Amusing film with Taylor a klutz "who wouldn't hurt a fly" who inadvertently becomes the British spy service's means of eliminating potential leaks and defectors. One of the best of the many spy spoofs that proliferated in the wake of the James Bond franchise's success. The literate and amusing script played with British understatement, which means that modern audiences might miss on some of the subtlety. For example, John Le Mesurier's character is named Chekhov, and his password phrase is "First we must cut down the orchard." (Tamiroff garbles it as "Life is just a bowl of cherry orchards." :)

The script was based on the Boysie Oakes novels of John Gardner, who intended them to "take the piss" out of Bond and put him in the real world. Ironically, Gardner became the writer of the new 007 novels in the 80s, when the franchise was at the nadir of its popularity. The success of the novels helped keep Bond in the public eye until the revitalization of the films with Goldeneye in 1995.

One amusing throwaway sight gag has Taylor romping with a pair of black and white spotted dogs. Not dalmatians, certainly, but it cannot have been unintentional!