This film begins with a man named "Lancer" (Miguel Landa) running through the night to an isolated house in the woods near Arlington, Virginia to escape from other armed men who are chasing him. Once inside he is greeted by a beautiful woman named "Angela" (Luciana Paluzzi) who notices that he has been shot and urgently advises him to seek hospital care by escaping through a window to a nearby car. However, once he gets to the window ledge she turns on a spotlight which reveals his figure to the men and he is shot and killed immediately. Not long after that some men break into a secret entrance to a clandestine agency known as the United Nations Command for Law Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.) which has been established by several governments to maintain legal order in the world. Having penetrated the first layers of security the men are caught but soon die due to a slow-acting poison they took prior to entering the complex. However, after an examination the conclusion is reached that these men are somehow connected to the murder of Lancer who was one of their agents and that everything points to an assassination plot against the leader of a small South African nation who is due to arrive in the United States shortly. As a result, "Agent Napoleon Solo" (Robert Vaughn) is sent to Arlington to investigate. What he doesn't know is that a secret society known as WASP is behind everything and that they are well aware of his identity and are waiting for him to make his move. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film was initially made as the pilot for a television series known as "The Man from UNCLE" which played in both the United Kingdom and United States during the mid-60's. Although the television series obviously couldn't consistently compete with the James Bond movies appearing during this time, this theatrical version was quite enjoyable on its own with Robert Vaughn performing quite well in the lead role. Likewise, having two beautiful actresses like Patricia Crowley (as the housewife turned Napoleon Solo's accomplice "Elaine May Bender") along with the aforementioned Luciana Paluzzi certainly didn't hurt in any way either. That said, while it may not have the same recognition as any of the James Bond movies, I enjoyed this film and have rated it accordingly. Above average.
