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19 out of 20 people found the following review useful: A Wonderful Spoof, 12 March 2003 Author: Brian Washington (Sargebri@att.net) from Los Angeles, California
This film is a funny spoof of the James Bond series. Dean Martin is hilarious as the stereotypical spy with a drink in one hand and a sexy girl in the other. All the people who call this series a rip off of James Bond are missing the point. I especially loved Kurt Kaznar, playing the despicable character he would play so well in his most famous role on Land of the Giants as Alexander Fitzhugh. Also, Janice Rule is more than just window dressing. She plays the femme fetale role to the hilt and she shows a great flair for comedy in this film. The Matt Helm series was intended to be a parody of that series and did a great job of it.
18 out of 19 people found the following review useful: Its a parody, 2 November 2005 Author: from United States
The Matt Helm series of movies featuring Dean Martin are based upon the novels of the same character (loosely), but they are all parody movies. Similar to how "Naked Gun" spoofed many popular themes at the time, these films all poke fun at the spy movies by featuring the outrageousness of the films right in your face. Bond drinks martinis, Helm drinks - a lot. Bond beds a girl or two, Helm beds them all. Bond has fancy gadgets, Helm has them plus his home has them too. Bond has villains with sinister purpose (and sometimes a quirk or two), Helm has villains that are sometimes freaks or simply idiotic. These movies are blatantly obvious as spoofs and their value is that they are interesting to watch at least once or twice.
15 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Dino is at the Helm again!, 20 July 2004 Author: Poseidon-3 from Cincinnati, OH
Third in a series of Matt Helm films starring Martin, this is often noted as being the worst or next to worst. Martin plays a swinging, hot-to-trot parody of James Bond in a film that takes every double entendre and gadget from that series and cranks them up to the nth degree. This time out, Martin must recover a stolen flying saucer with the aid of the female pilot who was stolen with it, then released. Rule (a pretty uncharacteristic choice for a film like this) plays the astronaut/pilot. Martin first attends a camp where he's refreshed in the ways of the spy (and where a battalion of voluptuous babes called The Slaygirls are being trained.) Then he's off to Mexico to track down the ship which is believed to have been nabbed by (the decidedly UN-Hispanic) Salmi. Various complications ensue including run-ins with bumbling second banana Kasznar and drop-dead eye candy Berger. It's pretty clear that the film isn't aiming for greatness, or even seriousness, when the two primary weapons are a bra that shoots bullets and a device that makes men's pants fall down! The latter device is pitifully ridiculous in that it melts belt buckles and somehow that leads to men's buttons, hooks and zippers also failing so that an army of henchman are forced to reach for their dangling trousers rather than catch their man.There's a groovy title song played over credits that display a huge array of bikini-clad, heavily made up beauties that wind up having little or nothing to do with the plot. All of the kicky, funky music is by Hugo Montenegro and it's one of the film's better attributes. The film is only really bad if one is expecting serious spy drama or high brow jokes. The villain's chief gadget is a dopey looking satellite dish that shoots sparks out of it (along with a hand-held version.) It serves its greatest purpose pouring drinks for everyone. The one-liners in this film are of the lowest caliber possible and the ultra-macho point of view will likely be off-putting to some viewers. However, for those eager to see the type of kooky, colorful romps that inspired Mike Myers to create "Austin Powers", this is required viewing. (Check out how Dino's car trunk pops out an inflatable tent complete with bed, nightstand, lamp and metal chairs!) Martin isn't exactly flexing his acting muscles here, but he was playing into his image at the time of a boozy womanizer. Rule is a better actress than this fluff deserves and she doesn't really fit the boobs and hair-type of role, but she does well anyway. Berger is unbelievably luscious. Wearing what have to be the cinema's largest-ever earrings and sporting an impossibly golden tan, hair piled high and an aquamarine lounging gown, she is one of the most underrated beauties on record. She deserved a bigger career in Hollywood than she wound up with. There's a poolside fashion show of ultra-60's Oleg Cassini creations and most of the women wear false eyelashes so heavy they can almost open their eyes. It was a time that can never be repeated, so one should relish films like this as the time capsules they are and rent Oliver Stone movies when they want to be challenged.
14 out of 16 people found the following review useful: A must see for Austin Powers fans, 24 January 2006 Author: hoosierwood from Vincennes, IN
Some think this is the worst. I say it is the best. A must see Austin Powers fans. Matt Helm inspired the rotating round bed. This movie had the gun in the bra (Fembots) and the Arab assassin. Co-star Janic Rule was great as a fellow agent. The dialog was like Steed and Miss Peale. Better than the past Helm females that were comic relief. The story was put together well, a bit silly about a flying saucer that only women can operate, but the plot line was solid. Not much filler action or girl scenes. Great location shot and the jazzed Mexican background music fit just right. Good action scene in the beer factory. The lifting machines used to lift kegs may have inspired the fight in the Alien film. A fun film.
