Sandy Kenyon movie review: 'The Man from Uncle'

If you've ever wondered why movie stars get paid so much money, it's because there are very few performers who can hold your attention on the big screen for a couple of hours.

I was reminded of that when I had to sit through, "The Man from Uncle" this week because the two lead actors fell so far short of that goal.

Henry Cavill is by any definition a very handsome man but that doesn't make him a movie star.

Stardom requires that special something extra, what the French call "je ne sais quoi" which literally means, "I don't know what."

Whatever that X-factor might be that draws our attention to stars, this British actor doesn't have it and neither does Armie Hammer.

Hammer is an American playing a Russian spy forced to work with a United States agent -- "the man from uncle" -- at the height of the Cold War when the two sides were often at odds.

I wondered who was really going to care about a film based on a TV series that seemed very timely 50 years ago and that old show had a sense of humor which is sadly lacking here though I did appreciate the soundtrack.

Director Guy Ritchie has made a movie that's long on style and very short on substance.

The look of the picture is so bright and shiny that I fear some of you might be fooled into thinking you will enjoy what other critics have been calling "lame."

Hugh Grant makes a cameo appearance here, almost unrecognizable, in a film where it's my duty to tell you to save your money.

For those old enough to remember watching "The Man from Uncle" television series, the new movie will be particularly disappointing.