Boris e Natasha

She acts, she sings, she models, she produces! This is a live action movie based on a silly cartoon. Spy spoof movies are plentiful and generally don't have the best reputation. This one works as a takeoff of a popular cartoon. It is not, however, about the moose-and-squirrel. It is about Sally Kellerman. If you want to enjoy this lanky bombshell at her best, this is the place to be.

Boris ( Dave Thomas ) and Natasha ( Sally Kellerman) are in a small country that was once part of Yugoslavia. Russia is also liberated but Fearless Leader is still sending out spies to meddle in world affairs. On this day, he asks B + N to " defect " to America in order to find a miraculous new microchip. Very special, this chip alters time back to 20 seconds before, thereby reversing catastrophes like crashes and gunshot killings. BUT BUT WAIT! What the dynamic duo doesn't know is that they will be the decoy to find the chip but then be eliminated as a more worthy spy will bring the invention back to FL. Off they go. When they land, the CIA captures them immediately and interrogates them to find their true purpose. Finding the twosome to be clueless and dim, they let them go. But, an agent named Willie will follow closely behind. In fact, W brings Boris and Natasha to a smart high rise apartment with every amenity. Natasha becomes a sensational new model after being discovered. But between photoshoot, our heroes still hunt for the microchip and the man who invented it. Will they locate it only to perish? This film , taken from the 60s cartoon characters, is sillier than putty but will still plaster a grin on one's face. Thomas and Kellerman are great as the rather not-so-bright spies and the other cast members are fine, also. What fun to see Natasha empty a frozen can of orange juice into a glass for Boris or a fellow spy, dying, knock over a bowl of potato chips as a "clue". The zany plot takes the viewers to many settings while costumes are terrific. Laughs ensue time and again. So, do you seek a flick to lift your spirits? Spend time with Boris and Natasha!

Before getting into this movie, I have to confess something: I have only seen a few minutes of one episode of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show in my life, and the few minutes that I saw didn't involve the Boris and Natasha characters. So I can't say how closely this live action movie captures the spirit of the animated show. But I can say that I was bored for the most part by this movie. The biggest problem with the movie is that it's not very funny. Oh, there were a few moments that made me smile a little, but for the most part the humor is lame and unimaginative. The script certainly suffers for not being funny, but there are other problems with it. There isn't much of a plot here, for one thing, leading to a lot of padding. Another problem is that the screenplay doesn't flesh out its lead characters very well - when the two are given their mission and start out on it, we hardly have been given any character development at all. This may explain why actors Dave Thomas and Sally Kellerman seem to be phoning in their performances. In fact, all of the cast seem to be treating this acting job in a half- hearted manner. The icing on the cake is the often cheapjack feeling to the enterprise - it obviously didn't have a substantial budget. It's no wonder the movie was shelved for four years before being released straight to video and cable TV.

Let me start off by saying I'm a fan of the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon, especially the ones with Boris and Natasha, so I was very excited when I heard that a Rocky and Bullwinkle related movie was finally getting made. The movie lived up to my expectations. Sure, it had a lot of jokes that didn't work and it is not as good as THE ADVENTURES OF ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE (the other R&B movie which was made eight year later), but it is still fun stuff. The movie has the heart and flat humor as the classic TV show did, making it worth watching for fans of the series. Highlights include the Agent X scenes and any time the narrator is speaking (gotta love that voice). **1/2

Personally, I can't figure out why they made a movie with Rocky and Bullwinkle's nemeses as the main characters. But either way, from what I heard about the Rocky and Bullwinkle movie, "Boris and Natasha" has to be better. Featuring the Eastern European agents getting sent to America to find a time-reversing device, it's a little weird but does elicit a few laughs. Still, I don't think that this is really going to do anything for Sally Kellerman's or Dave Thomas's careers (yes, Hot Lips and Doug McKenzie play the baddest Cold War spies whom the world has ever known). I would recommend sticking with the original TV show.

Also starring Andrea Martin, Alex Rocco, John Candy, June Foray in a brief appearance, and even John Travolta as himself.