Assignment Skybolt - Dark Force Entertainment (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Greece, 1968
Director: Gregg G. Tallas
Writers: Dimitris Vlahos, Gregg G. Tallas, George Maros
Cast: Nikos Kourkoulos, Anna Brazzou, Paris Alexander, Anestis Vlahos, Elena Nathanail, Sonia Zoidou, Bergens Douglas, Giorgos Foras, Artemis Matsas, E. Vichenpach, Vera Krouska, Arthur Brenter, Hrysostomos Vordolakos, Tom Klunis 

Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Approximate running time: 99 Minutes 36 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Dan Holland (Nicholas Kirk, The Ruthless), an American Secret Service agent, goes to Greece to find a hydrogen bomb that has been stolen from a NATO base in Turkey. There is the risk that foreign agents will activate the bomb to hit the 6th Fleet flagship while it is anchored outside the port of Piraeus, and thus start World War III. Dan Holland begins his mission with little information: an antique coin found in the location of the theft that belonged to his brother Jack Holland, code-name Achilles, but Achilles is supposed to have been killed by the Communists during the Greek Civil War." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 4K scan from the uncut 35mm original camera negative."

Assignment Skybolt comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.8 GB

Feature: 21 GB

The source is in very good shape; there are some minor instances of print debris. The flesh tones look correct, the colors are nicely saturated, the black levels are strong, the compression is very good, and the image looks organic.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. There is background noise that is more noticeable in some scenes than others, and there are some sibilance issues. That said, dialog comes through clearly, and range-wise, this track is satisfactory.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a cult movie trailer reel: Cut and Run, Screams of a Winter Night, Slaughterhouse Rock, The Cycle Savages, Tintorera, Eye in the Labyrinth, and The Violent Breed.

Summary:

Directed by Gregg G. Tallas, whose other notable films are The Barefoot Battalion and Espionage in Tangiers.

The narrative revolves around an American secret agent who goes to Greece to recover a stolen hydrogen bomb.

The James Bond series had a tremendous impact on cinema in the 1960s; besides changing the way that audiences experienced action films, it also ignited the spy film genre. And though there were countless James Bond imitators—a few that actually still hold up really well after all these years—the bulk of these 1960s spy films were cheap knock-offs that brought nothing new to the table.

Let's face it, one does not watch spy films because of their sound plots; in fact, we watch them because of their outlandish plots, which often feature over-the-top villains. When it comes to these two main elements, Assignment Skybolt is sorely lacking in both areas. Unfortunately, things quickly lose steam after setting a strong foundation.

Content-wise, despite being placed in an exotic locale and featuring a bevy of attractive women, many of whom wear skimpy outfits, unfortunately, when it comes to these elements, they are never fully exploited. That said, another area where Assignment Skybolt is its protagonist is that he lacks charisma, and whenever he is in danger, there is never any tension or real danger.

From a production standpoint, Assignment Skybolt had limited resources. Nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to its main location, a nightclub, and the overreliance on this location. Also, there are too many nightclub scenes, and they add little to the story. The similarity of these nightclub scenes hinders the pacing, and removing some of them would enhance the narrative. That said, I really wanted to enjoy Assignment Skybolt, and I went into it with enthusiasm based on other 1960s spy films that I have seen. Unfortunately, the result is a pedestrian spy film that moves too slowly and is too predictable.

Dark Force Entertainment gives Assignment Skybolt a strong audio/video presentation.

Written by Michael Den Boer