Operation Kid Brother (1967)
The evil crime syndicate Thanatos is bent on taking over the world, using a magnetic wave generator that will cause all metal-based machinery to grind to a halt. However, the well-known British secret agent normally assigned to such tasks isn't available, so they engage his civilian brother, Neil, to help. Neil, played by Neil Connery, is a world-class plastic surgeon, hypnotist, and lip-reader, which turn out to be precisely the skills required for thwarting Thanatos.
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Highly Overrated But Still Good
Absolutely Brilliant!
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film
With a title that alludes to the short-lived 1965 Burl Ives sitcom O.K. CRACKERBY, I wasn't sure what to expect from O.K. CONNERY. It turned out to be a very good Eurospy flick that stands as deuterocanonical Bond. And OK CONNERY is not a spoof, as many like to dismiss it. It is played straight first frame to virtually last, closing on a lighthearted note similar to those in most of the official series films.Neil Connery was a good actor--not great--but capable of holding his own alongside screen veterans. Yeah, he wasn't polished and smooth like Sean, but for what little acting experience he had I thought he did a fine job. I will admit that if the Bond connection depended solely on him it would have been tenuous. But the producers scored a coup in landing both Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell. Besides lending credibility, they each were able to spread their wings more than in the official films, especially trigger-happy Miss Moneypenney! Their appearances throughout the film alone made it worth watching, then add to the mix Bond film veterans like Danielle Bianchi, Adolfo Celli, and Anthony Dawson and the movie becomes a treat for any Bond film fan.The plot is from the old school super-spy playbook--world domination, secret organizations with a stylized skull as its symbol, death to those who fail, bizarre plot points (like having blind Arabs weaving radioactive rugs!)and clever gadgets (such as the machine guns descending from the ceiling). A cute line that made me smile was Bianchi's telling Connery he reads too many Fleming novels after he tells her of Celli's plot. I also liked Cunningham/M's references to the Connery's brother and how he was at work on another component of this same case.I also liked the all-girl crew on the yacht--cute without ever crossing over into luridly sexy. The sex is cranked down low in OK CONNERY, leading me to think it was targeted to kids. And on that subject, as beautiful as Danielle Bianchi is, I was most wowed by Agata Flori as Mildred. I fell in love with her during the opening titles and even found her irresistibly enchanting while wearing Phyllis Diller's chapeau at the Malaga airport."I'm a surgeon, not a spy!" cries Connery in a parallel to Bones McCoy's impotent protestations in another venue. It's interesting to note that Neil Connery the actor and the character were both recruited into a position outside their usual area of expertise, and both did O.K., as M himself declares at the end. And in what appears prescient now, the rousing title song is sung by Khristy over a shot of a ship at sea, foreshadowing by seven years Lulu singing a rousing title song over a similar shot at the close of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. That Khristy song--composed by Morricone?!--was catchy and reminded me of the theme to another great Eurospy flick--MODESTY BLAISE.For this Bond fan, O.K. CONNERY is a welcome addition to the second-tier canon which boasts the 1967 CASINO ROYALE, Roger Moore's proto-Bond movie CROSSPLOT, and NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. O.K. CONNERY is O.K. by me!
This colorful, sub-Bond thriller offers several points of interest, not the least of which are the very stylish costumes, modeled here by some very attractive fillies indeed! But we are also treated to lavishly appointed sets and delightfully exotic locations, both presented in most attractive color photography. In addition, the film has a toe- tapping music theme obviously also derived from you-know-where. It's almost needless to say that the performances themselves also rely on our familiarity with Bond. And in addition to these familiar faces and the toe-tapping musical theme, are constant screenplay reference to Connery's brother. Now this does get a bit tedious. But on the whole, acting and dubbing are generally more than okay. And the direction is spot on. Remember, folks, always specify "Lois" when you say "Maxwell"!
So 007 has a brother, who is a Doctor, that some how gets talked into taking on a super badguy organization called Thanatos. He also happens to know Judo and knows techniques to induce the deepest states of trance possible (and that most men would kill to know). This organization plans to steal "Atomic Nucleus'" by woman poisoning MP's, and then raiding a highly secured facility dressed as...cats? I admit I watched the MST3K version of this, but it probably saved me from turning if off. That being said, there wasn't much about this movie that made sense from the word go.I found and watched this during a bout of insomnia one evening. I slept like a baby afterwards.
OK Connery is probably the cheapest James Bond clone to date. What really makes it so bad is Neil Connery. He is Sean Connery light; 1/3 the acting ability. The rest of the cast isn't much better. The plot makes absolutely no sense whatsoever in places. The imagination-inspiring gadgets aren't. Avoid this one at all costs.