Number 11 at the Box Office in 1966 and Number 2 in Dean Martin's Matt Helm Spy Spoof Series of 4.One's Enjoyment of These Things is Determined by How Much You Like Dino's Boozing and Womanizing. He Pretty Much Plays the Same Characterization Schtick He Made for Himself While Traveling with the Rat Pack.Easy Going, Never Serious, and Always on the Prowl for a Drink or a Dame. The Matt Helm Movies were Nothing Like the Matt Helm Books that were Dark Spy Thrillers. The Movies were Fluff and Barely Qualify as Nothing More than Eye Candy at Best and Disjointed, Jumbled Junk at Worst.They Were Popular Paycheck Producers for Talents Like Ann Margaret and Karl Malden and a Few Talented Filmmakers but the Movies Really Didn't Have Much to Offer Accept as Time Wasters and Ogleathons. Here Ann Margaret's Dances in the Discotech Go On Ad Nauseam and Seem Overly Energetic Even for Ann, Malden's Villain is a Bore that Likes to Talk Into Microphones A Lot, and the Supporting Cast Mostly Stand Around Waiting for Something to Happen.The Action is Stunt Double Heavy and Back Screened Without Much Effort. The Highlight of the Movie is a Gimmick Gun that Fires on a 10 Second Delay, but Even That is Milked Dry Like Every Other Mildly Amusing Trifle.

MASTER PLAN: Operation:Scorch - use a new heat ray on Washington DC. After "The Silencers," there was no where to go but with more fun in the sun with Matt Helm - poking fun, that is, at the James Bond spy genre. Dino Martin is as lackadaisical as ever as Helm, the part-time super agent, barely awake in some scenes and ready with the cute quips in, well, every line of dialog. To illustrate the difference between Helm & Bond: Bond, as an example, is allowed one minor joke during his usual mission briefing with M. Now, Helm jokes with his boss, MacDonald (James Gregory, reprising his role) during the entire session, even as MacDonald tells him that Helm may have to commit suicide during the mission. 'I ain't going' Helm quips. The villains are again the evil organization Big-O(oh), who target all the major secret agents as the film starts, including Helm. But, this is one of those false deaths for the hero, just as was done in a couple of the Bonders (and they don't explain how Helm survives). The action takes Helm to Monte Carlo, where a primarily young crowd do a lot of dancing and swinging. Helm searches for a scientist who is providing Big-O (led by Karl Malden) with the final formulas for a super heat ray.The action slows down at the mid-point, especially with the seemingly endless scenes of young folks shaking their bodies to sixties tunes. The filmmakers manage to work Sinatra in again in a sort-of cameo. The absurdity and sight gags are at the usual level: all of Helm's girlfriends attend his funeral dressed exactly the same. The main henchman walks around in public with this big metal plate covering the top of his head and no one notices. Helm drinks while driving and on the job, joking with the liquor bottles. Ann-Margret plays the daughter of the missing scientist and she's always great, no matter what she's doing, but she even gets quite involved in some strenuous action towards the end. Sparv is fine as the femme fatale, with her slightly exotic good looks, though she inexplicably seems to change sides near the end (Helm never even had a chance to seduce her). Malden as the head villain does not do as well, speaking with a dopey accent which fades in and out. He is the subject of an effective on-going gag with a gun that delays firing for a few seconds. The climactic action in the villains' lair is not bad, with some actual suspense and humor mixed in, though the very conclusion on the hovercrafts, on the water, seems like an afterthought. The epilogue is just too silly. Helm would return in "The Ambushers." Hero:6 Villain:5 Femme Fatales:7 Henchmen:6 Fights:6 Stunts/Chases:6 Gadgets:5 Auto:4 Locations:7 Pace:6 overall:6-

MURDERER'S ROW is the second Matt Helm movie and just as sloppy and ill-conceived as THE SILENCERS. It's also just about as much fun. Dean Martin, clearly not sticking to any script, has a few funny one-liners and Ann-Margret is Ann-Margret...as a swinging sixties sex kitten, she's second to none. Karl Malden collects a paycheck as the villain and the stunning Camilla Sparv plays his moll. There are a few amusing scenes such as Dean in a line-up with two French peasants and the women's outfits are very Rudi Gernreich without actually being designed by Gernreich. The film, directed by Henry Levin, could just as easily have been named "LONG SHOTS and STUNT MEN" when you consider how few close-ups Martin has during the action sequences.

This second entry of the Matt Helms (Dean Martin) spy-spoof series is no better or worse than the Silencers or The Ambushers, but is a notch above the final entry, The Wrecking Crew. For one thing, Ann-Margret was never more beautiful (face and body) than from that time period. Energy to spare, she's on a constant high of momentum. Also included is the lovely Camilla Sparv (Michael Caine's girlfriend at the time) and she always adds class. Plus, Beverly Adams as the gorgeous Lovie Kravzit. Dino is pretty much working on 1/2 power, but does his job.A 5 out of 10. Best performance = Ann-Margret. These Helm films will seem better now than when they were released in the mid to late 60's. Just fun stuff (like Casino Royale) with tons of babes and decent villains. Check it out!