Unlike "One Of Our Spies Is Missing", the title of "One Spy Too Many" is well-chosen: the extraneous "spy" is played by Dorothy Provine, who is quite funny as the eager and persistent Tracey. As a feature-length film, "One Spy Too Many" is also about 20 minutes too long, and it gets painfully slow at times. But there are highlights spread over its length: the chess match with people acting as the pawns, the elaborate tomb death traps, Napoleon's fight with a muscle-bound gorilla in a gymnasium, Illya being chased by agricultural vehicles and almost getting mummified, and a climax that's worthy of a Bond movie (with the exception of the black-and-white stock footage of the plane explosion!). The three main villains are well-cast, but the "will gas" that gets stolen from an army base in the opening sequence is never really used. I was not surprised to learn that Yvonne Craig's scenes in this film did not exist in the original TV episodes; her innuendo with Napoleon (I love the way she pronounces that word), as well as the camera panning over her nude body push the boundaries of the PG rating! **1/2 out of 4.
11 Reviews
Rob's your U.N.C.L.E.
Lejink7 October 2009
The "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." TV-adaptations-into-movies are never off British TV rotation for long, although nostalgists like myself would be far happier if the rights to the complete original TV series could be picked up and shown the same way that classic British-made ABC shows like "The Champions", "The Avengers" and "Department S" more frequently are. I for that matter would love the chance to see other classic US fantasy / spy series like "The Wild Wild West", "I Spy", "The Green Hornet" and even "Get Smart" which somehow seem to have been permanently mothballed since their 60's heyday, certainly as far as British TV is concerned.
This U.N.C.L.E. composite shows its soldering too easily despite professional enough titles front and back-ending it. It doesn't strike me as one of the more memorable adventures Agents Solo and Kuryakin enjoyed, although it has its, albeit minor, moments. David McCallum gets most of the action here, neck deep in a marshy swamp, stripped to his shorts (no doubt his myriad teenybop fans of the time would have appreciated this) and suspended from a ceiling to be made into a modern-day mummy (it sounds strange just typing that never mind witnessing it), while Robert Vaughn does his usual debonair bit, courting the ladies, although here Yvonne Craig (later to become the leather-clad Batgirl in the "Batman" TV series) as his minor Miss Moneypenny interest, seems absurdly, as she was 30 at the time, almost too young for our hero. Another oddity is the crude insertion, at the end of master-villain Alexander's plane exploding mid-air in vintage black and white - talk about regurgitating your old stock footage!
The story is run of the mill spy-caper fare with Rip Torn (looking at times a ringer for Ralph Fiennes!) getting off on an Alexander the Great(er) global domination kick and coming unstuck at the hands of Solo and Kuryakin with the usual token meddlesome tag-along female in tow, played here with relish by Dorothy Provine.
To be truthful there are few real thrilling and suspenseful moments and even the stars' quips seldom raise a smile but Vaughn and McCallum look the part in their suits and haircuts and that great Jerry Goldsmith theme music is never far away.
Probably for 60's kids like me only, although, not unnaturally the child in me remembers TV series like this and the above-mentioned with rose-tinted glasses probably lacking today. Not that that will stop me watching the others in the series!
This U.N.C.L.E. composite shows its soldering too easily despite professional enough titles front and back-ending it. It doesn't strike me as one of the more memorable adventures Agents Solo and Kuryakin enjoyed, although it has its, albeit minor, moments. David McCallum gets most of the action here, neck deep in a marshy swamp, stripped to his shorts (no doubt his myriad teenybop fans of the time would have appreciated this) and suspended from a ceiling to be made into a modern-day mummy (it sounds strange just typing that never mind witnessing it), while Robert Vaughn does his usual debonair bit, courting the ladies, although here Yvonne Craig (later to become the leather-clad Batgirl in the "Batman" TV series) as his minor Miss Moneypenny interest, seems absurdly, as she was 30 at the time, almost too young for our hero. Another oddity is the crude insertion, at the end of master-villain Alexander's plane exploding mid-air in vintage black and white - talk about regurgitating your old stock footage!
