Spy Hard

Rick Friedberg (1996)

77min

PG Certificate

Review

Our Score

by John Ferguson

The blockbuster action thriller genre is ripe for sending up, but this lazy effort has to go down as a miss despite the presence of spoofmeister Leslie Nielsen. The basic story is firmly rooted in James Bond - Nielsen is superagent Dick Steele battling supervillain General Rancor (Andy Griffith) - but to ensure all the bases are covered director Rick Friedberg tosses in largely irrelevant send-ups of Speed, Pulp Fiction and In the Line of Duty. The cast - which includes Charles Durning and Nicollette Sheridan, plus cameos from Robert Culp and Fabio - tries hard but is defeated by the determinedly juvenile script. Incidentally, the Bond-style soundtrack is by Bill Conti, who co-wrote the Oscar-nominated title track of For Your Eyes Only.

Summary

Bungling secret agent Dick Steele - code-named WD-40 - is called out of retirement to thwart a megalomaniac general bent on destroying the world with a missile he is building at his secret island lair. Spoof spy adventure, starring Leslie Nielsen, Nicollette Sheridan, Charles Durning, Marcia Gay Harden, Barry Bostwick, and featuring a cameo appearance by Ray Charles.

Cast & Crew

Dick Steele Leslie Nielsen

Veronique Ukrinsky Nicollette Sheridan

The Director Charles Durning

Miss Cheevus Marcia Gay Harden

Norman Coleman Barry Bostwick

Kabul John Ales

General Rancor Andy Griffith

Bus driver Ray Charles

Tag team member Hulk Hogan

Agent Steve Bishop Robert Guillaume

Brian Pat Morita

Woman in Murphy bed Alexandra Paul

Helicopter pilot Mr T

Director Rick Friedberg

Other Information

Language: EnglishColourTheatrical distributor: Buena Vista International UKGuidance: Brief nudity and some swearing. Available on: video and DVD

Comedy

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Rick Friedberg (1996)

Review

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