Funny / The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)

• While debriefing his superior on the opposition he faced getting Gaby out of East Berlin, despite claims it would be a "simple extraction," Solo describes his eventual partner as "barely human."
  Napoleon Solo: I don't think you understand. It tore the back off my car.
  • In the midst of the Berlin chase, with his usual calm demeanor, Napoleon wonders if their on-foot pursuer (Illya) will actually try and stop the car with his bare hands. Solo even refrains from taking an easy shot out of pure confusion. Once he grabs hold of it, Napoleon expresses disbelief that, yes, he is indeed trying to stop a speeding car with his bare hands. Gaby notes he's actually having some effect.
    • It wasn't just confusion that prevented Napoleon from taking the shot. He's impressed by Illya's tenacity and considers him a worthy opponent; killing him would be too unsportsmanlike.
      Gaby: Why don't you take a shot at him?
      Napoleon: Somehow, it just doesn't seem like the right thing to do.
  • The fact that the car chase is between a Wartburg (that Gabi has retrofitted) and a Trabant. Both are infamous for being The Alleged Car.
• The Soviet projectionist who accidentally inserted a slide of Napoleon's mugshot upside down during Illya's briefing. Cue the handler sending Death Glare at him.
  Projectionist: "Apologies, comrade."
  • Even funnier: he's played by David Beckham.
• While picking out attire for Gaby's undercover role as Illya's fiance, the two burly agents get into quite a bit of verbal disagreement over... fashion choices. Their beliefs on style actually seem stronger than their political allegiances.
  • The best bit? Illya turns out to be right:
    Illya: It doesn't. Have. To match.
    * Gaby walks back in with the outfit Illya chose, looking quite chic*
    Illya: *smugly* You can get back on your horse now, Cowboy.
• ''And remember, take it like a pussy''.
  • Solo's absolutely magnificent smug face while he delivers that line.
  • The entire first night in Rome, Solo starts following Gaby and Kuryakin, ostensibly to inform them about a tail. But he just keeps popping up, on a tiny Vespa no less, basically to troll Illya. It's clear he's still annoyed about being proven wrong about Gaby's wardrobe.
  • And Illya's irritation with Napoleon for crashing his "date" with Gaby.
  • The "date" itself, with Illya attempting to impress Gaby with his knowledge of Italian architecture—even though it's completely obvious that he's making it up as he goes along. And her pointing out the flaws in his facts.
• Gaby's little "hmmph" as a mugger demands she hand over her engagement ring. She's not so much terrified as she is incredibly annoyed by the situation.
• The look on the faces of Count Lippi and his friends when they realize the 6'5" Russian man they've just been taunting has closed the door and has turned around with a very pissed look on his face.
  • And then when Kuryakin exits the restroom with not a scratch on him, looking rather nervous but far less angry than when he went in, while faint moans can be heard from inside.
  • Also when Napoleon explains what happened:
    Napoleon: Apparently you put someone called Count Lippi in hospital.
    Illya: He had soft bones. And don't question my methods.
    Gaby: What's he done?
    Napoleon: Super Agent here decided to have some fun with three young Italian boys in the men's room.
• Napoleon performs an impressive bit of safe-cracking on an enormous vault door while explaining exactly how he's able to do so by knowing all about the particular model parts involved. Just as he is opening the door...
  Illya: Did you deactivate the alarm?
  Napoleon: Model 7010 doesn't have an alarm.
  [alarm immediately begins wailing]
  Illya: ...Loving your work, Cowboy.
• Kuryakin demonstrating "The Kiss" knockout move in front of Solo. After a casual description, he quickly warns "Cannot touch!" ^note  To clarify, Kuryakin's move, "The Kiss" is basically him slapping the target on the nape of the neck with all of his force. The target will be knocked out, but will remain on his feet as if rigor mortis set in.
• Napoleon and Illya try to escape from the factory on a boat, but the gates to the harbor close before they can get out. Illya, who has a lot of faith in his boating skills, triumphantly shouts "watch me work!" and pulls a sharp turn, knocking Napoleon into the water. Illya doesn't notice and says "Hang on, cowboy" without turning around and realizing what has happened. Napoleon swims to shore and gets into a truck parked by the water. He dries off, turns on the radio and has a sandwich and bit of Chianti he finds in a picnic basket while casually observing as Illya's boat does doughnuts around the harbor, catches fire, and then explodes—all while a dramatic, melancholy, love song plays in the background.
  • Kuryakin's sheer glee while saying "Watch me work!" and getting into the boat chase is funny enough. Solo immediately falling out of the boat really makes it.
  • If you watch the credits closely, Illya is also a skilled powerboat racer — he wasn't just trying to prove a point, he was actively trying to show off.
  • After the boat explodes, Solo casually drives the truck into the water to save Illya, looking a little disappointed he had to cut his meal short. And a little annoyed that he has to get wet.
• When escaping from the Vinciguerra factory, Solo watches Kuryakin leap out a shattered window overlooking the edge of the water and hears only a thud and muffled sound of pain. So he tries to jump even farther out...and finds too late that the window was right over a wooden boat dock, and he landed not only on the wood but a heavy pile of rope.
• Napoleon confronts Illya with the electronic bugs he found hidden all over his room and belongings:
  Napoleon: [tossing bugs at Illya] These. Are. Russian. Made. [dumps the rest in his hands]
  Illya: ...One second.
  [Illya steps back into his hotel room briefly, then returns, holding something]
  Illya: [tossing bugs at Napoleon] These. Are. American. Made. [dumps the rest in his hands] And very low-tech.
