OSS 117: From Africa with Love

After escaping Afghanistan, OSS 117 is pulled off active fieldwork and reassigned to a computer operator desk job by Armand. The move serves as a cover while the agency keeps him on the payroll, showing that even a celebrated operative can be sidelined. He accepts with a mix of disdain and readiness for a fresh mission.

The missing operative Serge prompts a swift summons to Africa. Hubert is briefed on the assignment to locate him, who was supposed to meet with President Bamba but vanished contact. He prepares for a dangerous overseas operation.

Hubert travels to Africa and meets President Bamba, who explains the instability and his strategy. Bamba reveals he keeps clones and stand-ins for safety, and asks Hubert to uncover the source of the unrest. The alliance with the French government complicates matters as Western interests intersect with Bamba's rule.

Hubert follows Léon Nkomo, witnessing a suspicious handover at the palace and the beginnings of a power grab. The signs point to a larger conspiracy behind the anti-government movement.

After an unsuccessful interrogation of Nkomo, Hubert is lured into a trap and arrested by local police. The misdirection sets him up for a prison stint that will test his nerve.

In prison, Hubert spots Serge, and deliberately calls him out to reveal his neglect of meeting the president, risking exposure to infiltrators. Their riot leads to an acquittal on orders of the president. Serge questions Hubert's motives, but they briefly rejoin forces again.

Serge explains the French arms dealer Roland Lépervier is coordinating with an underground rebellion. They tail him to a pier where he is smuggling weapons in containers, and Serge plants a tracker on a shipment. They deduce that the arms are supplied by the Soviet Union, not a simple middleman.

Using the tracker, Hubert and Serge raid Lépervier's warehouse and fight rebels as they plant explosive charges on the containers. The explosion kills Lépervier, sparking a chaotic escape.

On the way back to the city, Serge taunts Hubert and ignores warnings about the crocodiles. A crocodile drags Serge into the swamp, leaving his fate uncertain. Hubert watches in frustration as the danger seems to claim his ally.

Hubert is captured by the underground rebellion led by Zéphyrine Bamba, the president’s wife. She explains the cruelty of her husband and lays out her plan to align with the Soviets for a revolution. Hubert begins to see a different side of the conflict and her motivations.

Hubert spends a night with Zéphyrine and forms a fragile bond, but his colonial-minded attitude threatens the budding alliance. He is recaptured and re-imprisoned, setting the stage for future confrontations.

Hubert attends a formal dinner at Bamba's palace, attempts to influence the president toward fairness, and promises to lobby for reform. Bamba considers a Soviet alliance and the coup's fate hangs in the balance. During the moment, Hubert accidentally exposes Zéphyrine's cover as leader of the rebellion, sealing her fate.

Zéphyrine is sentenced to death for treason, but she assassinates Bamba and most of his clones before Hubert stops her from killing the last clone, maintaining his allegiance to the French. Bamba's clone orders Zéphyrine away, while Hubert remains unaware that the rebellion will continue.

Hubert returns to France and learns that Zéphyrine escaped custody with the help of the Soviets and resumed leadership of the rebellion. He is ordered to fly to the USSR to track her down and bring her to justice. The mission signals the ongoing global chessboard of influence.

The mid-credits scene reveals Serge has somehow survived, crawling through an African jungle after his crocodile ordeal. The moment hints he may still play a role in the unfolding events and keeps the door open for future adventures.