--- title: "OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/oss-117-cairo-nest-of-spies/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/oss-117-cairo-nest-of-spies" critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006): what the critics said Critics' score 77 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like it. Seven of the eight reviews are positive, and they cluster around the same two things: Jean Dujardin’s performance, with his vacant suavity and deadpan carrying much of the comedy, and the production design, which recreates the look of 1950s and 1960s spy films with care. Several critics compare the film favourably with other spoofs of the period, Austin Powers and Get Smart among them, and a few find its satire of colonial arrogance sharper than expected. The spread is narrow, with one clear dissent. Slant Magazine finds the humour derivative and the jokes too easy, and argues the film lets its hero’s cultural condescension off lightly rather than skewering it. The AV Club, though positive, also notes the gags are modest and repetitive. Nobody disputes the craft; the disagreement is over whether the comedy under it is as pointed as it looks. ## Variety — Lisa Nesselson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 2006. Nesselson finds the spoof a remake worth making, praising its sparkling production design, retro score, and clever satire of colonial arrogance. She especially singles out Jean Dujardin’s entertaining performance and the film’s deftly sustained deadpan tone. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2006/film/markets-festivals/oss-117-cairo-nest-of-spies-1200516882/) ## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson Rating B+. 22 May 2008. Robinson finds the film a slick, entertaining spy parody whose old-movie pastiche and comedy work well despite repetitive, modest jokes. She particularly praises its faithful recreation of vintage film conventions and the lead performance’s Bond-like confidence. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/oss-117-cairo-nest-of-spies-1798204369) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2008. Parkinson finds the spy spoof hilarious and far superior to Get Smart. He singles out Jean Dujardin’s vacuous suavity and condescension as the source of much of its comedy. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/oss-117-cairo-nest-spies-review/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2008. Bradshaw finds the spoof an unpretentious, refreshing comedy with sharp, cheeky satire. He particularly praises its lovingly recreated 1950s look and production design. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/nov/07/french-bond-film-review) ## Time Out — Wally Hammond Rating 4/5. 4 November 2008. The review recommends this light-hearted pastiche as an antidote to Quantum of Solace. It singles out the French spin on the secret-agent franchise as its appeal. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/oss-117-cairo-nest-of-spies) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 21 October 2008. The review calls the film an unexpected pleasure and says its pastiche outdoes Austin Powers. It praises the sharp 1960s espionage spoof and Jean Dujardin’s deadpan performance. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/oss-117-cairo-nest-of-spies-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 2/4. 1 May 2008. Gonzalez finds the film’s humor too often derivative and reliant on easy jokes. He singles out the running gag about OSS 117’s homoerotic memories of his former agent as amusing, but says the film’s handling of the spy’s cultural condescension lets him off too easily. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/oss-117-cairo-nest-of-spies/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 April 2007. Wilkinson finds the spoof so good-humoured and stylish that it rises above the average. She especially praises Jean Dujardin’s visual comedy and the film’s carefully captured mid-Fifties look. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/oss-117-cairo-nest-of-spies-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/oss-117-cairo-nest-of-spies.md