EASTWOOD is the man... Eiger is the location... and the sanction - is a license to kill!

Starring: Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Vonetta McGee, Jack Cassidy, Heidi Brühl, Thayer David, Reiner Schone, Michael Grimm

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Tell me, Mr. Bowman, in your opinion do these men climb to prove their manhood, or is it more a matter of compensating for inferiority feelings?" - Female Journalist

Why watch this? It's Clint at his best in some of the most scenic action sequences ever filmed.

Plot Summary: English professor Jonathan Hemlock was a mountain-climbing government assassin in a former life. When the "C2" blackmails him into performing another sanction (assassination), he has no choice but to agree. This time the target is one of three men on a climbing team whose goal is the Eiger, a massive rock face in the Swiss Alps. To prepare, the aging Hemlock enlists his old buddy, Ben Bowman, who puts him through the ringer. The rest of this adventure is a mountain climb wrought with danger and suspense.

Dad's Preview: What sets this standard espionage film apart is the incredible mountain and rock-scaling sequences. Eastwood (also the director) performed almost all the stunts himself. The climbs, in both Monument Valley and Switzerland, are breathtaking. There is a nice twist at the end. I also liked the performance by Vonetta Mcee, as a strong, capable black woman portraying Clint's love-interest. There are some slightly-cringy moments, but they're pretty standard for the time period. That said, it is still enjoyable from a pure spy-action flick standpoint.

The Malpaso Company; Universal Pictures