008: Operation Exterminate (1965)

About average for the genre, 4 July 2017

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.

5/10