Two secret agents join forces in Egypt (and later in Switzerland) to locate & destroy an anti-radar device, and retrieve the plans of its design. One is a British male; the other is an American female. Her code name is 008, and, as the title suggests, she is actually the central hero(ine) of this film, quite atypically for its day. The two agents have an equal partnership, but if anyone is closer to the "sidekick" role, it's the man. Ingrid Schoeller plays what is quite possibly the first attempt of international cinema to create a female James Bond-type character: she is beautiful, curvaceous, sweet, intelligent, armed with gadgets, expert with a gun, and can handle herself in a fight without needing a man to rescue her (as she proves in a daring escape from an enemy-riddled beauty saloon). All this, combined with the lively banter between the two leads and the crazy double-twist ending (the first twist is smart; the second nonsensical!), make "A 008: Operazione Sterminio" one of the most enjoyable Eurospy movies of the period. **1/2 out of 4.
9 Reviews
About average for the genre
bensonmum24 July 2017
Hoping to recover a valuable and dangerous anti-radar device, the British government sends in Frank Smith, Agent 606 (Alberto Lupo). He is to meet up with an American known to him as MacDonald, Agent 008 (Ingrid Schoeller). (I just love the agent numbering in these movies.) As you'd expect in a film like this, Smith is shocked to discover that MacDonald is (gasp) a woman. The pair end up in a lot of car chases, fist fights, and gun battles in the streets, hotels, and nightclubs of Cairo - you know, the normal things secret agents do. They also end up playing the role of lovers (who didn't see that coming). There are, as you'd expect, other parties interested in the device - especially the Russians. Who will get there first?
Another of those movies that I'm going to describe as not great, but not horrible. 008: Operation Exterminate is about average. I admit that being directed by Umberto Lenzi, I expected a bit more from the film. This one is more restrained than a lot of his more well known work. The plot does somewhat turn the spy genre on its head with a female lead. In most of these movies, if there is a female spy, she's only there to assist the male lead, provide a love interest, and play the damsel in distress. Not here. Schoeller's 008 takes charge. And she more than capable of handling the demands of the lead role. Nicely done. The film also features plenty of action and intrigue, but lacks the big set pieces and special effects found in spy films with bigger budgets. The twist at the end is a nice touch. I didn't see it coming so it worked on me. Finally, there are some very nice shots of the Cairo streets circa 1965. They give the film a real authentic feel.
Another of those movies that I'm going to describe as not great, but not horrible. 008: Operation Exterminate is about average. I admit that being directed by Umberto Lenzi, I expected a bit more from the film. This one is more restrained than a lot of his more well known work. The plot does somewhat turn the spy genre on its head with a female lead. In most of these movies, if there is a female spy, she's only there to assist the male lead, provide a love interest, and play the damsel in distress. Not here. Schoeller's 008 takes charge. And she more than capable of handling the demands of the lead role. Nicely done. The film also features plenty of action and intrigue, but lacks the big set pieces and special effects found in spy films with bigger budgets. The twist at the end is a nice touch. I didn't see it coming so it worked on me. Finally, there are some very nice shots of the Cairo streets circa 1965. They give the film a real authentic feel.
Not One of the Better James Bond Clones Out There
Uriah4314 February 2021
This film begins in Cairo where a special weapon has just been created that distorts long range radar making it difficult for ships to navigate correctly. As a result, the British decide to send an agent by the name of "Frank Smith" (Alberto Lupo) to Egypt where an American agent named "MacDonald" (Ingrid Schoeller) is waiting to greet him. At first, Frank is surprised to find that his American colleague is female and this creates a certain amount of sexual tension from that point on. However, what makes matters even more difficult for the two of them is the fact that the people who possess the anti-radar device know all about the identities of these two and have already made plans to terminate them upon sight. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this wasn't one of the better "James Bond clones" ever made due in large part to the fact that neither Alberto Lupo nor Ingrid Schoeller had the same on-screen presence as many of the actors in a similar role. As a result, the sexual tension wasn't that acute which rendered most of the film somewhat dry and lifeless. That being said, this wasn't necessarily a bad film necessarily and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.
