Top Secret

After just watching the reunion of Bill Cosby and Robert Culp-the "I Spy" guys-in Hickey & Boggs, I finally watched on YouTube this: a reunion of Cosby and his "I Spy" executive producer Sheldon Leonard for this TV movie in which Leonard is not only the EP but also one of the supporting players. Cosby once again plays a spy and unlike his previous movie that I just mentioned in which he plays a straight role with no wisecracks, he says plenty of funny lines here! His leading lady is Tracy Reed whose character initially has no use for him not because of who he is but what he stands for. I'll stop there and just say that while there's some excitement, there's nothing too intense since during this time of made-for-TV movies, things tended to be more family friendly-at least when the producer wasn't Norman Lear. Oh, and Gloria Foster-who previously played Cosby's wife in another TV movie called To All My Friends on Shore-does the same here in a couple of scenes. Nice location shooting in Italy mostly throughout. So on that note, Top Secret is worth a look for any Cosby completists out there.

I rented this movie once and I liked it okay even though it was kind of weird to see Bill Cosby beating people up and trying to play secret agent. The

performances are good for the most part and I really can't say that this was a bad movie other than the plot was a bit slow. Bill Cosby chasing crooks around which is believable because Cosby did run track. The lead role should have

gone to Sidney Poitier because this seemed like his kind of role ever since

playing Virgil Tibbs. Look for Gloria Foster in this movie who plays the Oracle in "The Matrix" movies, she plays a bit part in a couple of scenes. I'd give this movie a try although I trust the other copies of this movie have a better picture quality than the version I saw. The music by Stu Gardner is also good. This is an imaginative movie for the most part, it's not meant to be taken seriously. ***out of ****

"Top Secret" TV movie 1978 is a good movie. // If you think it's weird seeing Bill Cosby as a spy, your age is showing. He was famous as a spy, long before he was famous as a beleaugured father. // I kinda liked Bill Cosby, back in the days before we found out he was an abuser: with shows like "I Spy"; "The Bill Cosby Show"; "Top Secret"; etc. Well, at least the liberal team got in the WH and let him out of jail. // With that in mind, it's kind of hard to watch the movie and not be predjudiced against it, but I do like "Top Secret". It's better than I expected after seeing the Imdb 4.4. The photography kinda of dates it. The directing is a bit cheezy, and the choreography is bad. Do not expect romance, and stuff like that; there is none. Still, I think you will like the movie. // The Bushwacker 8/27/2021.