The Ambushers (1967)

This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

I'd like to know more about the people writing negative reviews of a movie like this: how old are they? were they even alive during the 60s? This movie is a product of a different age. It was a simpler time. You could get away with making movies that had this kind of production values, script and, yes - allusions to rape in an action-comedy notwithstanding - moral values (I'm not saying they're high, they're just an indicator of the time).Do you watch Charlie Chaplin or Laurel & Hardy and complain about the cinematography? You're watching a movie from the 60s guys - it's a time capsule. It can teach you about what life was like then, because at the time the Matt Helm movies were all completely acceptable and even successful.I dread to think how you lot would handle a 'Carry On' film - yet they were some of the most successful movies ever made in England. You'd probably brand them sexist, vulgar, childish and uninventive though...duh!

This is not an exact quote, but I read somewhere on the internet that Dean Martin's portrayal of Matt Helm could make Perry Como look hyper. The Ambushers is a great example of this. Martin literally sleepwalks his way through this one. He's in very little hurry to get anywhere other than to the nearest bar. And, if you look close, you'll notice that Martin used a stunt double for even the most routine of actions. I suppose that if the activity involved anything more strenuous than lifting a glass of scotch, Dino wasn't up for it.Even though I had a decent enough time watching The Ambushers, I can't rate it any higher because of some of the ridiculousness of the plot. A flying saucer? I'm sorry but I'm not buying it. And where did the writers dream up the idea that a man couldn't fly the thing because the electro-magnetism (or some such nonsense) was deadly to males? I realize that the Matt Helm movies are based in what is essentially an alternate reality, but come on. The implausibility of the whole thing really took away from my enjoyment.The highlight of the movie for me had to be Senta Berger. Wow, what a woman! Some of the outfits she wears throughout The Ambushers (and really those worn by most of the female cast members) are just too much.

The Matt Helm series of movies featuring Dean Martin are based upon the novels of the same character (loosely), but they are all parody movies. Similar to how "Naked Gun" spoofed many popular themes at the time, these films all poke fun at the spy movies by featuring the outrageousness of the films right in your face. Bond drinks martinis, Helm drinks - a lot. Bond beds a girl or two, Helm beds them all. Bond has fancy gadgets, Helm has them plus his home has them too. Bond has villains with sinister purpose (and sometimes a quirk or two), Helm has villains that are sometimes freaks or simply idiotic. These movies are blatantly obvious as spoofs and their value is that they are interesting to watch at least once or twice.

This film is a funny spoof of the James Bond series. Dean Martin is hilarious as the stereotypical spy with a drink in one hand and a sexy girl in the other. All the people who call this series a rip off of James Bond are missing the point. I especially loved Kurt Kaznar, playing the despicable character he would play so well in his most famous role on Land of the Giants as Alexander Fitzhugh. Also, Janice Rule is more than just window dressing. She plays the femme fetale role to the hilt and she shows a great flair for comedy in this film. The Matt Helm series was intended to be a parody of that series and did a great job of it.