Customer Reviews

Murderer's Row [VHS]

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hopelessly dated, Dean Martin's foray into spy satire is often funny. A cool car that seems to bend around corners, odd gadgets like a bed that dumps the occupants into a pool, Vodka dispenser, reverse gun, beautiful women, corny dialougue, etc, do make this parody an amusing ride in a MAD MAGAZINE kind of way.

Murderers Row is the second installment in the Matt Helm (starring Dear Martin as Matt) series ... but probably the best out of all of them.

Dean does the tongue and cheek spy routine in this James Bond spin off from the sixties, and even entertains us with a song segment or two.

The late sixties was a era of spy spoofs/thrillers based on the phenominal success of Sean Connery as James Bond. The Helm series is a light-hearted look at the 'super spy' world. Matt's only known photo is one of his back holding a drink (It's Martin .. go figure)

If you don't expect to take the movies seriously, they can be fun. If you expect a 'Goldfinger' here, you'll be greatly disappointed.

Matt has the whimsical gadget in each movie too. This time its a gun that delays firing for a few seconds (the Silencers had the gun that shot backward). Matt/Dean uses this to great effect while battling his evil opponent's henchmen which are about one step above the 'moron' level. Still, its fun to watch.

This isn't released in DVD yet, but should be soon. When it is, it's probably the only one of the series I'll buy (The others are just too gamey for my tastes).

Gave it four stars because it was the most well done, though you may feel it doesn't rate them. Also, Dean Martin gives this particular episode a special shine. As an alternate series which is a little better done (but still a spoof) try 'In Like Flint' and 'Our Man Flint' with James Coburn.

~P~

The villainous henchman with the black chrome-plated head was a formidable nemesis. And how about near the end when Karl Malden shot his own mistress with the harpoon. You could feel the air hissing through her lips as she fell dead to the floor. Dean Martin was always cool and any movie with a vivacious, young Ann Margret is worth watching.