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The main problem with this slow-moving spy film is that it can't make up its mind whether to aim for the world of James Bond or Michael Caine's Harry Palmer movies. Stephen Boyd's spy, a relaxed genial man-about-town figure in the style of Roger Moore and his immediate associate, a rather shabby civil servant operating from an empty office, played by Michael Redgrave, seem to belong in two separate films. And 'Q' would certainly look down his nose at the home-made bomb his counterpart, played by Geoffrey Bayldon, comes up with here.

The usually reliable Val Guest has to take most of the blame, both for the uneven direction and contribution to a script that has pretensions to being taken seriously at times, but is nowhere strong enough to be. As he had just been worked into the ground shaping, with some success, the chaos that was CASINO ROYALE, he was probably a little jaded with the genre. He also wastes excellent character actors Jeremy Kemp and Leo McKern, though the latter does make an impression against the odds. The revelations at the finale lack any impact. In fact a much bleaker ending had been filmed, with Camilla Sparv's Toni being thrown into the river and drowned, her stunt-double being none other than the future star of saucy seventies' comedies, Sue Longhurst.

I quite enjoyed the 1960's ambiance, including the relationship between Boyd and the alluring Sparv, set against the glamorous background of Kitzbuhel ski resort. Much of it is quite engaging, but ultimately neither exciting nor memorable.

This film essentially involves a man by the name of "Philip Scott" (Stephen Boyd) using his position as an executive at a toy company as a cover for operating his own independent spy organization to help the British Secret Service in Europe. In this particular case he has been tasked to retrieve some microfilm from sources behind the Iron Curtain which detail Soviet missile technology. To that effect, this requires him to travel to both West Germany and Austria and while there he becomes attracted to a beautiful Swedish woman by the name of "Antonia 'Toni' Peters" (Camila Sparv) and while getting better acquainted with her also uses their relationship to further conceal his clandestine activities. What he doesn't know, however, is that another secret organization has developed suspicions about him and are following his every move with the hope of turning the tables on him to their own advantage as well. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a rather dull and mundane spy film which seemed to focus too heavily upon quite normal and routine activities. Admittedly, both Stephen Boyd and Camila Sparv performed their roles in a solid manner but the overall lack of action and suspense was much too noticeable and for that reason I have rated this film accordingly. Average.

You expect a spy film to start with a bang,this starts with a whimper. Nothing happens for half an hour, when someone is killed. However both before and after the film concentrates interminable on the romance between Boyd and Sparv. Boyd is amiable enough but he is no Connery. This is one of the poorer attempts to ride on the coattails of the Bond films.

A surprisingly stylish spy flick, based in Munich and London.

It has a few twists (some of them predictable) but the aspect that intrigued me most was the information exchange.

It's all done with tremendous subtlety, and you could easily watch the entire film and miss most of the exchanges.

I had a similar experience with "Funeral in Berlin".

That's what I like about a spy film, when you can watch it superficially and miss what is really going on. So the film becomes a shill for real life spying, where the public see relative normality, but the spies, though present in the normal life of the public around them, are functioning on a completely different level.

I would have to watch this film several times to pick out and understand all of the communications.

The film was made in 1968, and is very much of that era (which I like).

When I looked up information about this film on IMDB, I realized that writer/director Val Guest was also one of the ones responsible for the god-awful "Casino Royale" (1967), a disjointed and unfunny from start to finish. And, as this ALSO is a spy film I assumed it would be terrible. However, the film ended up being the total opposite of his later fiasco...as the spy in this one was much more realistic (for good as well as bad).

The Irish actor, Stephen Boyd, stars in this as a British spy. You really don't know much about who he works for and if he's even one of the good guys for much of the story. Instead, the first portion focuses mostly on his vacation in the Alps and the time he spends with a pretty Swedish woman. Only later does the spy aspect of the film occur...and some rival group wants to get information out of him...or kill him.

The film has a lot of mediocre reviews and I can understand this. The story is NOT packed with action and excitement and seems to emphasize realism instead. And, I can only assume real spies are a bit dull most of the time! But I appreciated this realism and thought the film worth seeing.

It has zippy music, attractive locations and Camilla Sparv as an affable boytoy, but that world is not enough. Hits all the action man buttons of the 60s, race car driver, MI6, spy, playboy, and on. But he's not Bond and not Harry Palmer, and therein lies the problem.

Stephen Boyd miscast so the tone of the movie was not dark enough to sustain strong interest. The ending was good as she plays both Scott and Harris off each other and gets both of them, and her cohorts, out of the spy game. A better script would have concealed then revealed complex betrayals and alliances and, perhaps, who Sparv really worked for and to what purpose. Forty or so years later Casino Royale got it right.

