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Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Nicole Chang (Shirley MacLaine) is a Hong Kong nightclub dancer. Harry Dean (Michael Caine) hires her to do a job. He plans to rob the wealthy recluse Ahmad Shahbandar (Herbert Lom). His late wife resembled Nicole and with a makeover, she becomes an exact copy posing as Harry's wife.The movie starts with a long fake out. It does throw the movie off in a strange mood as essentially it redoes the first act. I actually love the real Nicole Chang. The relationship between her and Harry is much more complicated. I really don't like it at first but then the movie does the standard rom-com love-hate move. These two great actors almost sold me on this pairing but in the end, it's a little too hard. The caper has plenty of twists and it's pretty good. There are a couple of unusual elements in this movie that keeps me from truly loving it.

Like the other notable twist laden Michael Caine movie Sleuth I can't say much about Gambit without spoiling it. During the first 25 minutes I was doubting if I was even going to enjoy the film. The characters appeared to be forgettable and two dimensional. Michael Caine outwits everyone but in an uninteresting manner while Shirley MacLaine never speaks nor shows any emotion or vulnerability with Herbert Lom plays an unimaginative caricature of a reclusive, eccentric millionaire. Like Sleuth on first viewing I thought that film was making a mistake during a certain section; with Gambit I felt the same way about the first section of the movie. However when it is revealed these first 25 minutes are just the idealised scenario for a heist played out in Michael Caine's head I had the biggest smile on my face and the reaction of "You clever bastards!". All of a sudden this seemingly boring film became fascinating with the scenario I had just seen played out now occurring again with a welcome sense of realism and with interesting, flawed characters, with much of the humour stemming from the differences between fact and fiction. It reminded of that popular internet meme 'expectation/reality' and came off to me like a satire of sorts on unimaginative writing and characters. Watching the film a second time I can now spot the moment of foreshadowing such as Michael Caine saying to his accomplice "Now pay close attention". Of course it wouldn't be a heist movie without suspense and does the third act deliver, full of nail biting moments and clever solutions.Released in 1966 just prior to the rise of the New Hollywood movement, Gambit sees the final days of that distinctive old Hollywood glamour. Gambit is a very exotic movie at that with Shirley MacLaine being presented in the image of a goddess throughout and even her more common looking attire during the heist at the end is exceedingly stylish. Plus who can look more dapper as a cat burglar than Michael Caine? The back and forth between Caine and MacLaine is pure heaven. There are few other actresses with as playful an on screen persona as Shirley MacLaine while Caine gets annoyed by her giddy, child like attitude. I don't care how many films I see which contain the "the hate each other but secretly love each other" dynamic, as long as it's between a screen pairing with superb chemistry then I'll never tire of seeing it.

The first 20 or so minutes of "Gambit" are among the strangest and most unusual I can recall having seen. Harry (Michael Caine) discovers a dancer, Nicole (Shirley MacLaine) in a cheap cabaret. You then see him offer her a job and they then go off on a caper to rob the richest man in the world, Shahbandar (Herbert Lom). The plan goes off like clockwork and the theft has worked perfectly. It is only then that you realize that most of what you see happening is what Harry is describing to his partner, Emile (John Abbott). Then, and only then, does Harry's plan actually unfold. However, in this real caper, so many of the details do NOT work out as Harry has planned--and his 'wife' (Nicole--posing as the Missus) is nothing like she is in the plan. In the plan, she's silent and mysterious--but in reality she's chatty but actually a whole lot smarter than Harry! What's next? See the film for yourself to find out--but be aware that there are lots and lots of twists and turns! "Gambit" is a very good film--I won't deny that. And, it's nice that it is a more humorous and lighthearted sort of caper film. However, and here is a problem, it's in a genre that is absolutely glutted with exceptional films. So, while "Gambit" is very good, films like "Rififi", "Grand Slam", "Big Deal on Madonna Street", "Bob le Flambeur" and many others make it seem to be second-tier. Good but not among the many better films like it. My biggest complaints was the bizarre casting of MacLaine as a Eurasian(why not have her play an American?!) as well as perhaps too many twists near the end for its own good. However, Shirley MacLaine and Herbert Lom are particularly good in the film. Worth your time but not a must-see.

Fans of caper films and stylish heist yarns should be pleased with this well-appointed entry. Caine plays a shifty Englishman who recruits a jaded Eurasian dance-hall girl (MacLaine) to aid him in his latest plot. Due to her resemblance to the dead wife of the richest man in the world (Lom), he plans to use her to gain entry to the man's heavily guarded suite where he can map out a way to pilfer a priceless piece of sculpture. He intends to gussy MacLaine up in the appropriate hairstyle, clothing and manner of the dead woman, knowing that Lom will be fascinated enough by her to let his guard down. To reveal more would rob first-time viewers of some of the twistier elements of the script. A significant twist occurs about a quarter of the way in and it isn't the last one. The story begins one way and then takes off on a different tangent, giving the audience a chance to amply discover that the best laid plans don't always turn out they way they're intended to! Caine was just emerging as a major name in the cinema and gives a low-key, but assured performance here. His stern, understated persona is a terrific counterpoint to the more animated MacLaine (she hand-picked him for this role.) MacLaine is given a considerable showcase which allows her to display her range. She plays both a demure, silent, deliberately mechanical type and a chatty, animated, opinionated person. She also gets to show off her incredibly limber physique in one climactic scene. Lom is excellent, conveying a sure authority and a suave, aristocratic presence. Though the film is chiefly a three character showcase, all the other roles are portrayed by talented character actors. One small role is played by Tayback, who would later make a splash as the loud-mouthed short-order cook on TV's "Alice". The film is visually arresting, thanks to excellent set design, art direction and some eye-catching Jean Louis costumes. It's glossy, tasteful, old-fashioned entertainment featuring two charismatic stars. Caine and MacLaine would pair up again the next year in "Woman Times Seven" and be reunited almost 40 years later in "Bewitched".