Istanbul, mission impossible

According to IMDB, "Target: Harry" was a pilot movie for a proposed series that was never picked up by the networks. So, instead, they creatively re-edited the film (adding a couple nude scenes) and released it as a feature film.

Harry (Vic Morrow) is a pilot who is transporting Mr. Carlyle to Instanbul. However, Carlyle is killed and a gang of thugs think that Harry was working for Carlyle...and so Harry must have the stolen plates that were in Carlyle's possession. So, he spends the rest of the film being chased about, shot at and getting the snot knocked out of him in the movie...all while trying to look very cool.

This is a decent thriller....nothing special but yet another example of a Roger Corman film that managed to make money...as all but one of his over 400 films did! Worth seeing but far from a great film.

I am doubtful if other IMBD user reviewers have given 1969's TARGET: HARRY a true taste ...

Unsure of what to expect, I dove into its opening Gran Prixesque formula high-tension race car pile up action sequence, while lapping up raw location scenery from Monaco, Turkey and environs with laconic, tosseled haired Vic Morrow and sizzling Suzanne Pleshette in her prime, decked out in chic colorful ensembles; young freckled laser blue-eyed Charlotte Rampling, fey Victor Buono as the heavy; decent action sequences and plenty of softcore porn interludes (some are violent) all served up from the Corman Company with a cheezy score. If your interest is peaked, this one's for you!

Harry Black (Vic Morrow) is a pilot that transports Jason Carlyle to a racing event in Instanbul. Soon Jason is shot and Harry ends in prison because they thought he killed Jason. However Harry is freed from prison by Lieutenant George Duval (Cesar Romero) for recovering the stolen plates that were possessed by Carlyle, and most of the movie consists of Harry that is chased, shot at and beaten to a pulp while trying to look cool.

I seeked this film because of the colorful cast (Morrow, Romero, Stanley Holloway, Michael Ansara, Victor Buono and Suzanne Pleshette) and also because it's directed by Roger Corman (a director that has some sort of cult following). In the first part it looked good but after it looked like it took a detour to laziness, and there was a scene that kinda scared me; a goon enters Ruth Carlyle (Charlotte Rampling)'s apartment and he squeezes her head to the point we hear her skull cracking! If you can overlook this, it's just a time passer.

I watched Target: Harry because I thought it was a type of James Bond spy movie starring Cesar Romero as the "M" character. While that turned out to be true, Cesar was only in about fifteen minutes the movie. He's in the first ten minutes, luring unsuspecting audience members like me in. Then, we hang in there for the next hour, hoping in vain to see him again.

The bulk of the movie is extremely cheesy. "I'll buy that." "You can't afford it," she quips back. It's all very 1970s tv-movie-ish. Lots of zooms, lots of unrealistic, supposedly clever dialogue, and a huge rip-off of the James Bond theme. Vic Morrow is the too-cool-for-school lead who can't be bothered to care about anything. Suzanne Pleshette is his love interest who can't be trusted. Victor Buono is the bad guy. There's not much else to know, really, but you'll see some familiar faces as well: Stanley Holloway, Michael Ansara, and Charlotte Rampling as a blonde. I don't really recommend this one.

'Target: Harry' was originally meant for television pilot for ABC, but was released theatrically instead. For some reason, Roger Corman took his name off the film and was credited as Henry Neill. Well, if you've already seen the film then you might understand his decision. 'Target: Harry' is not so much awful film, but it is boringly generic. Vic Morrow is awesome as a pilot Harry Black, a man in the wrong place at the wrong time, and strutting through dangerous situations while throwing one-liners and puns to the left and to the right. The problem is, the protagonist looks too cool and gets out of serious situations too easily.

Harry Black is a private pilot who flies Jason Carlyle (Stanley Holloway) into Istanbul where Carlyle gets murdered. Harry gets associated with the murder and his paths cross with mysterious woman Diane Reed (Suzanne Pleshette) and powerful crime lord Mosul Rashi (Victor Buono). Harry finds out that Carlyle was carrying plates for counterfeiting money that got lost. Both, Reed and Rashi, thinks that Harry got them, or at least he knows where they are. One double cross follows another and so on.

'Target: Harry' is nothing spectacular in the pile of similar James Bondish spy themed action films that were popular at that time. Even the main score is awfully similar to one of James Bond. The acting is good and there are some fine moments in dialogue to make 'Target: Harry' passably entertaining while watching but nothing else. Rather forgettable and not very thrilling action piece.