Here we have a war film dealing with Nazi Germanys attempts to build and launch the dreaded V1 and V2 rockets.
Lots and lots of superb well known faces here and quite a few more that ended up on the cutting room floor by all accounts.
The good: Tells the story from both perspectives on one hand we have the dying Nazi war machine trying to build wonder weapons to bomb its way to victory and then we have Richard Johnson and John Mills desperately trying to launch bombing raids and spying missions to foil them while getting little help from ignorant Trevor Howard.
Some good little plot twists such as the identity of man Tom Courtney assumes being wanted by the police which seals his fate due to another bit of bad luck. The fact the Germans really do speak German does help it to carry more wait rather than a load of actors talking with a silly accent. Keeps the tension going well for the most part and you do feel quite sorry for George Peppard and Jeremy Kemps characters as it dawns on them they will forfeit their lives for the mission.
The Bad: Sophia Loren flouncing about with 60's hair and make up,she was added just to get a bigger audience. The scenes with her in are not needed and slow things down. Cheap editing trick of pasting in real war footage of aerial bombings and AA guns! Why do they do it? it never works and looks naff when you go from film quality to grainy footage some of it not even colour!
One or two less than convincing models but we are talking early/mid 60's here so fares fare. Gearge Peppard was OK but the part needed more,to me he was out shone by Jeremy Kemp when they had scenes together.
All in all a good film with lots of fine actors telling the story of another dark chapter of world war two.
A lot better war film than the over hyped Guns of Navarone.
Lots and lots of superb well known faces here and quite a few more that ended up on the cutting room floor by all accounts.
The good: Tells the story from both perspectives on one hand we have the dying Nazi war machine trying to build wonder weapons to bomb its way to victory and then we have Richard Johnson and John Mills desperately trying to launch bombing raids and spying missions to foil them while getting little help from ignorant Trevor Howard.
Some good little plot twists such as the identity of man Tom Courtney assumes being wanted by the police which seals his fate due to another bit of bad luck. The fact the Germans really do speak German does help it to carry more wait rather than a load of actors talking with a silly accent. Keeps the tension going well for the most part and you do feel quite sorry for George Peppard and Jeremy Kemps characters as it dawns on them they will forfeit their lives for the mission.
The Bad: Sophia Loren flouncing about with 60's hair and make up,she was added just to get a bigger audience. The scenes with her in are not needed and slow things down. Cheap editing trick of pasting in real war footage of aerial bombings and AA guns! Why do they do it? it never works and looks naff when you go from film quality to grainy footage some of it not even colour!
One or two less than convincing models but we are talking early/mid 60's here so fares fare. Gearge Peppard was OK but the part needed more,to me he was out shone by Jeremy Kemp when they had scenes together.
All in all a good film with lots of fine actors telling the story of another dark chapter of world war two.
A lot better war film than the over hyped Guns of Navarone.