Oliver Reed and Diana Rigg head an impeccable cast in The Assassination Bureau, a spirited caper inspired by a book co-written by Jack London. Reed plays Ivan, the self-confident chief of an association of hitmen for hire, who will refuse no well-paid offer –especially the lucrative challenge of an aspiring reporter (Rigg). Reasoning that a running cat-and-mouse duel with his henchmen will rid the organization of incompetents, Ivan agrees to become the object of a nonstop hunt. The game is afoot…and Europe is the playground!
Reed plays the chairman of a group of hitmen, set up along the same lines as a business concern. Reporter Rigg decides to take out a contract with Reed on the head of his own orginization; namely himself! Undaunted, Reed accepts in order to settle a philosophical debate that has plagued the board of directors. Reed believes in taking contracts only upon those who deserve it; other board members believe the ABL is a tool only for political power and monetary profit. By accepting the contract upon himself, Reed becomes a target for the board and at the same time the other board members become fair game for him! The film is a bit slow-paced, but with tongue firmly planted in cheek. The film makes a semi-parody of political tensions just before the outbreak of the First World War, as the ABL board (sans Reed) longs to be the power behind the thrones of Europe. Reed is excellent, as always, and Rigg does a variation of her famous Emma Peel character with pleasing results. Savalas is his usual menacing self, and Curt Jurgens is fun as a crazed German officer and ABL board member. There is also a great zeppelin sequence and zeppelin set, but the early chromakey matting for the special effects is only marginally effective. Fun, offbeat picture that is worth viewing at least once. – Amazon review
Starring Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Curd Jürgens, Philippe Noiret.