Michael Winner's career as a director has been plagued with some bad movies, with the likes of Death Wish 2, Death Wish 3, The Nightcomers and Parting Shots notable for their awfulness. However, there is one film that frequently makes it onto the Michael Winner "crap-list" that I feel is rather better than its reputation suggests. That film is "Bullseye!" While not a forgotten masterpiece, "Bullseye!" is certainly amusing enough and harmless enough to pass a little time. It also finds real-life buddies Roger Moore and Michael Caine bouncing off each other and demonstrating a nice chemistry in their comical dual roles. Caine's American accent might be one of the worst attempts at an accent since Dick Van Dyke crucified Cockney speech in "Mary Poppins", but he and Moore look like they're having a wonderful time and some of their enjoyment inevitably transmits across to the audience.
Corrupt physicists Dr Daniel Hicklar (Caine) and Sir John Bavistock (Moore) have invented a cheap form of nuclear fusion with British and American financial backing. However, the dirty duo plan to sell their formula to the highest bidder in an effort to make themselves filthy rich . even though they should really be giving the formula back to the governments that funded them. A down payment of diamonds is handed over by the potential bidders in order to secure their place at this clandestine "auction". Meanwhile, it becomes apparent that Hicklar and Bavistock have, completely unbeknown to them, a pair of identical doubles. Enter failed con-men Sidney Lipton (Caine again) and Gerald Bradley-Scott (Moore). Sidney and Gerald are contacted by their old partner in crime Willie (Sally Kirkland), who has found out about the diamonds and plans to use their incredible likeness to the swindling scientists as a means of stealing the priceless stones. Gerald and Sidney pull off their audacious heist and get the diamonds, but just as they prepare to retire to paradise they are apprehended by the CIA and MI5. These two secret agencies are keen to bust Hicklar and Bavistock, who have used their government's funding to create the fusion formula but have tried to gain personal wealth from the project. Gerald and Sidney are "persuaded" to continue their deceptive ruse so that the CIA and MI5 can deliberately sabotage the greedy plans of the two scientists by having their doubles mess up the illegal auction!
Some severe words have been levelled at "Bullseye!" Halliwell said it was a "tedious comedy with few laughs"; Maltin called it "deadly nonsense"; and the Radio Times were fiercely unkind to the film, stating that it was "a hideously unfunny comedy of errors that must rank as a career low for nearly all involved". These criticisms are terribly harsh for a film that seeks merely to provide a little light entertainment. Yes, the film has an over-used and rather silly plot. Yes, Caine's American accent is dreadful. And yes, a lot of the jokes poke fun at racial and sexual stereotypes. But what about the fact that some of the jokes are genuinely funny? What about the evident fun that Caine and Moore are having with their imbecilic characters? What about the way that the film is fast paced and rather entertaining in its simple-minded way? I just can't see why the film was greeted with such critical derision. It is not a film that I would ever award high marks the 5 I've given it is plenty high enough but for the film to be completely ignored and dismissed like it has is just as misleading. "Bullseye!" is silly but enjoyable entertainment . it might not be Some Like It Hot, but it's still a damn sight better than much of the politically correct garbage that we're subjected to nowadays.
Corrupt physicists Dr Daniel Hicklar (Caine) and Sir John Bavistock (Moore) have invented a cheap form of nuclear fusion with British and American financial backing. However, the dirty duo plan to sell their formula to the highest bidder in an effort to make themselves filthy rich . even though they should really be giving the formula back to the governments that funded them. A down payment of diamonds is handed over by the potential bidders in order to secure their place at this clandestine "auction". Meanwhile, it becomes apparent that Hicklar and Bavistock have, completely unbeknown to them, a pair of identical doubles. Enter failed con-men Sidney Lipton (Caine again) and Gerald Bradley-Scott (Moore). Sidney and Gerald are contacted by their old partner in crime Willie (Sally Kirkland), who has found out about the diamonds and plans to use their incredible likeness to the swindling scientists as a means of stealing the priceless stones. Gerald and Sidney pull off their audacious heist and get the diamonds, but just as they prepare to retire to paradise they are apprehended by the CIA and MI5. These two secret agencies are keen to bust Hicklar and Bavistock, who have used their government's funding to create the fusion formula but have tried to gain personal wealth from the project. Gerald and Sidney are "persuaded" to continue their deceptive ruse so that the CIA and MI5 can deliberately sabotage the greedy plans of the two scientists by having their doubles mess up the illegal auction!
Some severe words have been levelled at "Bullseye!" Halliwell said it was a "tedious comedy with few laughs"; Maltin called it "deadly nonsense"; and the Radio Times were fiercely unkind to the film, stating that it was "a hideously unfunny comedy of errors that must rank as a career low for nearly all involved". These criticisms are terribly harsh for a film that seeks merely to provide a little light entertainment. Yes, the film has an over-used and rather silly plot. Yes, Caine's American accent is dreadful. And yes, a lot of the jokes poke fun at racial and sexual stereotypes. But what about the fact that some of the jokes are genuinely funny? What about the evident fun that Caine and Moore are having with their imbecilic characters? What about the way that the film is fast paced and rather entertaining in its simple-minded way? I just can't see why the film was greeted with such critical derision. It is not a film that I would ever award high marks the 5 I've given it is plenty high enough but for the film to be completely ignored and dismissed like it has is just as misleading. "Bullseye!" is silly but enjoyable entertainment . it might not be Some Like It Hot, but it's still a damn sight better than much of the politically correct garbage that we're subjected to nowadays.