S.P.Y.S

Unless you're an absolute die-hard fan of Donald and Elliott, then you might be able to tolerate this movie, but I bet everyone involved in it really regretted doing it. Just as much as you'll regret watching it. They certainly have a great chemistry, and there are a few laughs in spite of everything. My favorite scene is the last one, not only because the movie is over but because Elliott Gould and Donald Sutherland's charm together really comes through. A last-ditch attempt to leave the audience with a smile, perhaps.

It's been over 30 years since seeing this movie for the first time, and I can still feel the pain. This ranks right up there on my worst movie of all time list. And I am a Sutherland fan. I actually walked out of the theater the first time...and I was on a date! I recently gave it another try, thinking it couldn't possibly have been THAT bad. Nope. I was right the first time. Again, excruciating to watch. I know that they were probably trying to strike gold again by pairing Gould and Sutherland after they played so well together in MASH, but with a story as stupid as this even they can't pull it off. Do yourself a favor, and just re-watch MASH.

SPYS is an aggressive laugh out comedy in the tradition of the old "Road" pictures that never really works. It has no real plot so to speak and relies on the chemistry of the lead actors of which there is plenty for its appeal. Wise cracks fly aplenty and barbs of witticism fill the air. This hit movie which was released in 1974 feels like a movie from the 80s. There is a certain fluidity of camera and mis-en-scene that MTV brought to the eighties movies that permeates the aurae of this movie. It feels like a 1985 movie SPYS and the likes that ruled the beat-box era. Laughs ring true after a very strong start but even a plot less seems or needs to deceive the audience into thinking it has a direction. The plot is silly if not confusing and just happens and the french actress Zuzou who was also a popular singer isn't very good. She just complicates matters. In all, not great but the ending is bitter-sweet and sharp on the money. You wish the movie itself had that kind of vive de joie.

S.P.Y.S (2 outta 5 stars)

Pretty lame spy "spoof" that put a kibosh on the possibility of Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould becoming the greatest comedy team of the '70s. The guys are both great comic actors and they have loads of screen chemistry together. If you don't care much for either of these actors you will probably hate this movie... and if you are a big, big fan of either one of them... well, you probably still won't think much of it. Playing a pair of maverick secret agents forced to work together, they start out complaining and bickering but over the course of their adventure (some overly-complicated plot about assassinations, missing diamonds and foreign agents) they begin to get chummy. Sutherland and Gould have charisma to burn but the lousy, nearly joke-free script doesn't give them much to work with. I suppose if this has been a big box office hit they could have continued the franchise and gone on to bigger and better movies together... but, this tanked with audiences and I don't think they two have worked together since. Anyway, I have to add that I have always absolutely loved the last scene of the movie... as our two defeated heroes, in full-out charming rascal mode, skip off down a lonely road together and start singing:

Oh, we don't know what's comin' tomorrow, Maybe it's trouble and sorrow, But we'll travel the road Sharin' our load Side by side

You take it, brother! Through all kinds of weatherrrrr! Did You hear that, Lord? Whether the sky should fall Whether the skyyyyy should fallllll Just as long as we're together It doesn't matter at all...

Great wrap-up... too bad about the first 85 minutes.

The idea of teaming Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould together in a movie must have seemed like a good idea after their success with MASH. Giving them a half decent script would have probably helped a lot though. Instead we have a half-baked spy spoof with our two heroes stumbling along from one situation to another. About the only decent thing going for this mess of a movie is the fact that it was shot mostly in France. Vladek Sheybal as the head Russian spy is also quite good(he just oozes Eastern European charm). Otherwise, some pretty stupid characters, a few decent explosions and a lot of running around. I hope Sutherland and Gould were well paid for this. Note to producers: If you're going to spoof a genre that is no longer in vogue, at least make it funny.