Voitheia o Vengos, faneros praktor '000'

Perhaps the only Greek entry (along with its 1969 sequel) in the James Bond Spoof sweepstakes, this is one of the better ones from any country. Producer-director-star Thanassis Vengos is not very well-known outside Greece, but he should be: his brand of humor is more advanced and stands the test of time better than such European contemporaries as Louis De Funes or Franco and Ciccio. In fact, the surrealistic school of comedy he represents may be unparalleled in Greek cinema. This film cannot keep its momentum from flagging at times (the first of the three "graduation" missions goes on too long), but it offers several laugh-out-loud monents, and its best sections can be watched more than once; the "training" scenes at the start can almost compare with similar ones in Woody Allen's "Bananas"! The cartoonish sound effects are particularly amusing. In a too-small role, Ria Deloutsi (Dora) will have you exclaiming "Sophia Loren....who?". **1/2 out of 4.