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hyped garbage

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

What an array of names Howard Hughes was able to assemble. True, the director, Josef von Sternberg hadn't made a movie in years but he'd once wreathed Marlene Dietrich in mystery. The performers, aside from Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell, then at the top of their popularity, include just about every character actor or supporting player one might wish for -- William Bendix, Brad Dexter as the bad guy, Gloria Grahame, Thomas Gomez, and the immortal Philip Ahn, everyone's Asian.Yet the movie is hardly watchable due to a plot that is strictly routine, a stage-bound Portugese port off Hong Kong, and a general air of lassitude projected by the hefty Mitchum. It's one of those roles he more or less sleepwalks through.But the chief disadvantage of this exotic crime drama is the story itself. It could have been a leftover B script that had hidden in the back of some producer's drawer since 1935. If Chester Morris had been used instead of Mitchum, the title might have been, "Boston Blackie Goes to Macao." Gloria Grahame has never looked better, however. Her role of a casino girl is almost devoid of importance. Jane Russel looks like she's enjoying herself. She usually looked that way. Mitchum looks as if he'd rather be in bed.It doesn't jell. Too bad.

. . . the men of America enjoyed the next best thing, films from a movie studio called RKO. This outfit was controlled by an odd chap named Howard Hughes, who saved his urine in bottles. When Hughes was not busy paying water bills, he used his background as an aeronautics design pioneer to engineer the better brassiere, most especially to display buxom actress Jane Russell's twin assets. Maidenform based the most distinctive lingerie ad campaign of the 1900s by channeling Ms. Russell's reveries, which all began something like "Once I was a hooker\singer\thief in bawdy MACAO, thanks to my Hughes 767 . . . " So as not to detract from the undergarments on parade, RKO wove "movies" such as MACAO around the thinnest of plots, and cast the stiffest of actors this side of those ancient cigar store wooden Indian carvings (such as Robert Mitchum and William Bendix in MACAO). Fortunately, in today's more enlightened times, we can enjoy our Angels and FURIOUS 7s, 8s, and 9s separately.

I am not usually a fan of Mitchum or Russell. But I enjoyed them in this film.The tone is noir-like, but light. The characters are interesting. Bendix and Grahame performed well, though a comment on this site says that Gloria Grahame intentionally overacted to get back at Hughes for making her appear in this film.But I only enjoyed the film until Grahame allows Mitchum to escape. After that, there is a foot chase that is hokey for so many reasons. (I note that one reviewer thought the chase was the highlight of the film, but we do not agree.) Why does a tin can suddenly fall off an awning when Mitchum passes beneath it? Was it really necessary to place a black cat behind Mitchum in one shot? The cat-and-mouse chase seems so contrived, because there is no continuity and the actions of the pursuers and the pursued do not seem remotely connected or real. It seems like the director was trying to mimic the style of Welles, but does not pull it off, in my opinion.

I'm still waiting to discover a good movie in which Jane Russell starred. I haven't seen one yet. If you know of one, let me know. Best as I can tell, Howard Hughes tried to make her a star for two reasons: her breasts. It couldn't have been for her acting ability or that her presence would enhance a quality film. Those just didn't happen. Her films were a bust (pun intended.)You would think it would be almost impossible to shoot a boring film that also included Robert Mitchum, William Bendix, Thomas Gomez and Gloria Grahame....but here it is! The screen time of Bendix and Grahame are woefully small, otherwise this might have been more interesting. The other (lead) characters in this movie are simply not people you care about.The fault of this movie, in addition to unlikeable lead characters, is that it simply isn't entertaining. It's dull, folks, almost as drab as it gets. What a shame. It sure didn't have to be with that cast. Mitchum and Bendix were fun to watch in "The Big Steal," but the only steal in this film is your money to buy or rent this movie. I love film noir, and I liked the exotic setting in here, but this story is so bad I hate to even classify it in that genre (noir). Director Josef Von Sternberg was at the end of his career....and it shows. In fact, he didn't finish this movie. They had to call in Nicholas Ray to do that. This film, in a way, was a poor man's "Morocco," I say "poor man" because Jane Russell was no Marlene Dietrich and "Macao" is no "Morocco."The only saving grace is that the running time is short. You only have to suffer for 81 minutes. I wouldn't even recommend that.