Micitype Pretty Good

Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

JohnHowardReid Entertaining spy send-up. Franciosa virtually carries the film single-handed with a forceful and ingratiating performance. Miss Welch tries to do a little more than look decorative but fails dismally. (I don't think anyone will mind). Mr. Revill is disappointingly clumsy. The action sequences are good, but tend to run on too long, however director Martinson does a much better job here than on "Batman". Of course the script is better too, and there is some fine 2nd unit direction and photography.When I saw this film in 1967 I was but a callow youth and I must admit I quite enjoyed it. Fifteen years later, it isn't nearly so entertaining. The story is so absurdly ridiculous it would strain the credulity of a new-born gnat and the characters are so forced to dance to the plot that they have more shadow than substance — with the exception of Clive Revill who comes on so over=strong as a figure-of-fun Russian as to provoke nausea rather than amusement.At least Tony Franciosa turns on the charm come what may, whether he is telling a background story that is intentionally full of holes or whether he is giving Fathom the true version (which is unintentionally full of holes). As for wide-eyed Fathom, when she is not yielding place to her stunt double on the sky-diving plane or in a speeding car or whatever, she is prancing around showing off a bit of well-turned skin here and there, trying vainly to act and displaying about as much personality as a well-rounded goldfish.Director Martinson is no help — pedestrian, heavy-handed with overuse of close-ups and about as much sense of pace and style as my Aunt Minnie. The action sequences are a slight improvement but remember these are the work of Peter Medak (2nd unit) and Kenneth Vos (sky-diving). Photographed in Spain but none too colorfully, not that much use is made of the scenery. Credits are merely passable (the film editing in particular displays little skill and the art director has little imagination) and production values moderate.

RavenGlamDVDCollector I am often dismayed when a movie starts with a title sequence showing a drab black background and then those white lettering that seems to last for hours. This one kicks off with a glorious establishing shot of its leading lady, instantly telling everybody that they are watching (arguably, but quite likely) the most beautiful girl in the world (at that time, at least) by showing us her lightly- clad body lying prone as she is busying herself... hammering that thing into the ground? Why??? Do I care??? Those long, long legs... barefoot... nice slinky hands, cute feet... the face that must have meant EVERYTHING to men's dreams back then...As RavenGlamDVDCollector, I have obtained several of her movies, most notable is HANNIE CAULDER, which isn't a good movie, not by a long shot really, but there are some highly memorable scenes in which she is just perfect, and MYRA BRECKENRIDGE, which is very unusual, with a shaky premise, and is mostly claptrap. But it featured the trailer* of this one, with that self-same leggy scene as its opening shot as well, and I took one look and quickly couldn't really care less about MYRA BRECKENRIDGE, had to, had to have FATHOM.I could of course quickly judge that FATHOM is equally far, far away from being a good movie. But Raquel's built-for- bikini figure makes up for any other on-screen shortcomings. Would I watch a 1967 movie with an unlikely plot had some serious actress of that time been featured? No of course not. But Raquel's got the kind of curves that are in considerable danger of becoming extinct. Nowadays girls with this kind of figure are invariably only surgically- "enhanced" and that is oh-so-creepy with the scars and everything to prove it. Raquel back then is representative of not only the phenomenon that she was, but of a whole bygone era, a time when purity still meant something, when there was more pride taken in one's person, instead of the sacrileges nowadays committed so flippantly without thought.*trailer has the very best glam shots in it, makes a fine little capsule, I had my doubts whether the movie could surpass it (of course that leggy scene at the beginning is far extended in the opening titles of the flick)So, I don't even pretend to care about this movie's story-line, hell, it's a mess that gets worse every second it meanders in its lopsided way, hoo boy... but all-natural Raquel is a feast for the eyes. And there is a lot of her on show, plenty of times... Guys, I don't have to say anymore, do I?

bear022013-588-696101 I have been fortunate enough to have been in my prime,when RAQUEL WELCH was in hers.This was worth the bathing suit romps and strengthens the fact that more is less in movies.She has had quite a tongue in cheek career.I do take issue with any director who would have this wonderful,perfect woman on the same screen as that ugly missing link Jim Brown.I am a Black man and have always felt that the brother had zero class man...A Sean Connery he is not...you know what I'm saying..Sidney Poitier maybe,Tony Franciosa yes.Tony was kind enough to occasionally hire me to do errands for him and I even sat in a projection room with seven other people who screened? the film and added the music.Even then,I felt that all that constant background noise took away..what the Spanish atmosphere and scenery gave to the film.I miss Mr.Tony a lot..even now.He was always too kind to me.

Bogmeister MASTER PLAN: get the Fire Dragon. The spy / secret agent craze was in full swing by this time, with several James Bond movies already dominating the decade and a few imitators (Flint; Matt Helm) getting started. They also put out a "Modesty Blaise" film the year before this. So, why not place the newest sex symbol / bombshell into a similar vehicle? Why not? The main difference with this plot is that the title character is not really a secret agent; she works in a dentist's office and her key skill is being an able parachutist, an activity she partakes in while on vacation in Spain. She's also...Raquel Welch, the poster child for feminine perfection since her role in "One Million Years B.C." the year before. Frankly, I was surprised when I found out she wasn't really a spy or secret agent - she seems such a natural for that adventurous occupation on film - she's recruited or drafted by a couple of supposed government agents for a mission. The mission involves acquiring a mysterious Chinese object known as the Fire Dragon; or, it's the 'MacGuffin,' the term Hitchcock used to describe the object that drives the plot in a story. Welch is presented as the ideal female - not silly & stupid as we might expect, since she does regard her supposed allies with suspicion (though, the reveal that they represent an organization called HADES, another word for Hell, might have clued her in somewhat... but, oh well, she's pretty athletic to complement her 'easy on the eye' great figure). This doesn't have as much of a campy tone as many other spy movies of the sixties, so you're not sure how seriously you should take it in some scenes.The story does keep you guessing as it moves along at a fairly good pace, or tries to. Poor Fathom (Welch) doesn't know who to trust, her recruiters or their enemy, an adventurer (Franciosa) who lives in a villa with some other compatriots - this is Fathom's initial destination as a secret agent, where she quickly finds a dead body. Her new acquaintance, Merriwether, claims to be a detective, but he could be a master criminal (he also refers to her as 'Poppet' in every other sentence, which drove me nuts after the first hour). Then there's Serapkin (Revill, hamming it up, as usual), some kind of Russian oddball villain and probable master criminal on a yacht whom Fathom is placed in the position of seducing. On top of that, there's a local café proprietor (Tom Adams, formerly "The 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World") who is not all he seems to be. Most of the story thrust has Fathom starting to trust a couple of these characters at some point and then getting a rude reality check. She escapes becoming a dead body herself once or twice only by luck; that, or her stunning good looks prevent the villains from taking that final step. The most memorable scene, and the one which stuck with me when I saw this as a kid and didn't understand what else was going on, is Fathom being chased by a bull. It's emblematic of the strenuous action she is put through during most of the movie. Most of it is fairly trivial and forgettable, and Welch could not win any acting awards, but yet, it's kind of entertaining, if just a bit on the dull side due to mostly bland characterizations. Heroine:6 Villains:6 Male Fatales:7 Henchmen:6 Fights:5 Stunts/Chases:6 Gadgets:4 Auto:5 Locations:7 Pace:7 overall:6