Despite a number of hilarious set-pieces, the stupidity never spoils the intrigue and by playing the pastiche game better than Austin Powers, this is an unexpected pleasure.
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11/07/08
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OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2008)
75
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Reviews Counted:55
Fresh:41
Rotten:14
Average Rating:6.6/10
Consensus: This clever spy spoof plays politics and movie conventions for laughs and features a great turn by Jen Dujardin as a smarmy-suave nouveau-Bond.
Theatrical Release:May 9, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: For those that like the spy action of the James Bond series shaken with a bit of humor, this French hit promises to be a tasty cocktail. OSS 117 is a popular French character who has appeared in... [More]
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Reviews for OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies
The hero of OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies might be described as a French equivalent of James Bond.
05/09/08
Top CriticWhile this is not a laugh-out-loud film, it does revel in the quirks of the James Bond movies and makes fun of those conventions accordingly. But the film never settles into a groove that feels comfortably paced.
06/27/08
OSS has style in spades.
12/07/07
Given that this is a French film, there's an unmistakable edge to its satirical portrayal of postwar East-West relations.
05/16/08
Top CriticI have never been a particular admirer of either James Bond or Austin Powers, and could hardly be expected to be overjoyed by a 'cross between them.' Hence, I was hardly surprised when I didn’t crack a smile over the antics of Mr. Jean Dujardin.
10/23/08
Top Critic[This] may just be the silliest movie I've ever seen, and I mean that in the best way: Frankly, they had me at the title.
05/11/08
This spy spoof could be described as the French Austin Powers, but that's not entirely accurate. This is a loving homage to spy films from the 50's and 60's.
06/04/08
[Dujardin] has a goofy and endearing smile, and somehow manages to combine Sean Connery's suave appeal with the pomposity and incompetence of Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau.
05/19/08
Not only spoofs the original source material, Bond, Powers and 1960s TV series -- it also takes on French colonial relations in a politically incorrect way. One of the most hilarious films of the year.
04/26/06
Like its hero, the job may not be done with the most style and grace, but it definitely gets done.
06/27/08
Every single second of O.S.S. 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies is fun, and I'm talking about the opening credits, too.
05/23/08
A witty French espionage comedy that affectionately spoofs 1970s Eurospy thrillers.
05/23/08
Spoofy fun at first, but eventually wears quite thin, and I don't think all that much could have been lost in the subtitles.
05/08/08
Infinitely superior to Get Smart.
11/07/08
A lowbrow spy spoof that can only go so far with such a silly plot.
05/18/09
Until someone figures out a way of truly subverting what's already been subverted, cartoon stick figures like Austin Powers and Johnny English will never feel fresh, even when they're actually saying funny things.
05/04/08
Trust the French to make a comedy seemingly drawing from both Jerry Lewis and Edward Said.
05/08/08
As the country responsible for unleashing Austin Powers in Goldmember upon the world, we probably deserved worse payback than this.
05/08/08
Director Michel Hazanavicius and screenwriter Jean-Francois Halin have steered the film away from the coarseness of the Austin Powers movies toward something a bit more elegant and cinematic, though still shamelessly silly.
05/09/08
Latest News for OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies
November 07, 2008:
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May 11, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review 
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February 21, 2008:
Kim Newman on... OSS 117: Cairo Nest of Spies
RT Obscura, the exclusive column by renowned critic Kim Newman, sees the writer plumbing the depths of the RT archive in search of some forgotten gems. In his twelfth column,... More...
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