Las garras del dragón rojo

Set in Singapore, this entry in the "Kommissar X" series is a step down from "Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill". The main problem is the plot, which is so loose and disconnected that it feels almost non-existent. Most of the film simply consists of Joe Walker and his sidekick Tom Rowland going from place to place, getting attacked by random goons, beating them up, Joe flirting with a lady, repeat. The scenery is nice, there are plenty of beautiful women, and the leads still have their charm, but the film never really comes together, and in all honesty it's a bit of a bore. Oddest aspect: the actors who played the villain and the No. 1 henchman in "Kiss Kiss, Kill Kill" are back, as different but almost identical characters! (**)

I happen to like the Kommissar X series from the '60s and '70s. Tony Kendall does a good job as the relaxed agent Kommissar X with his friend Captain Harris of the New York Police Department. This particular film features a scientist who has had a laser stolen by a villain known as the Golden Claw and his team of mercenaries is headed up by a group pf gun- toting, whip cracking women. While this doesn't have the budget of the Bond films, it certainly has enough charm. Yes it could have probably fit right in with the other spy films on MST3K but then again just basing your review of a film on the MST'd version is kind of missing the point (since those films were edited by MST writers). I got my copy through Sinister Cinema, I don't know where else you'd catch it.

In this third film of the "Kommissar X" series, the private detective named " Joe Walker" (Tony Kendall) is hired to go to Singapore to meet with an atomic physicist named "Professor Akron" (Ernst Fritz Furbringer) in desperate need of protection from foreign agents who want his new invention concerning a powerful laser beam capable of downing any airplane in flight. Traveling with him is his good friend "Captain Tom Roland" (Brad Harris) of the New York Police Department who often helps him regarding matters of this nature. Once they get there, however, they are met by several assassination attempts which only serves to underscore the importance of their mission. Now, as far as the merits of this film is concerned, I must say that I didn't think it was quite as good as it predecessors in large part because of the lack of character development and the multitude of low-quality fight scenes which seemed to completely dominate the picture. It also lacked the necessary mystery or suspense required of a film of this type. Because of that I have rated this movie accordingly. Slightly below average.

At the beginning, Joe Walker aka Inspector X (Tony KENDALL) and his buddy Tom Rowland (Brad HARRIS) are still training young private detectives. They get support from the blonde actress Zorica GAJDAS, who, as the Serbian answer to Jayne MANSFIELD, knows how to impress with her curvaceous assets.

After that, the film heads towards Singapore, where an absent-minded professor (Ernst Fritz FÜRBRINGER) is worried about his newly developed laser weapon. But first, Brad HARRIS treats himself to a round of water skiing and poses the question to the audience as to how you can carry a revolver in your swimming trunks. When it comes to action, HARRIS (also as stunt coordinator) and KENDALL once again know how to inspire. In this way, Italian director Gianfranco PAROLINI (QUESTA VOLTA TI FACCIO RICCO, 1974) also circumvents some of the weaknesses in the script. Naturally, the local criminal gang of the Golden Dragon is soon after the laser weapon. This also puts the charming professor's daughter (Barbara FREY, who was once married to the actor Mark DAMON, who later produced films such as 9 1/2 WEEKS (1986) and MONSTER (2003) with ACADEMY AWARD winner Charlize THERON) in danger. The young Gisela HAHN is very impressive in this film, impressing as an ultra-nasty contract killer. Five years later, the actress from West Prussia was once again a guest star in the KOMMISSAR - X - franchise in KOMMISSAR X JAGT DIE ROTEN TIGER. And then there is her opaque sister Shabana (Luisa RIVELLI), who is somehow connected to everyone in Singapore.

Good action scenes, interesting female characters and the usual agent stuff make this EuroSPY representative an enjoyable film. The West German agent franchise, based on the British James Bond adventures, was not only successful in its own cinemas (1,494,000 visitors), but was also exported to France (almost 500,000 visitors) and Spain (almost 1,000,000 visitors).

Imagine you want to make a James Bond-style film but you cannot afford to get the best actors, the best writing or the best stunts....then you would be imagining a "Kommissar X" movie. This series of movies was made by a German production company and starred an Italian guy as Agent Jo Louis Walker (Tony Kendall) and an American (body builder Brad Harris) as his sidekick, Captain Tom Rowland. The pair travel the world fighting baddies and keeping the world safe.

In "Operation Far East" ("Kommisar X- In den Klauen des Goldenen Drachen"), the pair are in Singapore in order to protect a professor and his invention, a special filter for lasers that makes them incredibly powerful. Some group of baddies want this Eradakon Filter and send wave after wave of goons and pretty ladies to kill the two agents. When that doesn't work, they kidnap the professor's daughter and threaten to kill her unless he gives them the super-weapon. Will the world be held captive by some evil maniacs or will the handsome duo manage to save the day?

Let's face it. Aside from the location shooting in Singapore, this is a rather low-budgeted affair. Because of this, to save money they mostly run around punching people and huge stunts are mostly absent. Did I sad there was a LOT of punching?! About as much as you'd find in six Bond films...and complete with loud celery-splitting sound effects. In fact, there's so much that I found the fights a bit boring after a while and would have appreciated more story and suspense. Not a bad film...but not nearly as good as Bond or even some of the other Bond wannabes, such as George Nader and his Jerry Cotton. A time-passer and not much more.