00-2 agenti segretissimi (Italian for "00-2 Very Secret Agents"), distributed in English as Oh! Those Most Secret Agents!,[1] is a 1964 Italian film directed by Lucio Fulci starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. The film is the third of three comedies with the duo by the same director, with I due evasi di Sing Sing and I due pericoli pubblici, to be released in 1964, 00-2 agenti segretissimi being the only colour film of the three.
| Oh! Those Most Secret Agents! | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Lucio Fulci |
| Written by | Vittorio Metz |
| Music by | Piero Umiliani |
Release date |
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| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
It is a parody of 007 spy films, the first of four starring the comic duo Franco e Ciccio (the other being Simonelli's Due mafiosi contro Goldginger, Bava's Le spie vengono dal semifreddo and Fulci's Come rubammo la bomba atomica). The characters of the two thieves would also be present, also played by the Sicilian duo, but with different names, in Fulci's 002 Operazione Luna in 1965, a film that is sometimes presented as a sequel to 00-2 agenti segretissimi.
Plot
editFranco and Ciccio, two inept apartment thieves, fall into a trap set by American secret agents. The agents capture and then release them, planting a microfilm on them. The plan is simple: Franco and Ciccio must pose as the agents guarding the microfilm, attracting global spy attention. This diversion allows the real agents to deliver the original film smoothly.
However, the duo's clumsiness makes them look like dangerous spies, leading to a relentless chase. Additionally, the organizer discovers they accidentally have the real secret formula. Despite their constant misfortune, it unexpectedly saves them from numerous traps.
Production and release
editThe film was produced by Mega films. It is one of the 13 films directed by Fulci that star the Sicilian comic duo of Franco and Ciccio.[2]
Reception
editA retrospective review finds that "There's pretty much no plot to speak of, and no sense of escalation as the film staggers towards its underwhelming climax." and that "There are barely enough jokes here for a half-hour sitcom, and those that we do get are weak, repetitive and not very funny."[3]
References
edit- ^ Oh! Those Most Secret Agents (1964), archived from the original on 2023-04-05, retrieved 2023-04-05
- ^ "Il Lungo, il Corto, il Gatto". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
- ^ Welsh, Mark David (2020-01-14). "Oh! Those Most Secret Agents/002 agenti segretissimi (1964)". Mark David Welsh. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
See also
edit