The story is run of the mill spy-caper fare with Rip Torn (looking at times a ringer for Ralph Fiennes!) getting off on an Alexander the Great(er) global domination kick and coming unstuck at the hands of Solo and Kuryakin with the usual token meddlesome tag-along female in tow, played here with relish by Dorothy Provine.
To be truthful there are few real thrilling and suspenseful moments and even the stars' quips seldom raise a smile but Vaughn and McCallum look the part in their suits and haircuts and that great Jerry Goldsmith theme music is never far away.
Probably for 60's kids like me only, although, not unnaturally the child in me remembers TV series like this and the above-mentioned with rose-tinted glasses probably lacking today. Not that that will stop me watching the others in the series!
great title. film is okay.
ksf-210 January 2021
The series Man From Uncle ran from 1964 through 1968. this film, also with Robert Vaughn, came out in 1966. "directed" by joe sargent, who had done a lot of television, including.. Man from Uncle. and the first Taking of Pelham 1,2,3. it's kind of like a long episode of Get Smart. or Man from Uncle, which it is! some spy tricks and gadgets. when the opposition steals a secret nerve gas, it's up to Solo to track them down. It's actually footage from the original tv show, stapled together with added material by Yvonne Craig (Batgirl!) they are invited to a party hosted by Alexander (Rip Torn). a fun outdoor chess game, using live people. and then we're off to explore a tomb, with a whole lot of trick photography. it kind of goes on and on. like a usual spy flick, the good guys and bad guys take turns winning the battles. it's okay. just okay. two demerits for mostly reusing television footage. watch the Taking of Pelham 1,2,3. That one is really quite good.
For the last time, this is not a spoof.
Victor Field14 August 2003
The first theatrical spinoff from "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." to come from two RELATED episodes ("To Trap A Spy" was "The Vulcan Affair" + extra footage, and "The Spy With My Face" was "The Double Affair" + extra footage*, but this movie was first shown on American TV as the show's two-parter "The Alexander The Greater Affair"), "One Spy Too Many" has Solo and Kuryakin go up against evil millionaire industrialist (aren't they all?) Alexander, who as part of his plan to take over the world by breaking all of the Ten Commandments has stolen a will gas, which our heroes have to get back.
This is often and misleadingly called a spoof by people who can't understand the difference between an espionage show with a sense of humour (which "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." was in the beginning) and an out-and-out comedy (which is what it became in its third year, giving the show a very misguided "Batman" feel - I defy anybody to watch Solo dancing with a man in a gorilla suit in "The My Friend The Gorilla Affair" without screaming). Though it's pretty tongue-in-cheek, the danger our heroes are in is real more often than not; it does betray its TV roots more than any of the other "movies," with several of the show's trademark going-out-of-focus-at-the-end-of-an-act shots preserved, an all-too-obvious "To be continued" moment and at least one really bad use of stock footage.
But with Messrs. Vaughn and McCallum in fine fettle, and Rip Torn having a high old time as the evil madman (and he wasn't even Larry Sanders' producer then), this is as entertaining today as it must have been when it debuted on TV nearly forty years ago. Would I be lynched if I said I actually like these more than Bond?
*Said extra footage was eventually turned into "The Four Steps Affair." That episode has never been shown on British TV, and indeed neither have most of the other episodes that became movies - except for "The Five Daughters Affair" (i.e. "The Karate Killers"), shown in its original two-part format on the UK answer to TV Land, Granada Plus.
