Atout Cœur à Tokyo Pour OSS 117 (aka 0SS 117: Mission To Tokyo) (1966)

A secret agent (Frederick Stafford) is assigned to Tokyo, Japan to ferret out an organization blackmailing the U.S. government by blowing up U.S. military bases if their money demands are not met. Based on a story by director Terence Young (DR. NO) and directed by Michel Boisrond (LA PARISIENNE). This was the fourth entry in the popular five film OSS 117 franchise produced by Andre Hunebelle in the 1960s and Stafford's second and final appearance as agent OSS 117. As a Eurospy thriller, it looks marvelous thanks to Marcel Grignon's (IS PARIS BURNING?) wide screen (Franscope) lensing of the Japanese landscape but it feels tired and bereft of any originality. The next year, the Bond franchise would go to Japan for YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and do it with more vigor. With Marina Vlady, Henri Serre and Jitsuko Yoshimura.