Tony Mastroianni Review Collection
"Kid Brother" Is Poor Relation
Cleveland Press November 18, 1967
Dreary and dismal is the espionage movie "Operation Kid Brother" which derives its name and even some of its plot from the fact that it stars Neil Connery, younger brother of Sean (James Bond) Connery.
His name in the movie also is Neil Connery, lest audience members forget, and there are frequent references to the fact that he has an older brother who is a spy.
Connery isn't all that was borrowed. In the film are Daniela Bianchi, the girl in "From Russia With Love"; Adolfo Celi, villain from "Thunderball"; Yachuco Yama of "You Only Live Twice" and Bernard Lee as chief of the secret service and Lois Maxwell as his secretary.
WHAT IS missing are the flair and skill with which the Bond films are made. The script is labored, the direction slow and the acting is barely adequate.
Connery is a plastic surgeon who can hypnotize people instantly, reads lips at a distance and is an expert archer. All of these talents figure in a thrown-together story filled with gimmicks and exotic settings.
I don't know if the movie will cause any sibling rivalry among the Connerys. Among audiences, however, it is likely to cause a distinct sibling depression.