Stephen Boyd made several films during the mid-to late 60's, which all seem to have "slick" plots in which he portrays a wealthy, sophisticated, cosmopolitan character sporting perfectly coiffed hair. Neither the hairstyle nor the roles seemed to suit him well, and I'll bet he was vastly relieved to switch to westerns like Shalako and The Man Called Noon in the '70's. Assignment K, however, is probably the best of the "smooth hair" movies. He's a international spy in this one and a lot of the action takes place in a ski resort so the scenery is beautiful and wintry. He and Camilla Sparv play well together and, best of all for Stephen Boyd fans like me, he is on-screen throughout the entire film, no cameos here - a major plus for this movie. Leo McKern, another wonderful character actor, turns up once again as the bad guy. (Remember him as the irascible, but lovable Captain Brandt in Lisa?) Assignment K is fairly fast-paced and somewhat exciting, especially if you enjoy a little romance with your espionage. And the ending will surprise you!

Long time since I saw this but remember liking it.

I don't think it is out on dvd.

Certainly it is never on tv anymore.

I try not to be nostalgic but in the 1970s and 1980s broadcast tv in the UK showed lots of films and I sat and watched them.

There is a British cable channel that shows old films,and I love it but it hows mostly British films,where are the old Hollywood films?

Anyway I am a spy/war/crime film fan so dvd companies get this one out there.

Stephen Boyd, with all the on screen charisma of a G I Joe, is a spy-cum-toy manufacturer. Really. They go a long way round before revealing his espionage activities for sure, but we're clued in.

The great Michael Redgrave shows up about three-quarters of an hour into the piece and altogether racks up three short scenes. Too bad. He always has screen charisma.

Other interesting actors come and go, including Jane Merrow and Jeremy Kemp. The big baddie is the always interesting Leo McKern. With Redgrave on a short leash and Merrow, Kemp and McKern on the side of evil, the movie suffers a severe charisma imbalance.

The case is baffling, that's for sure. But after about an hour one loses interest in it.

Oh, Camilla Sparv, sex appeal's answer to vanilla, is on hand as Boyd's convenient main squeeze who quickly falls onto the hands of his enemies.

Being no Boyd fan, I had a tedious time waiting for Redgrave's paltry appearances.

An almost decent production after the James Bond model. Stephen Boyd has not the strength and the charm of Sean Connery or Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosnan, he is in the category of George Lazenby, a slightly better than the latter. The story is in the Bond spirit, but much simpler and more predictable. The other actors are somewhat OK. Robert Hoffmann and Jeremy Kemp have small roles. Leo McKern and Michael Redgrave stand out. And the Scandinavian "beauty" named Camilla Sparv is better at marrying very rich and influential men in the world of film than in acting.

After attending the Munich Toy Fair, successful businessman Philip Scott decides to take a short skiing holiday and meets a beautiful Swedish girl called Toni Peters. But death stalks the snowy slopes of Kitzbuhel ...

Scott's cover is destroyed when enemy agents led by Leo McKern kidnap his girlfriend to force him to reveal the identities of his fellow spies.

The first half is devoted to some skiing in Austria and some romance between Stephen Boyd and the beautiful Camilla Sparv, which is quite distracting in a good way, before the plot starts to arise .i. E. espionage stuff. Contrary to the most of the reviews here and its reputation, I quite enjoyed it - it's not great, but not dull at all as there's nice locations, slick cinematography, Stephen Boyd is really good in his role ( originally, slated to be the original Bond, he would've been a good Bond as he, shows here, he got a sense of humour, not too much of bull in a China Cup, likeable, is reposed, and cool yet dramatic - why wasn't he chosen for OHMSS at least?), his interplay with Camilla Sparv, and the villainy by Jeremy Kemp and Leo McKern.

Having said this, it could've been better; maybe more action, less romance and a more definite direction of what kind spy film it needed to be, either the serious kind or the 007 action fest. It's stuck in limbo on those counts. Overall, a fairly enjoyable spy film, despite its faults.

ASSIGNMENT K is yet another British spy flick inspired by the success of the Bond films, although this one's closer in tone to THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD but nowhere near as dark. It reminded me a lot of the Laurence Harvey-starred A DANDY IN ASPIC but is better than that film, mainly because it's more lively in the hands of Hammer director Val Guest. Stephen Boyd is slightly miscast as the lead, a spy whose cover is blown leading him into the clutches of Leo McKern's arch villain. There's a great cast in this one including Michael Redgrave in an M-type role and Jeremy Kemp as a heavy; there are some slow spots but things pick up for a suspenseful climax.