not horrible nor great

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Dreadfully Boring

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Some people just don't get the Matt Helm movies. They are enjoyable over the top spoofs of the spy genre and would have been as effective if the actors were replaced with Gerry Anderson puppets. Nobody was out for Oscar recognition here, just 100 minutes of enjoyably daft entertainment. Murderers Row seems to be about 50% second unit shooting (with doubles) but is still more enjoyable then any recent Bond film. No gritty realism or stupid back stories here. It could have been improved if the score had been better, too many scenes, especially the car chase, are under scored and the movie does sag a bit in the middle, but overall it is undemanding entertainment if you are in the right mood.

"Murderer's Row" is one of those rare sequels that's actually better than it's predecessor. That's not saying much, however, as the predecessor is basically a soft-core porn film minus the nudity. This movie is a step up in most ways, having better direction, a more coherent plot (Which is to say it has a plot, something the former film mostly lacked), and more interesting locations and subject matter. Certainly it's a far more 'watchable' film than the first one in the series, but as with all the Matt Helm flicks, it kind of falls apart in the middle.Ann Margaret is drop-dead gorgeous in this movie, and very energetic, however the scenes of her dancing in a disco just go on way the hell too long, and the producers seem undecided as to whether they want her to be the love interest for Dean/Helm or if they want her to be a poor, innocent lamb that he rescues. (She has a boyfriend character who shows up awkwardly throughout the film, as if to point out that nothing is going on between the sex kitten and the dirty old man). Oddly, Helm has fairly few romantic interludes with women in this film, and aside from Ann, none of them really make much of an impression. This film seems to be going out of it's way to avoid being as unrelentingly naughty as it's predecessor. Ann's character herself is rather incoherent and implausible, there's not a lot of acting involved there, but she lights up the screen when she's on it. Karl Malden is fun to watch simply because he seems to keep forgetting he's foreign in the movie, and wanders in and out of a vague accent. Martin himself is more consistent in this film than in the previous one, and endlessly likable as ever.There's something that should be really really cool in the last third of the film - a chase sequence between two (real) hovercraft, but, alas, it's shot so blandly (And without accompanying music!) that it just kind of kills all the energy in the film. This is strange, since it's obviously supposed to be the movie's centerpiece.In essence this film is kind of an outgrowth of the Rat Pack's mostly-unfortunate habit of making what more-or-less amounts to "High concept home movies" and then releasing them theatrically. It's not bad stuff, it succeeds mainly on the amiability of it's stars, but after all is said and done you don't have much else to show for it.

The second of four Matt Helm spy spoofs starring Martin, this one has precious little to offer (though a third one was in the making already when this was released!)aside from some pretty scenery and some attractive women. Martin stars as the boozing, womanizing secret agent who poses as a photographer by day and tries to prevent world domination by night (in between snuggles with various voluptuous females.) Malden is the villain this time out. He's stolen a device (and the professor who created it) with the intention of blowing up Washington, D.C. Martin must foil his plans before the professor gives in to torture and reveals the proper equations necessary to destroy the Capitol. Along to help (but actually quite in the way) is the professor's shimmying, go-go dancing, wind-up toy of a daughter Ann-Margret. The film is full of the usual groan-inducing entendres, way-out spy gadgets and the requisite pallet of curvaceous lovelies, but it's all so sloppily handled that only a certain amount of enjoyment comes of it. Despite the presence of A-M and the stunningly beautiful Sparv (as Malden's helpmate), there doesn't seem to be an abundance of sexual byplay between Martin and the women. Martin looks tired, bored and lazy through much of the film, though he's Shakespearean compared to his appearances in the Matt Helm promotional trailers. (It's a wonder that audiences took him seriously - if they indeed did - a few years later when he starred in "Airport" as the airline pilot after this string of cinematic gumballs.) A-M is decked out in an array of ludicrous costumes (a long-sleeved, turtlenecked swimsuit?) which are at once amusing and annoying. Her character makes no sense, continuously gyrating in a disco while her father is missing, but maybe she isn't supposed to. Her (lengthy) scenes in the nightclub are a high camp time capsule. Malden has a bad, uneven accent which comes and goes. He gives his role some energy and presence, but it isn't enough. Sparv is completely lovely throughout, but is given virtually nothing to do at all. One minute she seems to be calling the shots and the other she's a flunky for Malden. Reese is an interesting presence as a Bond-like henchman with a steel plate grafted onto his head. What may have been inventive at the time (a Hovercraft chase scene, the use of undulating machinery as an execution device, communication through microphones) unfortunately comes off as pretty boring nowadays, at least the way it is presented and directed here. The impressive use of real hovercrafts is done in by benign handling and unjudicious editing. There is some striking Monte Carlo scenery, but none of the stars appeared to have gone there. There's a ton of body doubling and rear-projection throughout. A-M fans will love all her frenetic dancing, but others will find little to lift their spirits with this one. Watch out for a hilarious dig at Frank Sinatra in which his photo is projected against the wall of the disco while frugging dancers appear to pound on him with their hands followed by another, more obvious, indignity.

This second entry of the Matt Helms (Dean Martin) spy-spoof series is no better or worse than the Silencers or The Ambushers, but is a notch above the final entry, The Wrecking Crew. For one thing, Ann-Margret was never more beautiful (face and body) than from that time period. Energy to spare, she's on a constant high of momentum. Also included is the lovely Camilla Sparv (Michael Caine's girlfriend at the time) and she always adds class. Plus, Beverly Adams as the gorgeous Lovie Kravzit. Dino is pretty much working on 1/2 power, but does his job.A 5 out of 10. Best performance = Ann-Margret. These Helm films will seem better now than when they were released in the mid to late 60's. Just fun stuff (like Casino Royale) with tons of babes and decent villains. Check it out!