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S*P*Y*S
Two CIA bunglers (Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould) botch a Soviet defection, then both sides mark them for termination.
Release : | 1974 |
Rating : | 4.5 |
Studio : | 20th Century Fox, American Film Properties, Dymphana, |
Crew : | Art Direction, Production Design, |
Cast : | Elliott Gould Donald Sutherland Zouzou Joss Ackland Xavier Gélin |
Genre : | Action Comedy |
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Simply Perfect
Perfect cast and a good story
Memorable, crazy movie
Fantastic!
this movie is way underrated. i didn't have high expectations from the previous reviews I had read, my rental was based on the sheer fact I wanted to enjoy these two on screen again. however, I was pleasantly surprised and am still thinking about the dialog long after I watched. hilarious banter!!! and the music---if only i could find the song that plays during the credits(after Elliot and Donald are done singing). its awesome!!! My favorite scene is when the chase the dog and confront anyone who the dog runs up to. These guys don't play dumb, and neither does the conversation between them. Plus, there's not-so-bright french anarchists in the movie. now tell me this doesn't sound fantastic!!!!
SPYS is an aggressive laugh out comedy in the tradition of the old "Road" pictures that never really works. It has no real plot so to speak and relies on the chemistry of the lead actors of which there is plenty for its appeal. Wise cracks fly aplenty and barbs of witticism fill the air. This hit movie which was released in 1974 feels like a movie from the 80s. There is a certain fluidity of camera and mis-en-scene that MTV brought to the eighties movies that permeates the aurae of this movie. It feels like a 1985 movie SPYS and the likes that ruled the beat-box era. Laughs ring true after a very strong start but even a plot less seems or needs to deceive the audience into thinking it has a direction. The plot is silly if not confusing and just happens and the french actress Zuzou who was also a popular singer isn't very good. She just complicates matters. In all, not great but the ending is bitter-sweet and sharp on the money. You wish the movie itself had that kind of vive de joie.
S.P.Y.S (2 outta 5 stars)Pretty lame spy "spoof" that put a kibosh on the possibility of Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould becoming the greatest comedy team of the '70s. The guys are both great comic actors and they have loads of screen chemistry together. If you don't care much for either of these actors you will probably hate this movie... and if you are a big, big fan of either one of them... well, you probably still won't think much of it. Playing a pair of maverick secret agents forced to work together, they start out complaining and bickering but over the course of their adventure (some overly-complicated plot about assassinations, missing diamonds and foreign agents) they begin to get chummy. Sutherland and Gould have charisma to burn but the lousy, nearly joke-free script doesn't give them much to work with. I suppose if this has been a big box office hit they could have continued the franchise and gone on to bigger and better movies together... but, this tanked with audiences and I don't think they two have worked together since. Anyway, I have to add that I have always absolutely loved the last scene of the movie... as our two defeated heroes, in full-out charming rascal mode, skip off down a lonely road together and start singing:Oh, we don't know what's comin' tomorrow, Maybe it's trouble and sorrow, But we'll travel the road Sharin' our load Side by sideYou take it, brother! Through all kinds of weatherrrrr! Did You hear that, Lord? Whether the sky should fall Whether the skyyyyy should fallllll Just as long as we're together It doesn't matter at all...Great wrap-up... too bad about the first 85 minutes.
The idea of teaming Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould together in a movie must have seemed like a good idea after their success with MASH. Giving them a half decent script would have probably helped a lot though. Instead we have a half-baked spy spoof with our two heroes stumbling along from one situation to another. About the only decent thing going for this mess of a movie is the fact that it was shot mostly in France. Vladek Sheybal as the head Russian spy is also quite good(he just oozes Eastern European charm). Otherwise, some pretty stupid characters, a few decent explosions and a lot of running around. I hope Sutherland and Gould were well paid for this. Note to producers: If you're going to spoof a genre that is no longer in vogue, at least make it funny.