Golpe de mil millones de dólares

It's one of those films I discovered purely by chance looking through Robert Shaw's filmography and happened to find the whole film on YouTube. I liked it. It's not polished and the twist at the end was driven by ego and morals, but that helped it feel a different cut to the usual formula e.g. Oceans... Italian Job etc. In fact there's a semblance of another film I like, with Oliver Reed and Michael Crawford called Jokers which would make a perfect double billed afternoon. I particularly enjoyed the similarities to the first Mission Impossible film, without giving too much away. Just temper any expectations of high action. This film works by tension but it does it well enough to justify watching at least once. Not a bucket-list worthy film, but the main actors may justify my 6/10.

Pretty decent heist flick benefits from better than average perfs from Shaw and Shaft.

Golan decides to film it all in the Holy Land which, if nothing else, gives it some excellent cinematography to work in front of.

Shaw shows that he could have been James Bond. He looked great in the role. One almost wonders why the Oscars didn't call on him more often.

Shaft Roundtree made an excellent balance for him too. He did the hired muscle routine with a touch of class.

I'm trying to figure out Shelly Winters role though. It seemed like the producers just wanted to hire her just to hire her. Don't get me wrong. She did fine in the part. But why was it there? Dated a lot. But still a thrill ride.

Good crime drama, with somewhat complex storyline (unique twists and turns), but easy and fun to follow. Characters portrayed by Robert Shaw and by Richard Roundtree were played well, particularly Robert Shaw's quirky expressions (similar to those of Quint, in Jaws, but with a good deal more class). Barbara Hershey's character was OK, but could have been played as well or better by any number of actresses. Israeli cast members did a good job, and there were some really nice scenic shots of Israeli locations (though somewhat dated, in view of the time of filming). Good fun - good ending!

Firstly, it is wrong to associate this alongside any of the Shaft series. The VHS reissue (in EP mode) is evidently retitled to fortify it on the retail shelves. Roundtree is entirely cast different, and fans of Shaft will be disappointed that he doesn't even wear a mustache in the film. Rather, "Diamonds" is one of those action/caper films that seem to fit very comfortably in the 70's. It's hardly jaw-dropping material, but Golan (of the Cannon film group) invested well into this accurately sketched story.

The location work on "Diamonds" is superb and justly highlighted. The story starts in Europe but is mostly in the streets, neighborhoods and buildings of Israel, which is somewhat unusual for an "exotic" locale. There's plenty of local flavor injected into the story, and the location plays a big part in the tension of the plot- Israeli police using their own means to track down an international thief and an ominous London businessman. Roundtree is superb, still shining in the Shaft afterglow and Shaw is as consistent as ever (even in the iffy double-casting job). Unfortunately, the women do not fare so well- Barbara Hershey (as Barbara Seagull) whines at Roundtree's character throughout half the film about some unclear relationship issues. And Shelly Winters is...... uhhhhh, well, Shelly Winters as she portrays a lukewarm bit of comedic relief. She plays a stereotype American Jewish woman visiting Israel on a tour to buy diamonds. A peripheral character at best, it could be said that her character exists merely to parody the common Israeli/American tourist. Nonetheless, the action and details of this thriller are the fenceposts here and they hold together a remarkably good 70's flick. The soundtrack, which might at times see more recognition than the film, is composed by cult composer Roy Budd (Get Carter, Stone Killer, etc) and The Three Degrees. It too has been reissued. Overall, it's a nice surprise and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys 70's action cinema or borderline Black action.

Elaborate caper movie which, while nothing special, is redeemed by its unusual Israeli setting. Robert Shaw has a dual role as an industrialist and his security device-maker twin (the karate match between the two Shaws constitutes perhaps the film's low-point!). Ex-con and thief Richard Roundtree (often clad in conspicuously outlandish costumes) and lover Barbara Hershey (billed Barbara Seagull) are industrialist Shaw's unwilling accomplices in a diamond robbery – whose security system was devised by none other than his brother (whom he admits to not liking!). Shelley Winters turns up in irrelevant bits as an annoying American tourist; GET CARTER (1971)'s Roy Budd provides the score. Caper movies are among my favorites (maybe, it's because I work in a bank) but this is a very mild addition to that exciting thriller subgenre – chiefly because of an unconvincing plot also involving child kidnapping, a counter robbery from a church to mislead the Israeli police, the gang donning a series of silly disguises and, ultimately, a burglary which remains unfulfilled (again, a fashionable twist in the cynical 1970s but rather ludicrous in this context!).