The Films (3, 3.5, 4, 4 ,3/5)

In 2006 the world was reintroduced to the world of Secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de la Bath, aka OSS 117 in Michel Hazanavicius’ OSS 117 CARIO NEST OF SPIES, a hilarious Eurospy parody that worked perfectly as a new addition to the genre.  Like most viewers I was amazed by how well the action and comedy was balanced and fell in love with Jean Dujardin. Being a huge fan of espionage films, I was hooked. When the sequel, LOST IN RIO, came out I wanted to know about this character. To my surprise, these two films were connected to a bigger series in France, that had a curious relationship to the whole of James Bond.

Viewed on the surface as a rip-off of Ian Fleming’s famous 007. French writer Jean Bruce created OSS 117 as an American agent of French decent in his novel “Tu Parles d’une Ingenue” which came out in 1949. Predating “Casino Royale” by four years. This novel was soon popular enough to spawn 79 sequels by Bruce himself, and soon led to a film series with 1957’s OSS 117 IS NOT DEAD. A film sadly missing from this set. Starting with OSS 117 IS UNLEASHED, the character of OSS 117 popped up in a James Bond like mold with a similar look, but a totally different feel. These films were sadly nearly impossible to find with English options, until now. Thanks to the good folks at Kino, five films in the series are finally avaible in the US with fantastic transfers and English subtitles.

Starting off the set is OSS 117 IS UNLEASHED (1963). A modest black and white film dripping with atmosphere. The plot is straight forward, with an American agent suddenly disappearing on a scuba diving trip. But why was he killed. American agent OSS 117 is sent in to solve the case. Kerwin Mathews was casted in two of the films, and with his comic timing and charm, he is a perfect fit. Known for working on the Ray Harryhausen special effects classics SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD and 3 WORLDS OF GULLIVER, Mathews is a likeable hero in the role. As for the look of the film, while minimal in scope, is on the level of an Edgar Wallace Krimi of the same period. Not a bad start to the series, but things would move up fast.

Next up is OSS 117 PANIC IN BANGKOK (1964), The series in color, and the first to truly match James Bond in scope and tone. Kerwin Mathews returns for his second and last time, but the action is bigger and his role is fleshed out. It’s a shame he wouldn’t return for any more entries. The plot deals with a mysterious outbreak of the plague and the origins are coming from Thailand. With Thailand as the location, the film gets a chance to show off its production values and jet sets with style. Like the other popular spy series at the time, we get plenty of gadgets and cartoonish villains like Dr. Sinn. On the down side, the film is a little too long in spots and drags to its conclusion.

With 1965’s OSS 117 MISSION FOR A KILLER, the series became a little harder around the edges and became more stylish with its action scenes. Taking over for Mathews is Frederick Stafford who brought a darker side to the character. Like the Bond series, this change of actor gave the series a spark of new life. Stafford would soon become a bigger name in the world of Euro spy films (AGENT 505 DEATH TRAP IN BEIRUT), And soon would star in the problematic Hitchcock movie, TOPAZ. The plot handles a mysterious plot of a new drug that makes its users become brainwashed. Once under the spell, this leads to a series of assassinations and suicide attacks.  Filmed mostly in Brazil, the whole production has a grand scale and the action scenes have been beefed up, with car chases and gun fights pushed to new extremes.

Stafford returned for the next film in the series, The excellent OSS 117 TERROR IN TOKYO (1967). Instead of being based on one of the Bruce novels, it was an original script from Terence Young, who was a director in his own right and directed some of the Bond movies, including DR. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. Young’s script and Director Michel Boisrond give the movie it’s harder edge and make by far the best film in the 1960’s series. Starting off with an exciting car chase and gun fight, OSS 117 finally has a true spy cold open, like the 007 films. The Japanese setting also makes the film visually interesting. On a fun side note, TERROR beat out YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE to theaters by a year, making it another case of OSS 117 beating James Bond to the punch.

Finishing out the set is the 1968 film, OSS 117 DOUBLE AGENT. Director Andre Hunebelle returns for his fourth turn, and this time OSS 117 is played by John Gavin. Gavin was known for his minor role in Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960), and would be considered and signed as James Bond for DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, before being replaced when Sean Connery agreed to return. While this is an interesting loss, we do get a blue print of his Bond with OSS. Gavin is a natural in the role and has charm galore. Where the film has problems is its tone. By far the most Roger Moore era Bond in tone, the film has some bipolar comic timing. One great joke is the fact that OSS 117 had plastic surgery to take on an assignment. This explains the change of actor in a neat matter. But then the film suffers from some cartoonish sound effects and sped up fights.

While uneven at times, the OSS 117 series is the perfect comfort food for cult film fans. They match the style of the Bond movies without feeling like a carbon copy. While some of them don’t size up next to the 007 films, they are some of the best in terms of the Eurospy genre.

Audio/Video (4/5)

This Kino release showcases a crystal-clear debut to the US market and is also one of the most handsome releases I’ve seen for a Eurospy title. All five films come with a 2.0 French language track. The sound mixes are smooth and full of life. The only title with questionable audio is OSS 117 DOUBLE AGENT, which suffers from some hiss during the English-speaking sections. The scores and effects are all clear and add to the Eurospy charm. English subtitles are included for all the films.

The 1080p HD transfer is the truly breath-taking element of this release. Of the 5 films, TERROR IN TOKYO has the most polish and grand photography. The picture quality is rough in a few spots, but overall shows off just as much glamour and charm as any of the 1960’s James Bond films. The black levels are smooth and there’s no noticeable issues with grain. One of the better-looking releases of 2017.

Extras (2/5)

Extras are limited to trailers for 0SS 117 IS UNLEASHED, PANIC IN BANGKOK, and MISSION FOR A KILLER.

Overall (4.5/5)

In terms of historic context alone, this OSS 117 set is a must needed release. It’s also a must own for anyone who loves Euro spy films. One of the best hidden treasures of 2017. Highly Recommended.