MASTER PLAN: Operation:Scorch - use a new heat ray on Washington DC. After "The Silencers," there was no where to go but with more fun in the sun with Matt Helm - poking fun, that is, at the James Bond spy genre. Dino Martin is as lackadaisical as ever as Helm, the part-time super agent, barely awake in some scenes and ready with the cute quips in, well, every line of dialog. To illustrate the difference between Helm & Bond: Bond, as an example, is allowed one minor joke during his usual mission briefing with M. Now, Helm jokes with his boss, MacDonald (James Gregory, reprising his role) during the entire session, even as MacDonald tells him that Helm may have to commit suicide during the mission. 'I ain't going' Helm quips. The villains are again the evil organization Big-O(oh), who target all the major secret agents as the film starts, including Helm. But, this is one of those false deaths for the hero, just as was done in a couple of the Bonders (and they don't explain how Helm survives). The action takes Helm to Monte Carlo, where a primarily young crowd do a lot of dancing and swinging. Helm searches for a scientist who is providing Big-O (led by Karl Malden) with the final formulas for a super heat ray.

The action slows down at the mid-point, especially with the seemingly endless scenes of young folks shaking their bodies to sixties tunes. The filmmakers manage to work Sinatra in again in a sort-of cameo. The absurdity and sight gags are at the usual level: all of Helm's girlfriends attend his funeral dressed exactly the same. The main henchman walks around in public with this big metal plate covering the top of his head and no one notices. Helm drinks while driving and on the job, joking with the liquor bottles. Ann-Margret plays the daughter of the missing scientist and she's always great, no matter what she's doing, but she even gets quite involved in some strenuous action towards the end. Sparv is fine as the femme fatale, with her slightly exotic good looks, though she inexplicably seems to change sides near the end (Helm never even had a chance to seduce her). Malden as the head villain does not do as well, speaking with a dopey accent which fades in and out. He is the subject of an effective on-going gag with a gun that delays firing for a few seconds. The climactic action in the villains' lair is not bad, with some actual suspense and humor mixed in, though the very conclusion on the hovercrafts, on the water, seems like an afterthought. The epilogue is just too silly. Helm would return in "The Ambushers." Hero:6 Villain:5 Femme Fatales:7 Henchmen:6 Fights:6 Stunts/Chases:6 Gadgets:5 Auto:4 Locations:7 Pace:6 overall:6-

Henry Levin would direct the next two Matt Helm movies, starting with Murderer's Row. He had some spy experience, having directed Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die.

This one starts off with a literal bang, as the Big O blows up the U.S. Capitol building with a heliobeam. Matt Helm better stop taking pictures of supermodels and start doing what he does best. No, not drinking. Killing enemy agents. But first, he has to fake his own death.

Karl Mulden is the main villain, Julian Wall, while Ann-Margaret plays the daughter of the scientist that Helm must recapture or kill. Camilla Sparv, who was once married to Robert Evans, shows up as a femme fatale, as does Playmate of the Month for May 1958, Corinne Cole (she used the fake name Lari Laine as her father was running for Congress at the time).

Beach movie regular Mary Hughes - she's also one of the female robots in Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine - is here as Miss September. She used to date Jeff Beck and the Yardbirds song "Psycho Daisies" mentions here twice.

Jan Watson, another of Goldfoot's robots and Levin's wife for some time, is on hand, as is Jacqueline Fontaine (one-time comedy party of Duke Mitchell and one of the Outlaw Women in that Ron Ormond film) and Miss California 1964 Amadee Chabot.

Beverly Adams returns as Helms' assistant Lovey Kravezit, James Gregory is back as his boss MacDonald and the singing group Dino, Desi and Billy - featuring Dean's son Dean Paul Martin from Misfits of Science - make an appearance. Look out for Soon Tek-Oh (Colonel Yin from Missing In Action 2)!

The funny thing is, despite this being a spoof, the Bond movies would come to rip it off. For example, in Diamonds Are Forever, SPECTRE threatens the world with a heliobeam from an orbiting satellite. Ironhead (Tom Reese, the sheriff from Vanishing Point) the villain of this film, is a lot like Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me. And the hovercraft chase and Hugo Drax in Moonraker are a lot like scenes and the villain of this movie.

This is the second of four Matt Helm movies starring Dean Martin as the super-spy. However, despite the character's name and a few situations, the books have almost nothing to do with the novels from which they are supposedly based. The books were tough and gritty, whereas these films essentially have Martin playing himself and making various smarmy and sexist jokes along the way...most of which aren't particularly funny.

This episode is reminscent of Bond's "You Only Live Twice" as Agent Helm is seemingly murdered but this is only a ruse to allow him to investigate without undue attention. His mission involves looking for a kidnapped laser scientist, as a scumbag, Julian Wall (Karl Malden), has abducted him and plans on using the scientist's knowedge of lasers to make a super-weapon.

As usual, the film is filled with smarmy jokes, gorgeous semi-dressed women and Dean Martin essentially playing the off-screen persona cultivated during the Ratpack years. In addition, there are the usual plethora of Martin songs throughout the movie.

So is this any good? It all depends on you. Feminists clearly would NOT enjoy the films, as women are essentially sex objects and little more. In this case, the lead sex object is played by Ann-Margret. Teen and pre-teen boys probably would love it. As for adults....it all just depends on how much you enjoy dopey and suggestive humor...and not especially sophisticated humor at that. I am not especially a fan...and watched the film as I cleaned the house...including (appropriately enough) the toilets.

If you do watch this film, a couple goofy things tonotice would include seeing wires on the metal-headed guy BEFORE he is 'jettisoned' from the car as well as Malden's bizarre and unfunny joke of changing his accent continually throughout the movie.