Cargo ships carrying gold bullion have disappeared in the Irish Sea. Treasury secret agent Phillip Calvert (Anthony Hopkins) is tasked with solving the mystery.
Tracking the latest ship, Calvert's investigation leads him to a small coastal town in the Scottish Highlands, where his presence draws the attention of the mysterious forces behind the conspiracy...
After The Fourth Protocol, I was keen to check out some more spy thrillers, and I stumbled upon this one.
Based on an Alistair Maclean novel and starring a young Anthony Hopkins as the rough-and-tumble action hero, on its face When Eight Bells Toll seems like an unlikely proposition.
This movie reminded me of the sensation of reading an old paperback thriller. Characterisation is minimal, but the central mystery is intriguing, there is a strong sense of place and atmosphere, and the whole thing moves at a clip.
In the lead role, Hopkins is in fine form - whip-smart and so mission-focused he comes off as rebellious to his officious boss (Robert Morley). Hopkins’ character is cool - while worldly, he will take no hypocrisy. He even sees through the femme fatale, although unlike Bond, he lets her escape.
There are some well-crafted set pieces - the helicopter crash and escape is well-staged while there is an underwater fight inside a sunken ship that is far more atmospheric and tense than the similar sequence in For Your Eyes Only.
The humour is a little more offbeat - Morley’s characterisation of a prissy beaurocrat who grumbles about local cuisine is kinda broad but works in juxtaposition with Hopkins’ self-sufficiency. It is a little too big for my taste, and his effete performance feels a little crass and outdated.
It is no masterpiece but it is a pity there were no sequels because this movie feels like the down-to-earth action adventure that a certain strand of Bond fans say was missing in the seventies.
In fact, according to the always-reliable Wikipedia, this movie was intended as a franchise to compete with/succeed James Bond, at a time when Sean Connery was leaving and it looked like the series might end with him. While no sequels were made, as a one-and-done potboiler, When Eight Bells Toll is worth checking out.
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