An original car-chase is hard to come by, but using a pair of Trabants is actually a very cool set-piece to introduce your action-flick. Though you don't need to be an expert in these cars to realize that the artistic freedom is substantial. Apart from this the action is quite alright. Both quantity and quality are decent, without excelling.
Where this movie falls flat, is in the characters/casting. Henry Cavill is supposed to be a blend of Len Deighton's Harry Palmer and Ian Fleming's James Bond. With Palmer's background and ethics, Bond's suave demeanour and great dressing, and both agents arrogance and calm. The big problem is that his character is not British. He is an American trying very hard to be an Englishman. And with all the traits of the two most known British spies supposed to be in his arsenal, he falls shy on most. Vikander isn't much better. She is nowhere near credible as an East-German mechanic, and only slightly better as a British spy. And was there ever an actor that looked less like a Russian than Armie Hammer? The cast had to be blind (or blindly in love) to feel that he would make a great Russian agent. His acting is better than Cavill and Vikander, though. He's just very badly cast.
And so, ironically, the only eastern-European in a leading part is the best by a long shot. Elizabeth Debicki is delectable as she takes the style of Holly Golightly to a new level whilst adding great spices of smartness and callousness. One of the finest female villains in a long, long while.
So though you are rarely bored, you are never anywhere near fulfilled either. It seems Guy Ritchie still knows how to make cool scenes, but it would appear as if he has lost the ability to make a cool movie.
5/10
