Review of Billion Dollar Brain (1967) by Monsieur R — 17 Dec 2010
A truely lame and pathetic exuse for a spy film. This one doesn't take a ten dollar brain to see it is pure crap. Those looking for something even close to James Bond will cringe at this one. Not real bad until about half way through, as the veteran Ed Begley is made to appear like Patton saving those crazy Russian people from their captors.
One of the five agent Harry Palmer movies made by Caine. Billion Dollar Brain is the third of the Harry Palmer film series. What a real waste of talent, Karl Malden tries to give this one some depth, but to no avail.
Secret agent Harry Palmer is blackmailed into working for MI5 again on his wildest - and most dangerous - assignment yet. An insane oil billionaire,(Ed Begley) intent on destroying Communism by starting a new world war, is close to achieving his goal with the help of the world's largest, and most powerful, computer.
Harry is the only man who may be able to stop him; but as he races from London to Finland to Latvia to Texas and back, he must determine who of his supposed allies (a sexy Russian agent, a Soviet colonel and an American mercenary) is the one he can actually trust.
I truely wonder how the great Michael Caine was if he would accept such a lame and stupid plot as this one.
Note: Scenes involving "The Brain" were filmed in Honeywell facilities and featured the Honeywell 200 mini-computer.
* Caine was the anti-hero protagonist of the film versions of The IPCRESS File (1965) and Funeral in Berlin (1966).
** Donald Sutherland has a very small appearance as the computer technician who asks Karl Malden "What's going on?".
Cast.
Michael Caine * (ex-British agent called back into service).
Karl Malden (an old acquaintence of Caine's; veteran actor).
Ed Begley (heads his organization; veteran actor).
Oskar Homolka.
Crew.
Composer: Richard Rodney Bennett.
Executive Producer: Andre De Toth.
Production Designer: Syd Cain.
Art Director: Bert Davey.
Screenplay: John McGrath.
Editor: Alan Osbiston.
Director: Ken Russell.
Producer: Harry Saltzman.
Costume Designer: Shirley Russell.
Cinematographer: Billy Williams.
This review of Billion Dollar Brain (1967) was written by Monsieur R on 17 Dec 2010.
Billion Dollar Brain has generally received mixed reviews.
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