RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Yvonne Jodi Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

dbborroughs 1966 re-imagining of Bulldog Drummond in the James Bond mold. Drummond was created in a series of stories by Sapper. He was a British soldier of fortune between the world wars who fell into one crime related tale after another. They were made into a series of films in the 30's with various people playing Drummond including Ronald Coleman and Ray Miland. Other people like Reginald Denny and John Barrymore played in support. It was for the most part a very fun series.In Deadlier than the Male Drummond (here played by Richard Johnson) is a trouble shooting attorney investigating a series of "accidents" which he suspects are murder. The trail leads to a group of women who seem to be able to fix any problem for a price, actually a million pounds.The film is a very good little crime action film, certainly its better than many spy films that appeared in the wake of the Bond films. There are many beautiful women, numerous witty remarks and a good number of action set pieces that are atypical in their implied violence (the torture of Drummond's nephew for example). I liked that there is a realism that the Bond films rarely had. there are no gadgets as such, though there is a life size steel chess set that figures into the plot towards the end that is amazing-especially since there was no CGI used (hey this was 1966). I liked this film a great deal. Keep an eye out for this gem on DVD or on cable, its worth taking the time to see it.7 out of 10

ShadeGrenade Several oil executives die in mysterious 'accidents' and each time, an anonymous company is richer by a million pounds. Insurance underwriter Hugh Drummond is called in to investigate. Jimmy Sangster had earlier put Hammer Films on the map by reworking old horror favourites like 'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein'. In 1966, he gave Sapper's 'Bulldog Drummond' a Bond make-over. Richard Johnson was well cast; smooth, charming, and sophisticated. The girls are stunningly beautiful, and the film bristles with excitement, invention and good humour. Nigel Green is excellent as Carl Petersen. Some great set-pieces; the underground car park fight is surprisingly violent, while the chessboard finale is straight out of 'The Avengers'. All this plus a cameo by the late, great Leonard Rossiter, and a blinding title song by The Walker Brothers! Wisely, the film doesn't try to compete with the more lavish Bonds such as 'Goldfinger' and 'Thunderball'. Both Drummond films were novelised for Coronet Books by Henry Reymond.

videoflk This two Ladies are absolutely sizzling in this movie. I saw it in 1968, in a german cinema. i hope it will be rereleased on DVD, so I can purchase it. They are not only playing the aggressive fem fatales, they also dressed to kill. I love the ultra feminine fashion of those years. Also one of the best "007 genres" movies I have seen.

gridoon This above-average Bond knockoff deserves to be better known. It's too imitative of the Bond pictures of the time (especially "Thunderball" - minus the underwater scenes), and the plot slows down at times, but Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina make a terrific pair of sexy, teasing assassins (with Sommer being the sexier one and Koscina the more teasing one). Nigel Green also makes a smooth villain (although he should have hired more guards!). This picture should become more widely available, because although it's not perfect, it's much better than, say, the atrocious pseudo-spoof "Our Man Flint". (**1/2)