Suspense au Caire pour A008

Two secret agents join forces in Egypt (and later in Switzerland) to locate & destroy an anti-radar device, and retrieve the plans of its design. One is a British male; the other is an American female. Her code name is 008, and, as the title suggests, she is actually the central hero(ine) of this film, quite atypically for its day. The two agents have an equal partnership, but if anyone is closer to the "sidekick" role, it's the man. Ingrid Schoeller plays what is quite possibly the first attempt of international cinema to create a female James Bond-type character: she is beautiful, curvaceous, sweet, intelligent, armed with gadgets, expert with a gun, and can handle herself in a fight without needing a man to rescue her (as she proves in a daring escape from an enemy-riddled beauty saloon). All this, combined with the lively banter between the two leads and the crazy double-twist ending (the first twist is smart; the second nonsensical!), make "A 008: Operazione Sterminio" one of the most enjoyable Eurospy movies of the period. **1/2 out of 4.

Ingrid Schoeller becomes the first female to headline a Eurospy movie (at least as far as I know so far).

This was Umberto Lenzi's first attempt at Eurospy, made just before he began teaming up with Roger Browne. It is set mainly in his perennial favourite exotic location, Cairo, and includes much of the stock footage that he would continue to recycle across all his Eurospy movies;- panoramas of the Nile, pyramids, markets, black & white taxis' and dubious cabaret acts. Also the customary stock footage of Westminster from the Thames that always precedes the mission assignment scene. Zermatt rounds out the locations and provides a contrast of scenery for the finale.

Ingrid is 008, an American agent, who is teamed with British agent 006 and a half, played by Alberto Lupo, who doesn't look remotely British. 007 James Bond is also mentioned several times in passing. She's vivacious, insightful and competently deals with all the usual spy action, including fighting and defeating no less than 4 henchwomen at the Institute of Beauty, while also good naturedly fending of the attentions of Alberto (once even resorting drugging him to sleep, when they are sharing a room and posing as husband & wife). Meanwhile Alberto seems to have trouble keeping his mind on the mission, expends plenty of energy, but often ends up needing to be saved by Ingrid.

Evano Staccioli makes for a memorable villain and swarthy, dimple chinned, Sal Borgese takes a turn at being lead henchman, equipped with a black glove that can fire knives.

The plot, dialogue, direction and music are all solid by Eurospy standards and played at a "Roger Moore-esque" level of seriousness. There are a couple of minor twists at the end, as Ingrid outwits Alberto to take sole possession of the McGuffin.

As is customary in a Lenzi spy movie there is a humorous epilogue, which signs off with Ingrid and Alberto about to embark on another joint mission.

I'm not sure why I find it so difficult to enjoy the spy film genre. Whether legitimate or spoof seems to make no difference. There is something about the genre that attracts the infantile perhaps, certainly there is a fetish for playthings, gadgets (and women!) where even in the most serious maybe things are not taken too seriously. With this the first of Umberto Lenzi's spy films I thought maybe there would be a complete subversion of the genre (certainly my box cover suggests so) more a spaghetti spy story with little reverence for the old originals. But no this treads a fairly well worn path (except for the female lead) and takes itself pretty seriously at first. Gradually one feel that Lenzi throws in the towel because it does become slightly amusing and maybe more of a spoof but even so there is no hard edge, all the fights are crap, most of the dialogue laughable (not that laughable) and the sex scenes brought up short. There is some fine location shooting particularly on the streets of Cairo and later in the alps but not enough to make this very watchable.

Hoping to recover a valuable and dangerous anti-radar device, the British government sends in Frank Smith, Agent 606 (Alberto Lupo). He is to meet up with an American known to him as MacDonald, Agent 008 (Ingrid Schoeller). (I just love the agent numbering in these movies.) As you'd expect in a film like this, Smith is shocked to discover that MacDonald is (gasp) a woman. The pair end up in a lot of car chases, fist fights, and gun battles in the streets, hotels, and nightclubs of Cairo - you know, the normal things secret agents do. They also end up playing the role of lovers (who didn't see that coming). There are, as you'd expect, other parties interested in the device - especially the Russians. Who will get there first?

Another of those movies that I'm going to describe as not great, but not horrible. 008: Operation Exterminate is about average. I admit that being directed by Umberto Lenzi, I expected a bit more from the film. This one is more restrained than a lot of his more well known work. The plot does somewhat turn the spy genre on its head with a female lead. In most of these movies, if there is a female spy, she's only there to assist the male lead, provide a love interest, and play the damsel in distress. Not here. Schoeller's 008 takes charge. And she more than capable of handling the demands of the lead role. Nicely done. The film also features plenty of action and intrigue, but lacks the big set pieces and special effects found in spy films with bigger budgets. The twist at the end is a nice touch. I didn't see it coming so it worked on me. Finally, there are some very nice shots of the Cairo streets circa 1965. They give the film a real authentic feel.

Spies movie that is able to interest the viewer in its simplicity.

It is not something transcendental but it makes a good impression.

I can't believe how many movies of this type have come out in those years.