S*P*Y*S (1974)

This very 1970's spy comedy was clearly marketed 90% on the strength of the star pairing of Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould, two of the coolest, hippest, "with-it" male leads of the decade (of the type who would only be used in supporting roles in our more conventional times). Unfortunately, they forgot to add a script to the mixture. The "plot" of "S*P*Y*S" is rambling and confusing at best. But that's not the worst thing about this film - the worst thing is how dismally unfunny it is. I mean, it is supposed to be a comedy, but you'd be hard-pressed to name more than 2 funny scenes within its 100 minutes. Only Remy Julienne's expertise with car stunts shines through. * out of 4.

This is such a great undiscovered gem and an even better buddy film. Gould (at the peak of his powers and fame) and Sutherland(also at his peak) are so dang great together, it's such a shame they didn't become the Crosby & Hope of the 70's. Can you imagine a better pairing than these two? No I didn't think so. This film is so much fun, it's got tons of laughs, a GREAT car chase sequence, great supporting performances by all, and a fun lighthearted feel to it. Sure the plot is thin and it gets a tad confusing, but believe me, that does not matter! This is pure fun from the opening tune (Cheesy great title song) and fun titles to the very last scene of the two heroes walking off into the sunset, side by side. BLISS!

What can I say? Reading the comments here, it seems no one liked S*P*Y*S-- but me. It tickled my funny bone. The improbable zany story and the antics of Sutherland and Gould hit home with me. I laughed my tail off. Truth is, I'm not that weird. I don't like everything that comes down the pike and if you're looking for something in the wake of the Vietnamese war-- and Canadian Sutherland and New Yorker Gould were both active protesters of that ghastly war-- that rebukes the folly of war, this piece works. Now, if you're looking for some higher form of art, you might want to direct your attention somewhere else. As for me, the ridiculous situations these two guys get into amused me greatly and I enjoyed this movie immensely. Check it out for yourself.

The idea of teaming Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould together in a movie must have seemed like a good idea after their success with MASH. Giving them a half decent script would have probably helped a lot though. Instead we have a half-baked spy spoof with our two heroes stumbling along from one situation to another. About the only decent thing going for this mess of a movie is the fact that it was shot mostly in France. Vladek Sheybal as the head Russian spy is also quite good(he just oozes Eastern European charm). Otherwise, some pretty stupid characters, a few decent explosions and a lot of running around. I hope Sutherland and Gould were well paid for this. Note to producers: If you're going to spoof a genre that is no longer in vogue, at least make it funny.