Code 7, Victim 5

Director - Robert Lynn (Ghost Squad)
Starring - Lex Barker (Night Gallery), Ann Smyrner (Reptilicus), and Ronald Fraser (The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles)
Release Date - 1964
Genre - Action/Adventure
Tagline - "A very special agent with a code that means he can go all the way"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Last week I decided to take a break from my beloved horror and check out two action adventure spy films from the late 60s that was recently released by Blue Underground on a double feature bluray.  The first film in the set was surprisingly fun so I immediately checked out the second film which did not hit the spot like the first did.  I decided to wait a few days before venturing on to another Blue Underground double feature blue.  After reviewing The Witch and the novel Night Things: Undead and Kicking I decided to venture out and check out that other double feature.  The first in the set is Code 7, Victim 5.  Thanks Blue Underground for once again hooking me up.  

     The film follows a wealthy man living in South Africa who is concerned for his life when his butler is murdered along with several other former colleagues.  He hires a detective to apprehend those responsible because he does not have trust in the local police.  The detective immediately starts working the case and learns that his new employer is keeping something from him when everything keeps coming back to an old photograph that he found on one of the dead.  He then learns the history behind the photo and how history has come back to bite the wealthy man in the ass.
     Last week when I reviewed The Million Eye of Sumuru I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this film and it really inspired me to check out the other action adventure flicks from the time.  The sequel had it's moments but failed to deliver for the most part.  Code 7, Victim 5 was another great action film from the time.  It blended story, narrative, and some fun characters.  The acting in this one was decent for the most part.  Lex Barker and Ronald Fraser do a tremendous job in their roles.  They made every scene they were in fun and really made the story seem much bigger than it was.  The remainder of the cast was, sadly, not that memorable.  Anyone could have been cast in those roles and the film would have been the same.  The story for this one is actually somewhat clever for the kind of film we get.  The story almost flows like a who done it slasher from the late 70s and early 80s but set in the backdrop of an action adventure film.  I really enjoyed that angle of mystery the film delivered before dropping a Scooby-Doo ending on us.  The film does have have several slow scenes that tries the viewer's patience but the story flows very well.  Finally, those of you looking for action may be satisfied with this one.  The film has some action, car chases, and so on but they are far in between.  The action itself was fun considering the time and budget of the film.  It really brought the story on home.  Overall, Code 7, Victim 5 was a great movie.  It was fun, had some action, and the film's lead was perfectly cast.  Check it out!