Review of Assignment to Kill

I have to be the skunk at the garden party here. I disagree with the consensus that this is an "overlooked gem" of any kind. The movie is simply interminable, with a rambling, labyrinthine plot line that never quite sorts itself out. When it ends there is a general feeling of "just what the hell was that all about?" There is a plethora of endless, leaden dialogue, especially between O'Neal's and Hackett's characters. There is also surprisingly little real action, and the climactic fight scene between Cutting (O'Neal) and The Big Man (Leon Greene) is simply ridiculous. The only good things about the movie are the wonderful old Technicolor cinematography, and the Swiss scenery. Acting-wise, O'Neal is OK (that voice!) but Joan Hackett's Dominique is annoyingly cutesy/cool. Peter vanEyck's appearance is all too brief. Herbert Lom carries his usual aura of suavely subtle danger, and Oscar Homulka is always fun to watch. The only reason I watched it is that I desperately needed to fill a couple of empty hours. You probably have better things to do.