This is often and misleadingly called a spoof by people who can't understand the difference between an espionage show with a sense of humour (which "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." was in the beginning) and an out-and-out comedy (which is what it became in its third year, giving the show a very misguided "Batman" feel - I defy anybody to watch Solo dancing with a man in a gorilla suit in "The My Friend The Gorilla Affair" without screaming). Though it's pretty tongue-in-cheek, the danger our heroes are in is real more often than not; it does betray its TV roots more than any of the other "movies," with several of the show's trademark going-out-of-focus-at-the-end-of-an-act shots preserved, an all-too-obvious "To be continued" moment and at least one really bad use of stock footage.
But with Messrs. Vaughn and McCallum in fine fettle, and Rip Torn having a high old time as the evil madman (and he wasn't even Larry Sanders' producer then), this is as entertaining today as it must have been when it debuted on TV nearly forty years ago. Would I be lynched if I said I actually like these more than Bond?
*Said extra footage was eventually turned into "The Four Steps Affair." That episode has never been shown on British TV, and indeed neither have most of the other episodes that became movies - except for "The Five Daughters Affair" (i.e. "The Karate Killers"), shown in its original two-part format on the UK answer to TV Land, Granada Plus.
Average yet still watchable
coltras3511 August 2021
The intrepid
U. N. C. L. E. Agents are assigned to recover a specimen of lethal BG30 gas which has been stolen from the US army. In a race against time and the villainous Alexander, Solo and Kuryakin battle to avert world disaster - a task that takes them to the remote Greek island of Minos.
Out of all the UNCLE films, this one doesn't stand out much, lacks something distinguishing, or the usual humorous quips from our heroes, but it has an interesting villain played by Rip Torn and his main henchman is quite menacing. There are some good scenes: the human chess piece, Solo almost getting sliced by a saw blade, Kuriyakin chases by farm tractors. Dorothy Provine plays a dizzy character. It's not a standout UNCLE film, and it is close to average, but it's still fun.
Out of all the UNCLE films, this one doesn't stand out much, lacks something distinguishing, or the usual humorous quips from our heroes, but it has an interesting villain played by Rip Torn and his main henchman is quite menacing. There are some good scenes: the human chess piece, Solo almost getting sliced by a saw blade, Kuriyakin chases by farm tractors. Dorothy Provine plays a dizzy character. It's not a standout UNCLE film, and it is close to average, but it's still fun.
Truly putrid
saskplanner5 November 2020
Caught on TCM. Just awful. Truly, truly awful. Clunky, slow directing, inane dialogue, sexist, sterile writing, inappropriate cartoonish overacting, inexplicable uncomfortable pacing, cardboard-ish sets. Doesn't even have camp value.
Had to finally turn it off and switch to home renovation shows before it ate my brain. This, and every one of this series, should have the filmstock burnt and flushed down the toilet....
Had to finally turn it off and switch to home renovation shows before it ate my brain. This, and every one of this series, should have the filmstock burnt and flushed down the toilet....
one spy too many
mossgrymk27 November 2020
Two Different Media
JamesHitchcock20 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." was a popular American television series from the 1960s. Like a number of series and film franchises from this period, it was inspired by the success of the James Bond films which made anything with an espionage theme very popular. The acronym U.N.C.L.E. stood for "United Network Command for Law and Enforcement", an international law enforcement agency. (The "N" was originally supposed to stand for "Nations", but the real-life UN objected to their name being used in this way). The series should really have been called "The Men from U.N.C.L.E." because it features two U.N.C.L.E. agents, the American Napoleon Solo and the Russian Ilya Kuryakin. At the height of the Cold War there was an obvious appeal to a series which showed the Americans and Russians working together to preserve world peace.
This was the third feature film to be based upon the "Man from U.N.C.L.E." franchise. Like its two predecessors it is based upon a story which was originally broadcast on television and most of the footage consists of re-edited material from one or more episodes of the series. The only additional material used here is the subplot featuring Yvonne Craig as Solo's love interest Maude, a character who never appeared on television. Maude, a sort of Monypenny figure, turns out to be the niece of Solo and Kuryakin's British boss Waverly.
