Inferior and run-of-the-mill Italian/Spanish Euro-spy film dealing with an undercover agent and his adventures, misfortunes , dangerous investigations and sexy romances. Below average Spanish/Italian Euro-spy co-production with a diverse cast made up of actors from different countries. An airplane crashes in Spain. The Russian as well as the Chinese government take care of the events because on board there was a "black box", as our secret agent has to recover an essential device, very powerful for the purposes of nuclear power. Visiting the estate of an old friend, retired secret agent John Grant (Hill) is set upon by two men posing as gardeners, who he dispatches after some brutal combat. He crashes into the house, ready for anything and gun blazing, but it's all a test set by General MacGregor (George Rigaud) and his ex-boss Mister X (Herbert Montureano) to see if he can still cut it after two years out of harness. Despite passing the ordeal with flying colours, Hill refuses the offer of a new assignment. However, when they explain that the Russian team in play is led by Fabian (Rolf Tasna), he changes his mind. He has vowed to kill the red agent, who he believes was responsible for the death of his wife. Hill arrives in San Magdalena with old partner Pablo (Luis Marin) to attempt to seize to recover an essential device, the very powerful for nuclear power purposes and it's not long before they are tangling with the opposition. Rather than interrogate three captured agents at gunpoint, our superspy throws his weapon away as he fancies a bit of the old hand-to-hand. Later, he meets hotel switchboard operator Myriam (Rossella Bergamonti) in his room uninvited. However, she's searching his room rather than using the shower, which is a definite red flag. In the restaurant, he finds himself seated at a table beside fashion guru Mamoiselle Floriane (Teresa Gimpera). As she's dining alone too, the inevitable happens, and the pair hook up. As Hill's investigation proceeds, he begins to suspect that the black box was removed from the plane during refuelling at the airport in Vienna. It also seems that Tasna and his Kremlin boys are at a loss regarding its whereabouts and subsequently villain Chinese agents (George Wang) also show up trying to smack down our favorite agent.
It is indistinguishable from many other titles at the same style. It barely provides the minimum entertainment required in these cases , concerning a pair of agents: Craig Hill and Luís Marín who are caught up in the chain of events and eventually a troupe of Russian and Chinese become involved into their paths. It results to be a mediocre Euro-spy movie, a very popular sub-genre in the 80s, the use of strange artifacts and gimmicks were also frequent, many of them used to liquidate contenders. However, here the intrigue developed is very silly and unbelievable, dealing with Russian and American agents and double-agents, spy leaders , traitorous agents, a kidnapped scientist, and anything else.
Typical spy movie although mostly set on poor scenaries and with a few girls who want to make our hero fall in love and deceive him in order to seize the black box containing the precious and dangerous device for the whole world. Routine movie about the European spy subgenre , an usual genre during the sixties, not taking any situation seriously and with short budget which doesn't allow director to mount spectacular set pieces, the reason for its mediocrity , along with other cash-strapped companions at the era. An Eurospy that never fully commits to either humour or a dark edge but packs elements of both and integrates them with simple and average results. There are some action scenes but mostly fights, some shootouts and adding a sympathetic toy car controlled to explode at the nasty headquarter.
Ordinary performaces without many recognizable top-notch stars, only Craig Hill , a B- American actor giving a so-so acting , as he married Spanish Teresa Gimpera and lived in Spain . Since then performing several Italian/Spanish films . As The American moved to Spain/Italy during the 60's to star in spaghetti westerns , adventure , and thrillers. He previously played in Hollywood secondary roles in known films as All about Eva (1950), Detective story (1951) , Black Shield (1954) and Whirlybirds (1957). He emigrated to Italy attempting to get fame and fortune similar to Clint Eastwood. From there, Hill began acting in thrillers , later moving onto the Western genre , where he found his niche . As Craig Hill played a lot of Spaghetti , his first Western was ¨Hands of a Gunfighter" or ¨Ocaso De Un Pistolero¨ , he went on playing : "Seven Pistols for a Massacre" , "Rick and John¨ , ¨Conquerors of the West¨ , ¨Bounty hunter¨ , "I Want Him Dead" , "Fifteen Scaffolds for the Killer" , "Three Crosses of Death" , ¨Bury Them Deep¨, "I want him dead¨, and ¨The Crows Will Dig Your Grave" or "Los Cuervos Cavarán Tú Fosa". While Teresa Gimpera debuted in the title role of the little-known but well-regarded comic book spy adventure 'Fata/Morgana' (1966) and went on to further espionage adventures with Ray Danton in Jess Franco's 'Lucky the Inscrutable/Lucky, el intrépido/Agente Speciale L. K.' (1967) and Bruno Corbucci's comedy 'Spia spione' (1967). Many film projects followed, including some avant-garde work, comedy, horror and a role in Alfonso Brescia's Giallo 'Naked Girl Murdered in the Park/Ragazza tutta nuda assassinata nel parco' (1973). Her marriage having disintegrated many years before, Gimpera met Hill again in the 1980s, and the two married a few years later, remaining together for 24 years until his death.
It contains lively and evocative score by Gianni Ferrio. As well as atmospheric cinematography by Francisco Sánchez , shot on various locations in Lake Garda, Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Verona, Veneto, Italia, Viena, Austria and other Spanish Mediterranean localities. The motion picture was middlingly directed by Marcello Ciorciolini and withno originality. Rating: 4.5/10. Very mediocre and so-so Euro-spy movie.
