Leoni Haney
Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.
Bob
This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
Wyatt
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
Edgar Soberon Torchia
I prefer films that are not good and do not pretend to be anything else, than many overblown pretentious productions financed by big companies that try to pass for more than what they really are: little bad motion pictures in disguise, behind big names, expensive sets, costumes and make-up. "Operation Bikini" does not pretend to be anything else than a routine, low- budget war programmer made by American International Pictures, with some actors who once were in better vehicles (Scott Brady, Tab Hunter, Gary Crosby), new talent used in AIP productions that would fare much better in later "beach party" movies (Frankie Avalon, Jody McCrea), reliable professionals as Michael Dante and even Jim Backus, plus an Hungarian "Miss Whatever" (Eva Six, playing a Japanese woman) and a bunch of California blondes to spice things up a bit, and a map of Mexico passing for some location on the Asian Pacific. Do not expect much from this, it is certainly not good, so just take it for what it is. Now, it sure did help to have a film editor as director, for Anthony Carras really did wonders combining the scenes he shot with stock footage of war action. Proceed at your own risk, but believe me: there are really worst things than this pretending to be "masterpieces".
kfo9494
It was raining outside and I thought I would watch a movie on one of the cable stations. Not really reading the storyline I saw this movie called 'Operation Bikini'. Hey, a war movie about submarines- thats interesting, think I will watch. WHAT THE .........This movie was down right terrible. I understood the plot but had no idea what was happening on the TV screen. It felt more like it should have been a bad script from 'McHale's Navy' than a WW2 action movie.I will not even progress to the bad acting but what about the casting. Why in God's name is Jim Backus in this movie? Why would anyone want Frankie Avalon singing in a picture about World War? I step out of the room a minute and upon returning thought a commercial was on. But it was Frankie Avalon singing in color with the rest of the movie in black and white. I never understood that dreamy scene.At one point in the film they were trying to show that many Japeneese were giving chase to the American. They showed a patch of dirt and all you see is feet running. They used that clip over and over again but never showed any people. Now that was cheap.The only thing good about the movie was the ending. Not only because the film was ending but they had girls frolicking on a beach in bikini's. Oh yes, that was in color also.Just poor overall.
BillButlerB3
1. the new B&W sequences are sharp and clear 2. Bachus is repulsive as usual 3. Tab's dialog laughable: "That's what he said when we left-like 3 hours ago." 4. some location work showing a seaplane entering the water and taking off is credible. Then the Jap soldiers get rousted out of a tent and march into the jungle. 5. Showing Frankie in his berth sans shirt while dreaming was cool. 6. Some Japanese extras got some work. 7. Tab's girlie-fight was wasted in costume. 8. The blocking and dialog is so bad it makes the acting seem OK (kidding). ("Watch out for the girls") 9. Frankie is a knockout in A shirt listening to Crosby doing an impression of his dad. 10. the songs are forgettable-thank God. 10. But the cinematography is great !
David Edward Martin
Out of mild curiosity and boredom, I just watched OPERATION BIKINI. I'm still trying to get my brain back to semi-rational thought after seeing this train wreck. All I can think is-- the producers had a bunch of stock WW2 footage and a few rooms of a borrowed submarine set. Then they threw in a bunch of folks they had under contract. What the heck is Jim Backus doing in this thing????? The man was already a well-known character actor, from tragic roles like the father in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE to the voice of MISTER MAGOO. For no apparent reason he's a member of the UDT team that also has Tab Hunter and Franky Avalon; I'm guessing he's the naval equivalent of a sergeant, as Hunter's character is in charge but Backus seems to be the one who runs the squad. That is, when he actually has any lines. Mostly he just stands there. In fact, much of the cast just stands there. It's like the producers only had a budget for a very limited amount of dialogue and figured that if the actors simply stood there and filled the frame, that would count as acting. Scott Brady had never been a major player but, like Backus, he seems to have come in for a few days work and a paycheck. Gary Crosby was trying to make a go of it, playing off his derelict father's name and the family resemblance. Like Backus, he also mostly stands there.Oh, man.... this film is just so very wrong in so many ways..... It's like a bunch of students trying to perform a high school production of UP PERISCOPE and then they decide to rewrite the second act!And worst of all, the producers destroyed what little merit the film might have had. As it looked on paper, the film would have been a modest sub adventure, suitable for a double bill. But then they added Frankie Avalon and decided to give him musical numbers! AND THEY WERE IN COLOR!!!!!! The rest of the movie is in black and white and all of a sudden along comes this bizarre COLOR musical interlude?!?!?!?!?!? And 20 minutes later, HERE IT COMES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!Frankie Avalon also had a gratuitous musical number in his other 1963 sub adventure, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, but at least there it made sense!Oh, and for a final totally unrelated finale, the film ends with COLOR footage of two 1963 starlets in bikinis playing on a beach while the credits roll. Looking at that made me realize how little the producers thought of the film. OPERATION BIKINI is not a good film-- hell, it's barely adequate!-- but the color sequences show a mindset of cynical desperation or Ed-Wood-level incompetence.
