15 Mindless Action Films You Must See Before You Die

10. Operation 67 (1967)

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At the height of the Bond craze in the late 60s, Mexican wrestler El Santo took a sabbatical from fighting monsters in order to track down terrorists planning to cause economic chaos. Swapping his trademark silver cape for a suit, he sets off on a globetrotting secret mission that involves lots of car chases and women in bikinis.

When a Spectre-like organization begins printing counterfeit money, Santo sets off in hot pursuit, but whether he’s relaxing on a beach, sitting in a nightclub or driving a car with built-in flamethrowers, he still wears his silver mask. Which begs the question: if he lost to an opponent, would they make him remove the mask before killing him?

Not that there’s any chance of Santo being defeated, mind you – like Bond, he’s an unstoppable force, capable of shooting down helicopters and forcing vehicles off the road with his own gadget-laden automobile. If you only see one Bond knock-off this year, make it this one. 

Contributor

Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'