Hey - at least it has this great poster.
BandSAboutMovies29 April 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Have I mentioned that I like Umberto Lenzi movies? Oh yeah. I totally have.
Well back in 1965 - he made this spy caper, which has Ingrid Schoeller (Son of Django) as Macdonald, also known as British Agent 006. She's working with Frank Smith, American Agent 006. Together, they are hunting down something called "anti-radar." But it seems like 006 is actually a Russian spy.
Lenzi would make more spy-related movies after this, like The Spy Who Loved Flowers, Kriminal and Super Seven Calling Cairo. I'd rather celebrate him for movies like Orgasmo, Eaten Alive!, Ghosthouse, Ironmaster, Seven Bloo Stained Orchids, Nightmare City and Nightmare Beach.
Well back in 1965 - he made this spy caper, which has Ingrid Schoeller (Son of Django) as Macdonald, also known as British Agent 006. She's working with Frank Smith, American Agent 006. Together, they are hunting down something called "anti-radar." But it seems like 006 is actually a Russian spy.
Lenzi would make more spy-related movies after this, like The Spy Who Loved Flowers, Kriminal and Super Seven Calling Cairo. I'd rather celebrate him for movies like Orgasmo, Eaten Alive!, Ghosthouse, Ironmaster, Seven Bloo Stained Orchids, Nightmare City and Nightmare Beach.
I thought maybe there would be a complete subversion of the genre
christopher-underwood6 February 2014
I'm not sure why I find it so difficult to enjoy the spy film genre. Whether legitimate or spoof seems to make no difference. There is something about the genre that attracts the infantile perhaps, certainly there is a fetish for playthings, gadgets (and women!) where even in the most serious maybe things are not taken too seriously. With this the first of Umberto Lenzi's spy films I thought maybe there would be a complete subversion of the genre (certainly my box cover suggests so) more a spaghetti spy story with little reverence for the old originals. But no this treads a fairly well worn path (except for the female lead) and takes itself pretty seriously at first. Gradually one feel that Lenzi throws in the towel because it does become slightly amusing and maybe more of a spoof but even so there is no hard edge, all the fights are crap, most of the dialogue laughable (not that laughable) and the sex scenes brought up short. There is some fine location shooting particularly on the streets of Cairo and later in the alps but not enough to make this very watchable.
An other spy movie
stefanozucchelli14 November 2021
Winchester Super Sonic.
morrison-dylan-fan26 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Being bitterly disappointed with Umberto Lenzi's 1966 Komic-Book Spy film Kriminal,I was initial not that keen on taking a look at any of his other Spy related movies.Luckaly,as I was taken a look at his earlier credits,I noticed that Lenzi had made a much more fun sounding James Bond style Spy movie,which is said to be the first ever film to have an actress play the James Bond role.
The plot:
Getting details that the inventor of a now-missing anti-radar device (which can also melt anything that it is aimed at) has been murdered Cairo,the CIA and MI6 decided to each send their very best spy so that the "lost" device can be found as quickly as possible.Being given hardly anytime to prepare,agents 008 MacDonald and agent 006 Frank Smith rush to the plane and take their seats.As the plane begins its journey, MacDonald and Smith start falling for each other,which leads them to temporarily forget the chaos that they will be facing in Cario,when MacDonald and Smith discover that they are not the only ones after the device.
View on the film:
From the movies opening 5 minutes of the inventor been murdered,Umberto Lenzi impressively destroyed any fears I had that he would be as restrained here as he was with Kriminal.Showing the streets of Cairo in a tremendous blur,Lenzi directs the films terrific gun battles/Kung-Fu fights in a fantastic,whip pans,scatter shot style that keeps the movie moving at a very fast pace.Giving the movie a rather simplistic screenplay,writers Lenzi and Wallace Mackentzy (whose uncredited) give the film a number of light,cheeky Bond refs, (a characters shown reading the filmed in the future Live And Let Die) whilst also making sure to make the spy's and the baddies equally weird,with one of the spy's staying undercover by being a cabaret singer for various bands,and one of the villains being a ninja who cant stop throwing his blades whenever the mood catches him.Taking over a role usually held for James Bond "action men" the beautiful Ingrid Schoeller gives a fantastic sassy performance as 008,with Schoeller (who also sings one of the songs in the film) showing 008 to be a spy who attempts to complete a mission with a mix of charm and smarts,whist Lenzi shows off Schoeller's curvaceous looks in figure hugging dresses which would get a proud nod thumbs up from any Bond Girl walking by.
The plot:
Getting details that the inventor of a now-missing anti-radar device (which can also melt anything that it is aimed at) has been murdered Cairo,the CIA and MI6 decided to each send their very best spy so that the "lost" device can be found as quickly as possible.Being given hardly anytime to prepare,agents 008 MacDonald and agent 006 Frank Smith rush to the plane and take their seats.As the plane begins its journey, MacDonald and Smith start falling for each other,which leads them to temporarily forget the chaos that they will be facing in Cario,when MacDonald and Smith discover that they are not the only ones after the device.
View on the film:
From the movies opening 5 minutes of the inventor been murdered,Umberto Lenzi impressively destroyed any fears I had that he would be as restrained here as he was with Kriminal.Showing the streets of Cairo in a tremendous blur,Lenzi directs the films terrific gun battles/Kung-Fu fights in a fantastic,whip pans,scatter shot style that keeps the movie moving at a very fast pace.Giving the movie a rather simplistic screenplay,writers Lenzi and Wallace Mackentzy (whose uncredited) give the film a number of light,cheeky Bond refs, (a characters shown reading the filmed in the future Live And Let Die) whilst also making sure to make the spy's and the baddies equally weird,with one of the spy's staying undercover by being a cabaret singer for various bands,and one of the villains being a ninja who cant stop throwing his blades whenever the mood catches him.Taking over a role usually held for James Bond "action men" the beautiful Ingrid Schoeller gives a fantastic sassy performance as 008,with Schoeller (who also sings one of the songs in the film) showing 008 to be a spy who attempts to complete a mission with a mix of charm and smarts,whist Lenzi shows off Schoeller's curvaceous looks in figure hugging dresses which would get a proud nod thumbs up from any Bond Girl walking by.
The best spy movie of the sixties
dracula-ad197212 November 2022
I gave a full mark for this movies. This is based on my experience in watching these kind of movies that were made in the sixties. I have watched almost all spy movies that came out after first James Bond movies Dr. No. Italian, German, French, British, American etc.. and to me this the best. The story, the script, the sequence of thrilling events that took place in the movie from start till end, makes it undoubtedly the best. The actors make you feel the actions . It is not a boring movie even if you watch it several times. I think the production also fabulous cause almost all scenes were shot in locations on different countries. Really enjoyable to watch.
especially frivolous, and day-glo coloured euro-spy effort
Weirdling_Wolf23 January 2014
The bravura euro-crime director, and part-time cannibal fetishist Umberto Lenzi takes a strident foray into the heady, glamorous, if not a little silly, cinematic imaginarium of the 60's euro-spy actioner; and, to be fair, he certainly gives it his best shot. While it isn't quite up there with Lenzi's uber-kult offering 'Kriminal', the film certainly makes for an adequate time-waster, and would be much appreciated by those individuals who enjoy this especially frivolous, and day-glo coloured genre. '008-Operation Exterminate' is a fun ride, and makes a rather lissome, highball quaffing companion to Jess Franco's 'Lucky The Inscrutable'.
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