Hopscotch
Director: Ronald Neame
Year Released: 1980
Rating: 2.0
International spy comedy/thriller starring Walter Matthau as a CIA agent on the verge of being given a desk job by Ned Beatty because of his age; even though the movie covers multiple countries and continents, there's a sluggish air to it, and it doesn't convey the sense of urgency or excitement that it should. Matthau's tactics to get even with Beatty become more and more cruel as things progress to the point where you want to just wished he'd leave him the hell alone and retire already. The filmmakers acknowledge it's contrived and unbelievable, which I'll grant, but maybe a tad more 'pep' and a better reason for revenge would have been appropriate.
