Rugged former secret government agent Henry Stanton (a fine performance by Robert Conrad) gets called out of retirement by the agency he used to work for to stop crafty, lethal and resourceful renegade cyborg assassin Robert Golem (nicely essayed with smooth intensity by Richard Young). Shrewd'n'sassy scientist Mary Casallas (winningly played by the fetching Karen Austin) helps Stanton out. Writer/director Sandor Stern relates the involving plot at a snappy pace, develops a good deal of tension, stages the action scenes with considerable aplomb, and further spices things up with a slyly amusing sense of deadpan humor. Conrad and Austin display a pleasingly casual and engaging rapport as the likable lead characters; they receive excellent support from Robert Webber as Stanton's huffy, slippery superior Calvin Lantz, Jonathan Banks as Lantz's steely partner Earl Dickman, Jessica Nelson as alluring, unsuspecting barroom pick-up Ann Walsh, and Nancy Lenehan as Mary's steady gal pal Grace Decker. Moreover, the violence is surprisingly rough and brutal stuff for a made-for-TV feature. Chuck Arnold's polished cinematography does the trick while Anthony Guefen supplies an effectively groovy'n'moody score and the special effects are pretty nifty and convincing. A neat little item.
Review of Assassin
