Would-be filmmakers take note: this film makes no sense at all. Every sequence has not a shred of realism. First the main plot: Five Allied soldiers, four British and one American, plan to infiltrate and rescue Brig. General George Carnabya. Carnabya is supposed to be the leading expert on Nazi warfare and has in his head their future plans and strategies. He's being held captive in an "eagle's nest" similar to that of Hitler's in the Bavarian Alps. The head of the mission is played by Richard Burton and the American is played by Clint Eastwood just before he starred in the "Dirty Harry" films.
Let's go through the problems: First: There's not a good baddie. The German-Nazis do their duty but none are the sadistic cruel officer you often expect from these kinds of films. The film definitely needed someone like Maj. Arnold Toht, the evil Nazi from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" who tries to torture Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), and inadvertently ends up with part of Allen's medallion seared onto his hand! You know you're in trouble when you ask a Nazi to be reasonable and he says "That time has passed!" Sadly no such baddie here. Just a couple of high-ranking officers who bicker but they're never terribly evil. What a bummer.
Secondly: The British all seem to speak German perfectly! Even Clint! They pass themselves off as German officers with flying colors!
Third: Dozens of trained Nazi soldiers firing hundreds of rounds at two guys and a girl and the three never get hit! Clint mows them down like Blondie from the Spaghetti Westerns! Oh yes, Burton does get a bullet in his hand once.
Four: There's sort of an interesting scene in the middle about double-crossing but it doesn't really get developed. Instead 90% of the movie is Clint mowing down the Nazis.
Five: Where did they get all this dynamite? Was there a K-Mart at Dusseldorf nearby? They parachuted in with five backpacks. Three of the others end up not being involved in the final rescue.
Six: Not to mention the ammunition. Burton and Eastwood have more rounds than a year at a golf resort! And they never seem to need to reload!
Seven-A: The Germans are all idiots. They need to crash through a door to get to Burton and friends. Do they use dynamite or a bazooka? No. They use a wooden ramrod!
Seven-B: Maj. Von Hapen flirts with double-agent Mary. He sort of suspects something when Mary claims to be from Dusseldorf but seems not to know basics of the small city. Why doesn't von Hapen arrest right there and take her hostage?
Eight: The problem to end all problems. When they finally find Carnabya, he's not in a cell with his hands and mouth fettered. He's in a hall dining with the other German officers! Really? They plan to get the information they want out of him. How? Whipping? Electrocution? No! They have truth drugs! Scary!
Ultimately disappointing and full of unbelievable luck. Three Allies outwit and outgun hundreds of German soldiers. To rescue a captive who is not really that bad off!
One of the most ridiculous of war movies right up there with "The Longest Day" and "A Bridge Too Far".
Let's go through the problems: First: There's not a good baddie. The German-Nazis do their duty but none are the sadistic cruel officer you often expect from these kinds of films. The film definitely needed someone like Maj. Arnold Toht, the evil Nazi from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" who tries to torture Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), and inadvertently ends up with part of Allen's medallion seared onto his hand! You know you're in trouble when you ask a Nazi to be reasonable and he says "That time has passed!" Sadly no such baddie here. Just a couple of high-ranking officers who bicker but they're never terribly evil. What a bummer.
Secondly: The British all seem to speak German perfectly! Even Clint! They pass themselves off as German officers with flying colors!
Third: Dozens of trained Nazi soldiers firing hundreds of rounds at two guys and a girl and the three never get hit! Clint mows them down like Blondie from the Spaghetti Westerns! Oh yes, Burton does get a bullet in his hand once.
Four: There's sort of an interesting scene in the middle about double-crossing but it doesn't really get developed. Instead 90% of the movie is Clint mowing down the Nazis.
Five: Where did they get all this dynamite? Was there a K-Mart at Dusseldorf nearby? They parachuted in with five backpacks. Three of the others end up not being involved in the final rescue.
Six: Not to mention the ammunition. Burton and Eastwood have more rounds than a year at a golf resort! And they never seem to need to reload!
Seven-A: The Germans are all idiots. They need to crash through a door to get to Burton and friends. Do they use dynamite or a bazooka? No. They use a wooden ramrod!
Seven-B: Maj. Von Hapen flirts with double-agent Mary. He sort of suspects something when Mary claims to be from Dusseldorf but seems not to know basics of the small city. Why doesn't von Hapen arrest right there and take her hostage?
Eight: The problem to end all problems. When they finally find Carnabya, he's not in a cell with his hands and mouth fettered. He's in a hall dining with the other German officers! Really? They plan to get the information they want out of him. How? Whipping? Electrocution? No! They have truth drugs! Scary!
Ultimately disappointing and full of unbelievable luck. Three Allies outwit and outgun hundreds of German soldiers. To rescue a captive who is not really that bad off!
One of the most ridiculous of war movies right up there with "The Longest Day" and "A Bridge Too Far".