The End of Agent W4C (1967) User Reviews (2)

Nicely-shot James Bond spoof

[thesadie · 7/10 · 29 September 1999]

Czechoslovakia, when it still existed, had its very own James Bond 007. His name: Cyril Juan W4C.

Maybe not quite the same ring to it, but this guy has the goods. As his boss exclaims, "What a man!".

Set in Prague, this film spoofs the James Bond films, with lashings of beautiful women, whizzy spy gadgets, big guns, tuxedoes, and dark glasses.

Cyril manages to fend off several baddies with machine guns without ever loosening the clinch he's in with the babe of the moment. All this without ever scuffing his white trousers.

The film is intentionally hilarious but is also quite nicely shot in black and white with some fine-looking scenes, many of which are shown as teasers in the opening sequence to the film, which freeze-frames on various punch-ups and tense moments.

This opening sequence is particularly good and is set to some 60s spy music that'll make you want to grab your fountain pen cum rocket launcher, slip on your shades, and get out there to mix with the espionage set.

The Beginning of Agent W4C.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 10/10 · 23 June 2019]

Since dipping into Matt Blake's excellent book The Eurospy Guide earlier this eye,I've been keeping an eye on chances coming up to dip into the genre. Trying to view the Czech Noir The Murderer Hides His Face (1966) but finding the subs not wanting to work,I looked for a replacement,and stumbled on a Czech espionage flick,which led to me joining Agent W4C.

View on the film:

Taking the ingredients which were already becoming staples of the genre,the screenplay by co-writer/(with Oldrich Danek and Milos Macourek) director Vaclav Vorlicek shakes (but not stirred) the Euro Spy genre into a delightful creation, where everything is heightened to a hilariously absurdest level, fired up from Agent W4C and fellow agent Alice are sharing drinks whilst every rival spy (all dressed in the same coats!) openly keep their heads turned towards the duo, and a demo by the Q-type of W4C's handy new clock gadget,backfiring in his hands. Sending fish out of water accountant Foustka in as the main rival to take down the duo, the writers layer on the laughs in Foustka's (a terrific, bumbling Jiri Sovak) mishaps to remain incognito around W4C, (a great, slick Jan Kacer) which leads to a wonderfully left-field twist ending,as Foustka turns out to be not as dumb as he appeared.

Greeting W4C and Alice (a alluring,sexy Kveta Fialova) like superstars with other spies listening in from every corner, director Vorlicek & cinematographer Frantisek Uldrich bring the Euro Spy glamour to Eastern Europe, in W4C and Alice being kept in pin-sharp clothes and Pop-Art close-ups on the effortless coolness, neatly counted by the grubby, hapless appearance of Foustka (who even gets outsmarted by his own cute dog.) Confronting W4C and Alice with a endless row of counter-intelligence / rival spies, Vorlicek pours out sparkling action set-pieces, bubbling in a explosive hotel fight where rockets and punches smack the walls,and Foustka dives into winning a swimming contest,and afterwards dives into ending Agent W4C.