the audience applauded

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

With a title that alludes to the short-lived 1965 Burl Ives sitcom O.K. CRACKERBY, I wasn't sure what to expect from O.K. CONNERY. It turned out to be a very good Eurospy flick that stands as deuterocanonical Bond. And OK CONNERY is not a spoof, as many like to dismiss it. It is played straight first frame to virtually last, closing on a lighthearted note similar to those in most of the official series films.Neil Connery was a good actor--not great--but capable of holding his own alongside screen veterans. Yeah, he wasn't polished and smooth like Sean, but for what little acting experience he had I thought he did a fine job. I will admit that if the Bond connection depended solely on him it would have been tenuous. But the producers scored a coup in landing both Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell. Besides lending credibility, they each were able to spread their wings more than in the official films, especially trigger-happy Miss Moneypenney! Their appearances throughout the film alone made it worth watching, then add to the mix Bond film veterans like Danielle Bianchi, Adolfo Celli, and Anthony Dawson and the movie becomes a treat for any Bond film fan.The plot is from the old school super-spy playbook--world domination, secret organizations with a stylized skull as its symbol, death to those who fail, bizarre plot points (like having blind Arabs weaving radioactive rugs!)and clever gadgets (such as the machine guns descending from the ceiling). A cute line that made me smile was Bianchi's telling Connery he reads too many Fleming novels after he tells her of Celli's plot. I also liked Cunningham/M's references to the Connery's brother and how he was at work on another component of this same case.I also liked the all-girl crew on the yacht--cute without ever crossing over into luridly sexy. The sex is cranked down low in OK CONNERY, leading me to think it was targeted to kids. And on that subject, as beautiful as Danielle Bianchi is, I was most wowed by Agata Flori as Mildred. I fell in love with her during the opening titles and even found her irresistibly enchanting while wearing Phyllis Diller's chapeau at the Malaga airport."I'm a surgeon, not a spy!" cries Connery in a parallel to Bones McCoy's impotent protestations in another venue. It's interesting to note that Neil Connery the actor and the character were both recruited into a position outside their usual area of expertise, and both did O.K., as M himself declares at the end. And in what appears prescient now, the rousing title song is sung by Khristy over a shot of a ship at sea, foreshadowing by seven years Lulu singing a rousing title song over a similar shot at the close of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. That Khristy song--composed by Morricone?!--was catchy and reminded me of the theme to another great Eurospy flick--MODESTY BLAISE.For this Bond fan, O.K. CONNERY is a welcome addition to the second-tier canon which boasts the 1967 CASINO ROYALE, Roger Moore's proto-Bond movie CROSSPLOT, and NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. O.K. CONNERY is O.K. by me!

This colorful, sub-Bond thriller offers several points of interest, not the least of which are the very stylish costumes, modeled here by some very attractive fillies indeed! But we are also treated to lavishly appointed sets and delightfully exotic locations, both presented in most attractive color photography. In addition, the film has a toe- tapping music theme obviously also derived from you-know-where. It's almost needless to say that the performances themselves also rely on our familiarity with Bond. And in addition to these familiar faces and the toe-tapping musical theme, are constant screenplay reference to Connery's brother. Now this does get a bit tedious. But on the whole, acting and dubbing are generally more than okay. And the direction is spot on. Remember, folks, always specify "Lois" when you say "Maxwell"!

Yes, it's another cornball movie that would be unknown to modern audiences had it not appeared on "Mystery Science Theater 3000". "O.K. Connery" is also known as "Operation Kid Brother", although the version that appeared on MST3K is called "Operation 007". The movie is basically a James Bond knockoff, and a number of the cast member prove it. The star is Sean Connery's brother Neil, and it also stars Daniela Bianchi (Tatiana Romanova in "From Russia with Love"), Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny), Bernard Lee (M), Adolfo Celi (Emilio Largo in "Thunderball") and Anthony Dawson (Professor Dent in "Dr. No"). Yeah, I wonder how they didn't get sued from copyright infringement.As for MST3K's presentation, Joel, Servo and Crow riff the movie with mentions of Sukarno, Rue McClanahan and Paul Prudhomme, and references to "The Singing Nun" and "Leave It to Beaver". During one of the breaks, Joel struts around the Satellite of Love dressed as the movie's villain who watched a movie on the back of a scantily clad woman.In the end, the movie might be kind of enjoyable on its own given all the half-dressed women, but MST3K's presentation is the real deal. And anyway, the really good James Bond knockoff from 1967 was John Huston's "Casino Royale" (the 2006 version was NOT a good movie; in fact, none of the James Bond movies have been any good since Sean Connery left).Opus Dei indeed!

MASTER PLAN: Operation Blackmail - controlling the world's gold reserves. A very calculated attempt to copy & make money off the James Bond craze of the sixties, this comes off as a silly joke, maybe intentionally. It's similar to "Licensed to Kill," the 'Charles Vine' Bond cheap copy, but less creative. The plot can be deduced from an alternate title, "Operation Double 007" - that's not a typo - the spy agency of the Bond world requests the services of 007's brother; hence, this is about 007's double (they never completely finish saying '007' out loud, always stopping short of voicing the '7' - ha). 007's brother is played by Sean Connery's real life brother, Neil, with a goatee and a talent for hypnotism. This starts off badly, with Neil Connery, playing a famous genius plastic surgeon, explaining his advanced techniques and how he combines them with Tibetan mind control - it's pathetic drivel - and then some mêlée breaks out. It's groan-inducing. But, the main attraction is for film buffs and Bond fans making all the connections with the real Bond films.All the main actors (besides N.Connery, whose connection to Bond is already explained) in this one are from one or more James Bond movies. Celi, as the main villain, played a similar role in "Thunderball" (Celi, who looks like an overweight banker, was always playing villains or gangsters in the sixties). Bianchi, the femme fatale, was in "From Russia With Love." Dawson was in "Dr.No." Of course, Bernard Lee (aka M) and Lois Maxwell (aka Ms.Moneypenny) were from most of the Bond films of the sixties and seventies. They duplicate their roles from those here, though Maxwell gets a chance to run around shooting a gun, something she never had a chance to do with her 'receptionist' role in the Bonders. The villains seem to be SPECTRE, though they're referred to by another name, Thanatos, who plan to use some kind of magnetic waves to imbalance the world. The other strange and amusing aspect is that some of the main characters are referred to by their real names (Dr.Connery, Ms. Maxwell, etc.) rather than as Mr.Bond - get it? It's goofy, somewhat dull and a curiosity. Hero:3 Villains:3 Femme Fatales:4 Henchmen:2 Fights:3 Stunts/Chases:3 Gadgets:3 Auto:3 Locations:4 Pace:2 overall:3