Cahiers du Cinema favorite
Phil Karlson may have directed the "Matt Helm" extravaganza The Wrecking Crew, but the only "auteur" around these parts is star
Dean Martin, coasting through yet another sexy spy romp. This time, secret agent Helm must prevent a billion-dollar gold hijacking, masterminded by the unspeakable Count Massimo Contini (
Nigel Green). Aiding and abetting our hero is all-thumbs Scandinavian spy Freya Carlson (a brilliant comic turn by the late
Sharon Tate). Sidebar: future action-star
Chuck Norris plays a minor role, while
Bruce Lee served as the film's martial-arts advisor. The last of the Matt Helm films, The Wrecking Crew was sort of based on a novel by Donald Hamilton; like the other films in the series, the title bears precisely no relation to the plot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide