I love this movie so much

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Workhorse director Harry Levin, alas, proves to be no substitute for Phil Karlson who megaphoned the first of the Matt Helm series, The Silencers. Alas, even more to the point, the lovely Ann-Margret comes across most disappointingly as a rather pallid substitute for super-sexy Stella Stevens. Judging by what they provide here, both Miss Ann-Margret and Mr. Levin can aptly be described as "colorless". Another setback for this sequel is that the over-publicized "Slay Girls" actually appear on-screen only momentarily. However, on the plus side, the film does boast the alluring presence of Camilla Sparv. The action scenes are also quite exciting. In addition, the color photography could justly be described as "pleasant", and there's no doubt that Dean Martin makes a most genial companion. Available on a Sony DVD.

Murderers' Row, the second of the Matt Helm films that starred Dean Martin has the distinction of being the one that actually gave old Dino a hit record. Martin never sang directly on the screen, but his voice was heard on the soundtrack during soliloquy sequences and in background music. I'm Not The Marrying Kind was the only written for a Matt Helm feature that he's heard singing over the action, especially during the final scene.Fans of the books that James Bond and Matt Helm were taken from have always said that Hollywood ruined the character. It's probably more true for Matt Helm because Dino doesn't play it for anything other than laughs. James Bond would never talk about sexual escapades, but with Dino as Matt Helm, you know this is all locker room fodder.Dr. Richard Eastham has invented a solar ray which evil master criminal Karl Malden wants to subvert for his own use. He's planning for a death ray to wipe out Washington, DC. Both Martin and Eastham's daughter Ann-Margret are searching for Eastham, reputed to be with Malden on his private island off the Riviera where with mistress Carmilla Sparv, Malden's planning all kinds of dastardly deeds.Dino who also produced the Helm series, gave a guest shot to Dino, Desi, and Billy who were a bubblegum band sensation around that time.Malden looks like he's having a good old blast overacting outrageously as the master criminal. Dino as he is in all the Matt Helm is just Dean Martin as a secret agent. Just giving the public what they wanted at the time which was probably the height of his career.But whatever you do, don't look at the title Murderers' Row and think it's about the 1927 New York Yankees. The sports are indoors in this film.

This is film pretty much fits the formula of the other "Matt Helm" films; lavish locations, fun weapons, beautiful girls and booze. This probably is my second favorite film in the series behind The Ambushers. Dino was pretty much playing himself in the film and it pretty much was an extension of his public image of the freewheeling and boozing womanizer. Ann-Margaret was her usual sexy self as she played her sex kitten image to the hilt. However, the one that really stole the show in this film was Karl Malden. He really stole the show playing Mr. Wall, a villain so campy that it is in direct contrast to his usually serious demeanor. I also liked the fact that it made references to Dino's personal life, especially the inclusion of the Sinatra reference at the discotheque. Dino, Desi and Billy were okay, but they are no Beatles. All in all I would have to say that this is a pretty good entry in the series.

The main title theme song was utterly fantastic, but the movie ahead was a relative disappointment and snooze-fest. After such a great start, what happened? Actually it's not that bad, just blandly mediocre, and not the worst of the series (that title going to The Ambushers hands down).Karl Malden does give a delightfully over the top performance, Dean is his usually breezy self and Carmilla Sparv makes for a sexy femme fatale. I even thought 70s TV stalwart Tom Reese was an interesting henchman. But Ann Margaret is not convincing. She is easily the weakest of the 4 movie Helm female sidekicks. Her character just comes off as silly, like she's still in an Elvis movie.The setting on the French Rivera creates a cool atmosphere and the plot about a kidnapped scientist had the potential to be interesting if not for that nonsensical helio beam angle. There are some cool gadgets, like the gun that works on a delay, but the novelty of them wore away quickly after each was seemingly used over an over. The plot development attempts to string together a loose bunch of disjointed scenes and set pieces so there is never any real tension or suspense. Interestingly enough however, several ideas (the faking of Helm's death, the Hovercraft, disposal of the henchman via magnet) were incorporated into future James Bond movies.In short, this movie was one of potential unrealized and a starlet misplaced. It's worth a look for Martin or 1960s spy spoof fans (I'm both), but most others would find it terribly silly, uninteresting and plodding I'm afraid.