As in many of the Bond films, the main villain is a ruthless tycoon with ambitions of world domination. This tycoon, largely because his name is Alexander, sees himself as a modern-day Alexander the Great and has similar ambitions to conquer the world. He starts stealing a top-secret chemical weapon from an American military base and intends to bankroll a military coup against the President of an unnamed Asian country. He is also obsessed with the Ten Commandments, believing that as a superior being he has a licence to break them which is denied to lesser mortals. The task of foiling Alexander's evil schemes falls, of course, to Solo and Kuryakin. In doing so they have the assistance of Alexander's his estranged wife Tracey who is trying to track him down so that she can serve him with divorce papers.
A comparison between "One Spy Too Many"- the precise relevance of this title is never made clear- and the Bond movies illustrates some of the differences between the cinema and television in the 1960s. In 1966 the Production code was on its last legs- it was to be abolished the following year- and film-makers were quick to take advantage of a climate of growing permissiveness as regards both sex and violence. Television producers, who needed to pursue the family audience and to keep their advertisers and sponsors happy, did not have the same licence. Although Robert Vaughn's Solo, another suave, debonair charmer, had certain things in common with Sean Connery's Bond, he was decidedly less promiscuous. Here his romance with Maude, although flirtatious, always remains within the bounds of decency, and there is no indication that they have been to bed together. Bond, who regularly bedded several girls per film, would never have missed such an opportunity. About the only thing that might have upset TV producers is a shot of the lovely Maude in a bikini.
The film is also less violent than the Bond franchise. Solo and Kuryakin might occasionally brandish their pistols, but they rarely if ever use them to lethal effect. The death toll is markedly lower than in most Bond films, and most of the killings we see are carried out by the bad guys. It is notable that Alexander himself dies at the hands not of an U.N.C.L.E. agent but of one of his own renegade henchmen.
Not only is "One Spy Too Many" less sexy and less violent than the Standard Average Bond, it is also less exciting. There are few action sequences apart from a not very well-done car chase and little tension is generated, even when one or other of our heroes has been captured by the bad guys. Rip Torn as Alexander cannot compare with the great Bond villains such as Gerd Frobe's Goldfinger, Donald Pleasence's Blofeld or Michael Lonsdale's Drax. If I had to compare it with a Bond film, it would be with one of the lesser entries in that franchise such as "A View to a Kill" or "Licence to Kill". Television and the cinema are two different media, and you cannot make a successful feature film simply by re-editing a television programme, even a successful one. 5/10
This was the third feature film to be based upon the "Man from U.N.C.L.E." franchise. Like its two predecessors it is based upon a story which was originally broadcast on television and most of the footage consists of re-edited material from one or more episodes of the series. The only additional material used here is the subplot featuring Yvonne Craig as Solo's love interest Maude, a character who never appeared on television. Maude, a sort of Monypenny figure, turns out to be the niece of Solo and Kuryakin's British boss Waverly.
As in many of the Bond films, the main villain is a ruthless tycoon with ambitions of world domination. This tycoon, largely because his name is Alexander, sees himself as a modern-day Alexander the Great and has similar ambitions to conquer the world. He starts stealing a top-secret chemical weapon from an American military base and intends to bankroll a military coup against the President of an unnamed Asian country. He is also obsessed with the Ten Commandments, believing that as a superior being he has a licence to break them which is denied to lesser mortals. The task of foiling Alexander's evil schemes falls, of course, to Solo and Kuryakin. In doing so they have the assistance of Alexander's his estranged wife Tracey who is trying to track him down so that she can serve him with divorce papers.
