.N.C.L.E. venture ever! ( Yes , even worse than some of Season 2 & 3's worst episodes. ) The trouble begins with a terrible "updated" version of the theme song , and spirals from there! ( Apparently they couldn't find the original logo or typeface either - how do you ignore something so iconic? ).
There is far too much time wasted on setting up the affair - which in itself is far too simplistic and easily resolved - and not enough time developing...well...anything else. The writers would rather spend every other scene with one character or another mentioning that "15 Years" have passed...read the title , got it. There's also just a plethora of terrible jokes - including the lame James Bond inclusion, ( Yeah , Ian Flemming , co-creator , got it , back in the 60's , carry on! ), and the typical "Oh you're so out of step" gags ,and throw in a few "old guys teaching the new pups a lesson" gags , and you've got a confused stew that is neither comedy nor drama. Also , since this is the 1980's , all car wrecks or "dangerous scenes" , have to show the bad guys running to safety just before the big bang! ( Makes you miss the days of the sleeper darts! )
The acting is fairly plastic , including an appalling role for Gayle Hunnicut. ( As a "Russian" operative , the writers weren't even clever enough to have her and Illya interact! ). And a major waste comes by way of getting Solo & Kuriyakin back together only to spend most of the Affair in different countries and not performing as a team! A waste of time. A waste of Vaughn & Macallum. A waste of Anthony Zerbe & Keenan Wynn! CLOSE CHANNEL D!