  • Napoleon then tries to get the last word in by saying Illya's bow tie doesn't work with the suit he picked out. The scene then cuts to Illya having ditched the tie later that morning.
    • He's still upset about being proven wrong about Gaby's wardrobe.
• When Uncle Rudi expresses incredulity that an architect could be as fit as Kuryakin is, Ilya simply responds: "I like to jog."
• Sanders and his KGB counterpart's shared look of annoyance at Solo and Kuryakin fighting. It turns a brutal close-quarters fight into two grown men squabbling like children.
  • Ilya showed up and both lead agents start a brutal brawl, while Sanders just keeps standing there using the toilet watching the two fight.
  • Sanders and the other man also seem to know each other by name and exchange personal pleasantries while departing, meaning they have a long-standing relationship that pierces through the current tensions between the two countries. It's both heartwarming and funny given how ruthless they are in their jobs.
• Uncle Rudi's Nightmare Fuel torture scene being interrupted midway through by the wiring shorting out. Victoria even comments that she wishes the man would use more modern tech instead of being a traditionalist. Then the short happens again.
• Solo and Kuryakin's entire, utterly casual debate of what to do with Uncle Rudi. Who is being electrocuted behind them, and then catches fire. (The torture room is understandably soundproofed, and neither of them notices until they see the light from the fire.) And then, after they stare blankly at it, Solo turns morose, noting that he left his jacket in the room.
  • And just before Solo's comment, Kuryakin simply says "Huh. He fixed the glitch."
• The sheer randomness of Waverly's dossier revealing that the man is a recovering alcoholic and opium addict.
• Solo and Kuryakin are breaking into the Vinciguerra factory. Solo starts to cut the fence with a pair of laser-enhanced pliers, so what does Kuryakin do? He whips out a laser.
• While racing back to the Plaza Hotel to beat Victoria and preserve their covers, Solo and Illya anxiously speed...on Solo's Vespa.
  • When they finally get to the hotel, they rush up the many flights of stairs to their room (on the seventh and eighth floors of the hotel). Victoria simply takes the elevator.
  • When Victoria shows up at Solo's room...he walks out in a bathrobe, brushing his teeth. After a beat, he offers her a grape.
  • And then she tells her henchmen to leave.
  • The scene then cuts to Gaby and Illya downstairs, where he triggers a bug that Solo missed.
    Gaby: You bugged him?
    Illya Kuryakin: He tried to bug me!
    [Illya's scanner locates his bug, and they pick up the sounds of Victoria's moaning. He and Gaby share a look before turning off the bug. The action in Solo's room is enough to cause the chandelier in Illya and Gaby's room right below it to jingle]
    Gaby: He doesn't sound like he needs your help.
• Illya's clear annoyance with Alexander hitting on Gaby at the racetrack party.
• After the Vinciguerra party, Illya locks himself in the hotel bathroom. It's eventually revealed that he turned it into a dark room to develop photos, but between his isolation and occasionally shouting responses to Gaby and Solo, it comes off like he's throwing a jealousy induced temper tantrum.
  • It probably really was a tantrum, just cunningly disguised as important agent work.
  • The best bit is when Gaby says something to Solo about how Alexander Vinciguerra was flattering. Kuryakin shouts "Still a Nazi!" from the other room.
• When Napoleon puts his ploy of Break Them by Talking against Victoria, much to the naval crew's bewilderment, and the commander of the ship protests, Waverly tells him very politely to shut up.
  • Waverly's whole (very British) Gentleman Snarker personality is a CMOF, with several hilarious lines:
    Waverly: For a Special Agent, you're not having a very special day, are you?
  • What sells that particular line is his barely concealed glee at having thought of it.
• Gaby getting drunk, solo dancing while Illya's trying to play solitaire chess, and starting a wrestling match with him.
  Illya: Don't make me put you over my knee...
  Gaby: So you don't want to dance... (Takes off sunglasses) But you want to wrestle?
  Illya: I did not say that-
  (Gaby tackles Illya to the floor)
• The amount of sexual innuendo hidden in the script is amazing. For instance:
  • The scene in the public restroom at the beginning of the film:
    Sanders: (As he unzips his fly) What I'm about to feed you, Solo, might taste a little bitter... But you're just going to have to swallow it.
  • The above is followed by a shot of Solo looking a bit uncomfortable and asking where Sanders is going with this conversation.
  • At the hotel, following the Vinciguerra party where Illya beat up Count Lippi and his friends:
    Gaby: What's he done?
    Napoleon: Super Agent here decided to have some fun with three young Italian boys in the men's room.
  • After Illya's just had his hand up Gaby's skirt, turning on the transmitter:
    Napoleon: (Abruptly steps back into the room) All turned on now?
• Illya's face when Gaby seemingly betrays him to the Vinciguerras — it's not even shock or anger, it's more like a "Seriously?" face, complete with an exasperated eye roll.
• One of the first indications that Illya is not quite as serious a character as he first seemed when he attacks a man during a very difficult operation because he mistakes him for the guy who stole his watch:
  Napoleon: What the hell are you doing?
  Illya: I thought he had my father's watch.
  (Beat)
  Illya: I make mistake.
• Another one from the personnel files in end credits: Solo's psychological profile mentions he has a gambling problem. And specifies it is with backgammon.
• When Napoleon starts feeling woozy at Victoria's office and she tells him she had drugged the drinks in her office, what is his reaction? He goes over to the sofa and begins arranging some of the pillows there. Victoria is understandably puzzled and asks what he is doing. Solo lies down on the sofa and explains that he's just making himself comfortable so he doesn't fall and hurt himself.

---