A comparison between "One Spy Too Many"- the precise relevance of this title is never made clear- and the Bond movies illustrates some of the differences between the cinema and television in the 1960s. In 1966 the Production code was on its last legs- it was to be abolished the following year- and film-makers were quick to take advantage of a climate of growing permissiveness as regards both sex and violence. Television producers, who needed to pursue the family audience and to keep their advertisers and sponsors happy, did not have the same licence. Although Robert Vaughn's Solo, another suave, debonair charmer, had certain things in common with Sean Connery's Bond, he was decidedly less promiscuous. Here his romance with Maude, although flirtatious, always remains within the bounds of decency, and there is no indication that they have been to bed together. Bond, who regularly bedded several girls per film, would never have missed such an opportunity. About the only thing that might have upset TV producers is a shot of the lovely Maude in a bikini.
The film is also less violent than the Bond franchise. Solo and Kuryakin might occasionally brandish their pistols, but they rarely if ever use them to lethal effect. The death toll is markedly lower than in most Bond films, and most of the killings we see are carried out by the bad guys. It is notable that Alexander himself dies at the hands not of an U.N.C.L.E. agent but of one of his own renegade henchmen.
Not only is "One Spy Too Many" less sexy and less violent than the Standard Average Bond, it is also less exciting. There are few action sequences apart from a not very well-done car chase and little tension is generated, even when one or other of our heroes has been captured by the bad guys. Rip Torn as Alexander cannot compare with the great Bond villains such as Gerd Frobe's Goldfinger, Donald Pleasence's Blofeld or Michael Lonsdale's Drax. If I had to compare it with a Bond film, it would be with one of the lesser entries in that franchise such as "A View to a Kill" or "Licence to Kill". Television and the cinema are two different media, and you cannot make a successful feature film simply by re-editing a television programme, even a successful one. 5/10
The Best Of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Films
jimdoyle11111 December 2015
This is the best 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' film combining humour, action and adventure.
The grittiness of "To Trap A Spy" had gone as the series settled down to be a smooth tongue-in-cheek weekly action adventure. Illya was now Napoleon's fully fledged partner and gets his own good scenes, and there are bonuses with Rip Torn as the megalomaniacal villain 'Alexander The Greater', Dorothy Provine as his dippy blonde former wife who has her own reasons for pursuing him, David Sheiner is alternately scary and funny as a henchman, Yvonne Craig as Napoleon's contact at Channel D and there are some memorable set pieces like the human chess game, the giant blade swinging over its victims, Napoleon's fight with Ingo in the gym, a mummified David McCallum and more. (One of the things I always liked about these films is the way that coloured gas suddenly emits from everyday objects and knocks out anyone who breathes it in.)
Here's what I wrote about it in my book "What We Watched In The 1960s (In The Cinema)" when it arrived in Glasgow during week commencing 6th February 1966.
1966 would be the year when the spy craze peaked. Audiences were turning out in their droves for spies in all shapes and sizes, and on Thursday evenings 'The Man From UNCLE' was a Top 10 rated show, which had already provided two successful spin-off films using existing episodes with additional material that may have been too strong for American TV, but the two-part episode - 'The Alexander The Greater Affair' - which kicked off season two in the USA, was released in Britain as "One Spy Too Many", with no additional material, and very good it was too. Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryeakin were after Rip Torn as a modern day Alexander The Great who wants to take over the world and break each of the commandments on his way. His ex-wife Dorothy Provine hinders them as they go all over Europe and the US, which always manages to look like the MGM back lot. The support feature was a made-for-US-TV movie, "Your Cheatin' Heart", which told the story of country singer Hank Williams, ably played by George Hamilton with Williams' son providing the vocals. It was an excellent double-bill at both the ABC Regal and Green's Bedford.
Trivia: In early 1966 this film outperformed the new Bond film "Thunderball". Director Joseph Sargent went on to helm "The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3" in the 1970s.
