Watch Danger Route
- Approved
- 1968
- 1 hr 31 min
-
5.5 (496)
Danger Route is a British spy thriller from 1967, directed by Seth Holt and starring Richard Johnson, Carol Lynley, and Barbara Bouchet. The movie follows Jonas Wilde (Johnson), a British secret agent who is sent to Istanbul to locate and recruit an important defector from the East. But things get complicated when Wilde's old flame, Carole (Lynley), shows up and tries to seduce him, and when he discovers that the defector is actually a trap set for him by his enemies. Despite the odds, Wilde will have to use all his skills to survive and complete his mission.
The movie starts by introducing us to Jonas Wilde, a suave and sophisticated British spy who is used to danger and intrigue. He is summoned to his boss's office in London and given a new assignment: he has to travel to Istanbul and meet with a man named Kuzenov, who wants to defect from the Soviet Union to the West. Kuzenov has valuable information about missile sites and other military secrets, and the British government wants to get their hands on it before the Soviets do.
Wilde is not thrilled about the assignment, but he accepts it with a combination of professionalism and cynicism. He knows that in the world of espionage, nothing is as it seems and everyone has hidden motives. He packs his bags and heads to Istanbul, where he is met by his local contact, an attractive woman named Monique (Bouchet).
Monique takes Wilde to his hotel and explains the basics of the operation. They will meet Kuzenov at a designated time and place, and Wilde will have to convince him to defect and come to the British side. It sounds straightforward enough, but Wilde knows that there are bound to be complications along the way.
One of those complications shows up in the form of Carole, Wilde's former lover who is now married to a wealthy businessman. Carole is in Istanbul on vacation, but she sees Wilde at a café and decides to renew their relationship. Wilde is torn between his duty and his feelings for Carole, and he tries to balance them as best he can.
Meanwhile, Kuzenov is supposedly waiting for them at an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. Wilde, Monique, and a few other British agents drive there in a convoy of cars, but they are ambushed by a group of armed men. A gunfight ensues, and Wilde realizes that they have walked into a trap. Kuzenov is nowhere to be found, and the attackers are clearly not amateurs.
Wilde and his team manage to escape, but they are shaken by the experience. They return to their hotel and try to figure out what went wrong. Wilde suspects that there is a leak in the operation, and he starts to investigate everyone involved. He also gets a message from Kuzenov, who is still alive and wants to meet with him again.
The rest of the movie is a tense and suspenseful game of cat and mouse, as Wilde tries to stay one step ahead of his enemies and figure out who is behind the trap. He is helped by Monique, who proves to be more than just a pretty face, and hindered by Carole, who keeps popping up and distracting him. There are more betrayals, more shootings, and more twists and turns, until the final showdown between Wilde and the mastermind behind the plot.
Overall, Danger Route is a solid entry in the spy thriller genre, with great location work in Istanbul, a catchy score by Roy Budd, and a cast of talented actors. Richard Johnson is excellent as Jonas Wilde, bringing just the right mix of charm and grit to the role. Carol Lynley is also effective as Carole, although her character is not as well-developed as it could be. Barbara Bouchet is a standout in a small but crucial part, and her scenes with Johnson have a nice chemistry.
The movie is directed by Seth Holt, who had previously helmed the classic horror film The Nanny (1965) and the thriller Station Six-Sahara (1963). Holt brings a good sense of pacing and atmosphere to Danger Route, using the exotic and colorful settings of Istanbul to great effect. He also stages some exciting action scenes, including a car chase and a shootout in a crowded marketplace.
In conclusion, if you're a fan of espionage movies from the 60s, Danger Route is definitely worth checking out. It's not the most innovative or groundbreaking movie of its kind, but it delivers plenty of thrills and suspense and showcases some strong performances. It's a reminder of a time when spies were cooler, weapons were simpler, and the world was a different place.
Danger Route is a 1968 action movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.5.