In the third and final Dick Barton film released (though actually the second filmed), Dick and Snowey must battle an evil mania attempting to wipe out England's population with a sonic weapon that shrivels peoples' brains.
While still rather rough in spots, this is such an improvement over the poor first effort that it is hard to believe it was made by the same species, let alone the same studio. There are still detriments: some of the supporting cast is poor, the foley on the outdoor scenes is subpar, and even at 67 minutes, there are scenes that drag on endlessly. And the equation of gypsies with an ill-defiined evil fifth column speaks volumes of an unpleasant long-standing English prejudice.
On the plus side, Cabot's genocidal dandy makes a formidable villain, indeed perhaps the prototypical Bond villain. And there is some genuine dramatic tension and gravitas as the film progresses, even with the longeurs. The presence of some familiar names in the crew (Jimmy Sangster was second assistant director and Ken Adam assistant set director) are a happy indication of the direction Hammer was headed in.
-Dave W. |