Jim Doyle is the author of 'What We Watched In The 1960s (In The Cinema)', 'What We Watched In The 1970s (In The Cinema)" and 'What We Watched In The 1980s (In The Cinema And On Video)'
The grittiness of "To Trap A Spy" had gone as the series settled down to be a smooth tongue-in-cheek weekly action adventure. Illya was now Napoleon's fully fledged partner and gets his own good scenes, and there are bonuses with Rip Torn as the megalomaniacal villain 'Alexander The Greater', Dorothy Provine as his dippy blonde former wife who has her own reasons for pursuing him, David Sheiner is alternately scary and funny as a henchman, Yvonne Craig as Napoleon's contact at Channel D and there are some memorable set pieces like the human chess game, the giant blade swinging over its victims, Napoleon's fight with Ingo in the gym, a mummified David McCallum and more. (One of the things I always liked about these films is the way that coloured gas suddenly emits from everyday objects and knocks out anyone who breathes it in.)
Here's what I wrote about it in my book "What We Watched In The 1960s (In The Cinema)" when it arrived in Glasgow during week commencing 6th February 1966.
1966 would be the year when the spy craze peaked. Audiences were turning out in their droves for spies in all shapes and sizes, and on Thursday evenings 'The Man From UNCLE' was a Top 10 rated show, which had already provided two successful spin-off films using existing episodes with additional material that may have been too strong for American TV, but the two-part episode - 'The Alexander The Greater Affair' - which kicked off season two in the USA, was released in Britain as "One Spy Too Many", with no additional material, and very good it was too. Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryeakin were after Rip Torn as a modern day Alexander The Great who wants to take over the world and break each of the commandments on his way. His ex-wife Dorothy Provine hinders them as they go all over Europe and the US, which always manages to look like the MGM back lot. The support feature was a made-for-US-TV movie, "Your Cheatin' Heart", which told the story of country singer Hank Williams, ably played by George Hamilton with Williams' son providing the vocals. It was an excellent double-bill at both the ABC Regal and Green's Bedford.
Trivia: In early 1966 this film outperformed the new Bond film "Thunderball". Director Joseph Sargent went on to helm "The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3" in the 1970s.
Jim Doyle is the author of 'What We Watched In The 1960s (In The Cinema)', 'What We Watched In The 1970s (In The Cinema)" and 'What We Watched In The 1980s (In The Cinema And On Video)'
Good 60's fun without being too silly
bob the moo2 November 2001
'One spy too many' is two episodes of the Man from UNCLE TV show put together to create a film length version. Alexander (Rip Torn) is breaking each of the ten commandments as he carries out his master plan towards world dominance. When he steals a chemical weapon from a military base, leaving a number 8 behind, UNCLE agents Napoleon Solo (Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (McCallum) join forces with Alexander's estranged wife (Dorothy Provine) to stop his plan before it's too late.
Like most UNCLE films this is has TV-show production values and is generally not meant to be taken too seriously. Having said that the plot is not that ridiculous compared to some of the spy spoofs' other storylines, and Rip Torn makes for a good villain. The story manages to be fun without being too silly. However the idea of a drug that makes you calm and peaceful will probably not seem too farfetched for many of us!
Vaughn has the most fun as ladies man Solo and gets the lead role of the two agents. McCallum always seemed strangely sidelined and here is no different. He doesn't get any girls, any laughs and doesn't get that many fights either. However the two do manage to have a type of disapproving chemistry between them. Provine is a bit annoying as Tracy Alexander and is not a great female lead. Other minor female characters aren't key to the story but do provide a flirtatious sexy feel to the film especially the beautiful 'Control' (Yvonne Craig who also played Batgirl!) and Princess Nicole (Donna Michelle who played another role is the earlier UNCLE film "The spy with my face"). They both provide tasteful sexiness that feels at home in a 1960's film.
Rip Torn is almost unrecognisably young as the lead villain and plays him well - with an air of uncaring evil as he calmly goes about his businesses. There are actually no really bad performances in this film! Also, having been left out in "The spy with my face" that old friend makes a reappearance - the UNCLE theme tune! It now feels more like an UNCLE movie.
