It's too bad that Erroll's son Sean didn't catch on inna moom pitcher biz because the guy was really stellar here (none of that "stiff" acting that wonks make fun of him for) in this furrin' neo-spy flick that takes the exotic and the then-hot secret agent sorta thingie and crushes 'em together into some sorta definitely not "cinematic excursion" you can really sink into in between the high-energy action and the hountiful scenery unveiling before your eyes.
It seems as if there have been a whole slew of Marines goin' on shore leave in that famed Thai town who have vanished into thin air, and it's Flynn's job to clear up the mystery that has been depleting the corps of some of their best. He does it with volunteers who begin their quest ripping up the place and causing havoc in a whorehouse while trying to get to the bottom of what exactly has happened to their fellow jarheads. One thing leads to another and more mysteries and murders take place until everything comes a boilin' to a head in between you tryin' to exactly understand who is doing what and exactly what did happen. Not that I'm that much of a film illiterate, but the English dubbing leaves a whole lot to be desired since I couldn't make out half of what was being said onna thing!
In other words, I kinda felt like some five-year-old who mighta stumbled across this on tee-vee and watched the thing because either the folks were or well, why not? I see the action, like it, marvel at those cool furrin' cars and alla the mysterioso intrigue, yet it's all high-falutin' as to what these characters are sayin' and why do their mouths move differently when they talk anyway. But still it captures your imagination and hey, you didn't even understand all those gags they threw into THE BULLWINKLE SHOW so why let the lack of big kid schoolin' throw you for a loop anyway?
Too bad Flynn never did return from that Cambodian jaunt because I think his career coulda swirled into something big, like maybe more low budget flicks for some z-grade outfit featuring the latest cash-ins on the hot trends of the seventies .Sheesh, if he were still alive and kickin' ya know that Fred Olen Rey woulda put him to good use! It's just one of those strange what couldas that we'll never know about, but I do have the feeling that if Flynn had survived the war he woulda gone on to relatively cheap-o yet moom pitcher satisfying things, at least for us BLOG TO COMM types.
Glad you enjoyed this--I thought you would.
ReplyDeleteI've watched the majority of Sean Flynn's films, and I've liked him in everything I've seen. He has a boyish charm yet he's also athletic (I think he was a college athlete), so when he throws a punch, or engages in fencing, or pulls a gun on someone, he is convincing. Also, in the English language versions of his films that I've seen, the producers were wise enough to keep him around for the dubbing, so you hear his own voice on the track, which is good as he has a distinctive voice that fits his image.
This particular film is also known as FIVE ASHORE IN SINGAPORE....