Duncan Jax Attacks!
May 19, 2011 by Editor
Filed under Film Reviews
The Order Of The Black Eagle (1987)
Directed By: Worth Keeter
Review Written By: Tom Reider
Mondo Film & Video Guide Submission
IMDb.com Link
As I was going through my collection of Joe Bob Briggs’s Drive-In Movies, I came across a James Bond exploitation film entitled, The Order of the Black Eagle (1987). The movie includes all the usual characteristics of the James Bond genre plus a baboon sidekick for good measure. The film is one of two James Bond mid 1980’s exploitation films directed by Worth Keeter and starring Ian Hunter. The other movie is Unmasking the Idol. I’ll save Unmasking the Idol for part two of this series as I’m sure readers will be clamoring for more of my reviews on Mondo-Video.
The plot of the movie has CIA hero (Duncan Jax) saving a scientist from the hands of a group of neo Nazi’s, called the Order of the Black Eagle. The diabolical plan is to shoot a laser at America and set up a regime led by a cryogenically frozen Adolph Hitler. Duncan Jax is sent by Star (C.K. Bibby), this movies version of ‘M”, to save the kidnapped scientist and rid the world from the Order of the Black Eagle. On the way Duncan is teamed up with an attractive heroine Tiffany (Jill Donnelan) to fight the bad guys in South America. Prior to leaving, Duncan is equipped with gadgets for the mission from Sato, the films version of “Q”.
Funny how the gadgets are exactly what Duncan Jax will need to escape the lackluster attempts to kill him. Duncan is separated from Tiffany and narrowly escapes multiple attempts on his life. He then teams up with an elite team of mercenaries including Maxie Ryder (Anna Rapagna) a very attractive Suzanna Hoffs lookalike. The rest of the team is made up of characters named Cowboy, Hammer, S.D., Bolt, Juice and Spike. We’ll let you match the name with their area expertise. The group takes on the Order of the Black Eagle in a thrilling conclusion. My favorite moment came midway through the film as Duncan disguises his voice in female fashion to sucker in a group of Mexican thugs. In a spaghetti western moment the dream team takes on the overmatched outlaws. The laughs and thrills continue (both intentional and unintentional) until the conclusion.
As far as James Bond exploitation movies, The Order of the Black Eagle wasn’t entirely bad. The movie kept me entertained throughout. Ian Hunter does a good job in the main role of Duncan Jax. He’s believable as the CIA hero despite his English accent and thinning hair. The main Nazi, “The Baron” sports a full Richard Conrad beard. Have you ever seen a Nazi on the history channel wearing a beard? The Baboon sidekick appears to be hired for the one F*** Y** arm gesture he learned in Baboon acting school. With that being said, the baboon may keep your kids entertained. The two lead heroines provide the tough independent, sexy female role seen in most spy thrillers. Even though the movie is flawed, I ask myself, why am I looking forward to watching the second Duncan Jax film, Unmasking the Idol.
Director Worth Keeter continues to make movies. In the 1990′s Worth Keeter directed a group of thrillers including: Last Lives starring C. Thomas Howell; Snapdragon with Steven Bauer and Pamela Anderson; and Illicit Behavior starring Robert Davi, Joan Severance, Jack Scalia and James Russo. Worth also went on to direct Power Ranger television episodes in the 2000′s. Ian Hunter continued his role of Duncan Jax in Unmasking the Idol, and then was never heard from again. Anna Rapagna went on to co-star with David Carradine in Future Force. After months of research no record exists as to the whereabouts of Typhoon the baboon. Rumors on the set indicate Typhoon went on to live a life of peace in a small Arabian community taking a bride and raising a small family of baboons.
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