It's all a bit of fun, but it manages to have good performances, a reasonable plot and some dated action in order to make itself a fun, Saturday afternoon family film. Any fan of the TV series should be a fan of this.
Like most UNCLE films this is has TV-show production values and is generally not meant to be taken too seriously. Having said that the plot is not that ridiculous compared to some of the spy spoofs' other storylines, and Rip Torn makes for a good villain. The story manages to be fun without being too silly. However the idea of a drug that makes you calm and peaceful will probably not seem too farfetched for many of us!
Vaughn has the most fun as ladies man Solo and gets the lead role of the two agents. McCallum always seemed strangely sidelined and here is no different. He doesn't get any girls, any laughs and doesn't get that many fights either. However the two do manage to have a type of disapproving chemistry between them. Provine is a bit annoying as Tracy Alexander and is not a great female lead. Other minor female characters aren't key to the story but do provide a flirtatious sexy feel to the film especially the beautiful 'Control' (Yvonne Craig who also played Batgirl!) and Princess Nicole (Donna Michelle who played another role is the earlier UNCLE film "The spy with my face"). They both provide tasteful sexiness that feels at home in a 1960's film.
Rip Torn is almost unrecognisably young as the lead villain and plays him well - with an air of uncaring evil as he calmly goes about his businesses. There are actually no really bad performances in this film! Also, having been left out in "The spy with my face" that old friend makes a reappearance - the UNCLE theme tune! It now feels more like an UNCLE movie.
It's all a bit of fun, but it manages to have good performances, a reasonable plot and some dated action in order to make itself a fun, Saturday afternoon family film. Any fan of the TV series should be a fan of this.
Great fun and a must see for the fans.
jamesraeburn200315 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The men from UNCLE, Solo and Kuriyakin, investigate the theft of a nerve gas from the US army. The chief suspect is the elusive tycoon Alexander (played by Rip Torn) who sees himself as a modern dress version of Alexander the Great. As their investigation progresses, the UNCLE men discover that he has a plan to dominate the world. His scheme will culminate in the assassination of a VIP, but whom is the intended victim? Meanwhile, Solo and Kuriyakin find their mission compromised by Alexander's estranged wife Tracy (played by Dorothy Provine) who is determined to get her $1 million divorce settlement from him...
The third big screen spin off from the classic spy series The Man From UNCLE, which was transmitted in the US as the two-part episode The Alexander The Greater Affair. It has all of the ingredients that made the series so popular back in the 1960's, most notably the chemistry between Robert Vaughn and David McCallam as Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuriyakin. Director Joseph Sargent (one of the show's best directors) clearly relishes encouraging the audience to suspend their disbelief and come along for a glorious rollercoaster ride. He keeps the action flowing with set piece after set piece which are all memorable. They include Solo's live animated chess game with Alexander; the former's fight with a weightlifter whom is twice his size but still Solo comes out on top! Then there is Kuriyakin's battle on Alexander's farm with assassins armed with assorted farm machinery. The entire cast enters wholeheartedly into the tongue in cheek spirit of the thing, but it avoids becoming too silly for words. All in all, great fun and a must see for fans.
The third big screen spin off from the classic spy series The Man From UNCLE, which was transmitted in the US as the two-part episode The Alexander The Greater Affair. It has all of the ingredients that made the series so popular back in the 1960's, most notably the chemistry between Robert Vaughn and David McCallam as Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuriyakin. Director Joseph Sargent (one of the show's best directors) clearly relishes encouraging the audience to suspend their disbelief and come along for a glorious rollercoaster ride. He keeps the action flowing with set piece after set piece which are all memorable. They include Solo's live animated chess game with Alexander; the former's fight with a weightlifter whom is twice his size but still Solo comes out on top! Then there is Kuriyakin's battle on Alexander's farm with assassins armed with assorted farm machinery. The entire cast enters wholeheartedly into the tongue in cheek spirit of the thing, but it avoids becoming too silly for words. All in all, great fun and a must see for fans.
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