Saturday, February 09, 2008

Movie review - "The Liquidator" (1966) **1/2

There are many enjoyable things about The Liquidator: the colour, Lalo Schifrin’s dynamic score, the black humour, the scenery (nicely shot by Ted Scaife), some beautiful women (Gabriella Licudi is a standout) and enjoyable villains. The script fails to build up narrative momentum by falling into two halves, one involving Bosie’s sub-contracted liquidator, the other involving a real life plot. 

Rod Taylor, looking eerily like Trevor Howard in some scenes, was perhaps the wrong actor to play Boysie Oakes; although he was an ideal action hero and good with comedy, the film probably needed someone more obviously cowardly to really work – a Peter O’Toole or a Peter Sellers. He is certainly not as well cast as James Coburn, Dean Martin or Sean Connery were in their spy films.

Aussie Ken Wayne pops up in a small role.  Written by Peter Yeldham.

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