11 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Fun in Acapulco With Dino, 3 December 2005 Author: AdamFontaine from Ambrosia
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I.C.E. are brought in to supervise security on the launching of an experimental spacecraft, which resembles a flying saucer. The pilot is glamorous Sheila Sommers. No sooner is the craft in flight than an anti-gravity beam pulls it back to Earth. The thief is one Jose Ortega, owner of a beer factory in Acapulco, and also the leader of a group of fanatical would-be revolutionaries out to overthrow the Government of Mexico.Sheila is found in the jungle some time later, badly beaten and with no memory of her ordeal. To recuperate, she is sent to an ICE rehabilitation centre by MacDonald. Also present ( on a refresher course ) is Matt Helm...The third picture in the series, 'The Ambushers' was also the second and last to be scripted by Herbert Baker and directed by Henry Levin. Once again Donald Hamilton's storyline has been clumsily grafted onto a jokey, sci-fi oriented plot. 'Murderers' Row' featured a death-ray, here its a flying saucer ( doubtless had Baker written 'The Wrecking Crew', time travel would have figured ). What's surprising is how much fun the movie is. A big improvement over its predecessor, the locations are beautifully photographed and it breezes along nicely with plenty of action and good humour. Albert Salmi is menacing as the villain, and Janice Rule makes a classy heroine as Sheila. Senta Berger sizzles as the top pilot for 'BIG O' - Francesca Medeiros. Yes, the Slaygirls are on hand again to assist Matt, some kitted out with guns in their brassieres. At times you feel that there's a good movie struggling to get out. A stronger emphasis on adventure and less on comedy was needed. Better S.F.X. would have helped too. The saucer and Ortega's anti-gravity devices ( where did he get these, incidentally? ) look like left-over props from 'Star Trek'. As Matt, Dino is...well, Dino. If you don't like Dino, don't watch Matt Helm. For all its failings, this is the best Helm movie since 'The Silencers'.
4 out of 6 people found the following review useful: 3rd Helm flick & 3rd best!, 1 August 2004 Author: shepardjessica from sparks, nevada
This Helm flick should be ranked slightly lower than THE SILENCERS or MURDERER'S ROW, but definitely better than that final train wreck - THE WRECKING CREW (great babes though). The Ambushers sports Janice Rule (great actress from the 60's - check her out in THE CHASE with Brando) and Senta Berger, a European beauty with exotic looks and voice. Beverly Adams is on hand again as the sweetheart assistant, Lovey Kravezit.A 4 out of 10. Best performance = Janice Rule. Give this one a chance. It's not THAT bad! Dino is starting to show a lack of energy by the end of it, but the girls hold him up. If you're not a complete spy-spoof snob, this is a perfect way to waste 100 minutes.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: Disappointing, 5 September 2009 Author: gridoon2010
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.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: Dino Saunters Through Another Film At The Helm, 14 July 2009 Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York
The Matt Helm series never quite had the class that James Bond did. 007 is still going strong with many actors who now have done the role and it shows no signs of slowing down. But the locker room type humor that typifies the Matt Helm series was definitely wearing thin when The Ambushers came out.Dean Martin is once again intrepid secret agent Matt Helm whose cover as a fashion photographer takes him to Acapulco in search of a satellite that was captured. By of all people, a Mexican beer baron who is considerably more than that. Try and imagine August Busch or Jacob Ruppert in the spy business as well and you have the part Albert Salmi plays.Salmi did vile and disgusting things to pilot Janice Rule upon her capture because, well he's Albert Salmi. She's traumatized and only in the company of Dean Martin with whom she shared some tender moments back in the day will she go back and try to find the thing.Oh by the way, they need Rule because the satellite can't be flown by a man. Something in the atmosphere when the switch is thrown kills all members of the male species. The bad guys don't find this out until too late.Dino walked through this one as did the rest of the cast which looks bored, but also eager because the Matt Helm films did make money back in the day.Well at least we know that the hormonal kinks must have been worked out before July of 1969 when Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins went to the moon
fun film for 'Dino' to relax in, 16 September 2009 Author: oscar-35 from Movieland
*Spoiler/plot- 1967, The Ambushers, The baddies have built a working super secret flying saucer and plan on using it against the USA. Along with their new ray gun weapons, they plan to attack and win. Spy Matt Helm goes into action.*Special Stars- Dean Martin plays lead spy, Matt Helm, Senta Berger plays the lead love interest. Albert Salmi plays the baddie.*Theme- US spies come in many shapes and sizes.*Based on- Donald Hamilton's novel on Matt Helm, spy.*Trivia/location/goofs- Spoof of James Bond 007 spy films. Mostly shot in Mexico. The second entry in Martin's Matt Helm film series.*Emotion- A fun film for 'Dino' to relax in and be campy and funny. Light entertainment and humorous.
oh please, 24 August 2009 Author: Simon Foster from United States
I'd like to know more about the people writing negative reviews of a movie like this: how old are they? were they even alive during the 60s? This movie is a product of a different age. It was a simpler time. You could get away with making movies that had this kind of production values, script and, yes - allusions to rape in an action-comedy notwithstanding - moral values (I'm not saying they're high, they're just an indicator of the time).Do you watch Charlie Chaplin or Laurel & Hardy and complain about the cinematography? You're watching a movie from the 60s guys - it's a time capsule. It can teach you about what life was like then, because at the time the Matt Helm movies were all completely acceptable and even successful.I dread to think how you lot would handle a 'Carry On' film - yet they were some of the most successful movies ever made in England. You'd probably brand them sexist, vulgar, childish and uninventive though...duh!
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