gridoon2024 Review of The Spy with Ten Faces

The Spy with Ten Faces (1966)

Muddled but ultimately entertaining spy thriller

[6/10 · 11 March 2010]

The first 20-30 minutes of "Upperseven" are really muddled; I had no idea what was going on or why. And Rosalba Neri exits the picture almost as soon as she enters it. What kept me going is the "agent who's been disguising himself so often, his enemies don't even know what he looks like" gimmick. But gradually the film grows more entertaining. The story becomes a bit more clear, and is constantly moving from one international location to another. Karin Dor (who would go on to play a Bond girl the following year in "You Only Live Twice") is introduced as a CIA agent who teams up with Upperseven, and besides being beautiful, her character has moments of surprising strength and independence, by that era's standards, of course. The fight scenes are above-average throughout, with the best being either the climax (the main villain is the equal of the hero), or the one set just outside the Colosseum in Rome. By the time Upperseven and Karin are sneaking around the villain's underground missile base in their jumpsuits, I think most 1960's spy fans will be pleased. **1/2 out of 4.