Joanna Langfield's The Movie Minute

Even if it isn’t as much of grabber as the TV series, Guy Ritchie’s reboot sure gets points for style. In the high-concept mode of “well, it worked with Mission Impossible”, we’re reaching back to a popular network series from the 1960’s to kick off what is clearly intended as a new feature length series. Inherent problem: in those days, America was in the midst of the Cold War with the Soviets. The concept of odd-couple pairing a CIA and KGB agent was fun because it was timely. Now? Not so much. That Cold War has thawed; there isn’t even a Soviet Union anymore. So the teaming of an American and Russian spy just doesn’t have the same oomph. Ritchie, who co-wrote and directed, clearly doesn’t care. He plows ahead with the conceit, using it as a set up and then plunging merrily into a rather standard international mission thing which will save the world from nuclear bad guys (and remarkable sexy women). This “Man” is more style than substance and, in this case, that’s not so bad. Because the style is great. T