The Ambushers (1967)

Director:

Henry Levin

Writers:

Donald Hamilton (book)
Herbert Baker (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 March 1968 (Australia)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Matt Helm rides again! ...with the Ambushers on his back, and some fun on the side!

Plot:

A government space saucer is hijacked mid-flight by a powerful laser beam under the control of Jose Ortega...

Plot Keywords:

Mexico | Matt Helm | Flying Saucer | Spoof | Spy Hero

Cast

Dean Martin	...	Matt Helm
Senta Berger	...	Francesca Madeiros
Janice Rule	...	Sheila Sommers
James Gregory	...	MacDonald
Albert Salmi	...	Jose Ortega
Kurt Kasznar	...	Quintana
Beverly Adams	...	Lovey Kravezit
David Mauro	...	Nassim
Roy Jenson	...	Karl
John Brascia	...	Rocco
Linda Foster	...	Linda
Tomiko Ishizuka	...	Slaygirl (as Yumiko Ishizuka)
Karin Feddersen	...	Slaygirl (as Karin Fedderson)
Ulla Lindstrom	...	Slaygirl
Marilyn Tindall	...	Slaygirl

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:16 | USA:Not Rated | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

This film also marked the final time that Matt faced an agent from the Brotherhood of International Government and Order (a.k.a. BIG-O).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Throughout the entire film you can see the wires that are used to lift things and people up whenever the "anti-gravity ray" is used. This is especially obvious in the scenes where the saucer is brought down to the jungle and when Matt rescues Sheila from the runaway train wagon.

Quotes:

Courier Slaygirl: Long distance call for you, Mr. Helm. Hop aboard.
Courier Slaygirl: [Matt sits himself down on the back of her scooter] I go pretty fast. Better find something to hang on to.
Matt Helm: [Matt knowingly looks at the camera] Crazy.

Movie Connections:

References "Candid Camera" (1953)

Soundtrack:

The Ambushers

Disappointing

The third Matt Helm film - and easily the weakest up to this point. Though Maltin's BOMB rating seems a bit harsh - it IS watchable, after all - it's hard not to notice the drop-off in quality from its predecessor, "Murderers' Row". The villains are nobodies, the gadgets are not as cool as before (levitating gun < delayed / reverse firing gun), the climactic vehicular chase has worse rear projection than the Abbott and Costello movies, and the entire enterprise is slow, unexciting and drab. Bright spot: Janice Rule, who is the smartest Matt Helm assistant so far, and also closer to Dean Martin's age than Ann Margret or Stella Stevens, which makes their (professional and romantic) partnership more believable. Senta Berger has an interesting character, in the sense that you are not sure for a long time whose side she is working for, but ultimately she is underused. The movie's two best bits actually come at the very start (the catchy title song), and the very end (a funny Frank Sinatra gag). *1/2 out of 4.