Overrated

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

It's a lot of fun and it's suspenseful as well, if you haven't seen it before. The acting is sometimes outrageously hammy but it fits neatly into the general atmosphere, which is almost always excessive -- the music, the performances, the flamboyant tourist attractions, the stunts, the jokes, the impossible caper itself.The caper is, well, if not impossible, highly improbable because it involves the most intricate planning and is pulled off without practice and without a flaw. If you or I were to try it, scampering across the sky-high domes of museums in Istanbul, pulling ropes a predetermined number of millimeters, coordinating the escape plans, the first thing we'd do is fall off the roof and die.Maximilian Schell is the brains behind the burglary, an excellent actor who doesn't have much to do except show his mile-wide grin. Melina Mercouri is his girl friend who is treated as a semi-maniacal nymphomaniac, kind of unconvincingly, although she has a neatly assembled, lanky, supple figure. Her cracked, throaty voice sounds cured by years of smoking Papastratos. Peter Ustinov, the "schmo" who is inducted into the gang, provides most of the humor and he's very effective, especially in his dealings with the crazy, drunken cook played by Akim Tamirov. Tamirov, intoxicated and mangling his English, whispers hoarsely to Ustinov that he is here to identify Russian spies. "You mean -- are you here, umm, officially?" "Fishily? NO, NO, not fishily, I give you good MEAT. No FISHILY." And Tamirov brandishes a hideous wrinkled smoked fish under Ustinov's nose.The general impression is that the cast and crew had a good time, and the viewer probably will too.

I hope they paid Ustinov by the bucket load. Because he sweats more than any human should be allowed. It's tongue-in-cheek the whole way as a motley gang of thieves steals some big Turkish jewels. No doubt about it, the cast is having fun, especially Mercouri who mugs it up as the gang's, uh, girlfriend. But why shouldn't they be enjoying it. Here they are in scenic Greece and Turkey, no doubt on an expense account, and with all these assorted European types to entertain one another. Looks to me like director Dassin is redoing his classic Rififi (1955), but this time for chuckles. Still, the heist's a real nail-biter, getting across the rooftops of downtown Istanbul or hanging spider-like from a domed ceiling. As I recall, the movie caper was a smash hit back in '64, and still holds up pretty darn well. Just don't let any of that sweat get on you.

A real masterpiece, important also for the images it offers of an Istanbul which does not exist anymore (nostalgia…)Who knows if they still practice that fascinating wrestling with oil…And those small traveling circuses, with distorting glasses and merry-go-rounds and sugar floss?The problem though, is the terrible English pronunciation of Melina Mercouri (let alone her teeth…)Her fictional name is "Elizabeth", she pronounces it "Elishabesh". When she wants to say "Sit here", she says "Shit here", which is not very beautiful…But Ustinov, Morley, Tamiroff (!) and the others… Wonderful

"Topkapi" is a very good film, but I noticed that a reviewer thought this film was better than director Dassin's earlier brilliant caper film, "Rififi". Well, I certainly would not go that far, as "Rififi" is probably the best or one of the very best robbery films of all time. It is interesting, however, how Jules Dassin seemed to almost make a specialty of these sort of films! What it does have that "Rififi" does not is a sense of humor, but that just isn't enough to make it better than the earlier French film noir masterpiece.Possibly the best thing going for "Topkapi" is the locale. After all, it's wonderful to see the wonderful city of Istanbul showcased like this--and scenes with the crooks on the rooftops looking at the cityscape are just breathtaking--so much so I would have loved to have seen this on the big screen. The other good things the film has in its favor is a masterful director, a very good ensemble cast and an interesting script--though one clearly derrived from similar films that preceded it (apart from "Rififi", also "The Killing", "Big Deal on Madonna Street", "Bob le Flambeur" and even "The Pink Panther"). In fact, because the film is a bit derivative, I had to knock a point off my vote. Still, it's a nice film and the heist sequence was done well---very tense and meticulous.By the way, although the film never seemed to get much attention, another very good caper film is "Grand Slam" (1967). Again, it suffers a bit from being a not wholly original idea, but it's a dandy film as well.