gavin6942
During World War II, several oddly assorted military experts are teamed in a mission to raid and destroy a bridge vital to enemy strategy.An odd occurrence in making the film: cinematographer Christopher Challis recalled that the film was originally considered to be filmed in Pakistan until someone realized that Pakistanis did not resemble Yugoslavians or Germans and the expense to make them appear as such on film would be financially prohibitive. How do you make someone look German? Anyway, this is a good war story. Not a great war story, but a good one. And it really is sold by the strong casting. Harrison Ford and Robert Shaw, obviously, but Carl Weathers is incredible. He may be best known for "Rocky", but he always commands attention when on screen.
vincentlynch-moonoi
It isn't that this is a bad movie...nor is it that good. It's that it attempted to be seen as the sequel to "The Guns Of Navarone". "The Guns Of Navarone" boasted Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, and Anthony Quayle...a tough act to follow. And this film just didn't...follow that tough act. The cast here is good, but Robert Shaw is not Gregory Peck, and Harrison Ford (at this stage in his career) was no Anthony Quinn or David Niven. And, while this is a decent story, it can't compare toe the complexity of "The Guns Of Navarone". It would almost be like comparing an "A" movie with a "B" movie, although I won't be that harsh.Robert Shaw played Robert Shaw in this film. That's not necessarily bad, but I've rarely found Shaw's performances to be very deep. To me he was a flash in the pan propelled by a handful of top notch films including "Jaws". Edward Fox is one of my favorite older British actors, but regrettably, he didn't have a lot to do in this film. A great talent wasted. Harrison Ford, fairly fresh off his first really big pic -- "Star Wars", does okay, but he hadn't really developed a very mature acting style as yet (and just to be clear, eventually he became one of my favorites). Barbara Bach...eh. Franco Nero is interesting here.I was appalled by the role given to Carl Weathers. I guess since it was 1978 there had to be some racist bullcrap here...and this role provided it. Weathers was a pretty decent actor. Too bad he accepted a role like this. More than any other one aspect, this is where the crass aspect came in.There's other crassness here, too, though. The score is less than inspired. The story itself is decent, but there is some immaturity here. Guy Hamilton, the director, is best known for some classy James Bond films, but he had less success in other endeavors...including this one. And by the way, if the bridge is do damned important, why wouldn't they just bomb it from the air? Yes, the film has some good moments and some good action sequences -- particularly later in the film --...but nothing that sets it apart from dozens and dozens of other war films.I should, by my own standards, give this film a "7", but since it tried to win an audience off the fame of "The Guns Of Navarone", when in reality it had nothing to do with that film, I'm dropping it down to a "6". And yes, I know it was the same author. But he didn't insert scenes directly from the original film into the first few minutes of this film. That's crass.
ma-cortes
This movie sequel to the Guns of Navarone was made and released about eighteen years after that film . Successful warlike picture well acted and finely directed by Guy Hamilton . Thrilling and rousing film is set about two years after the events of Guns of Navarone , in which a valiant and skilled trio , Harrison Ford-Robert Shaw-Edward Fox , is dispatched to a dangerous mission during World War II in Yugoslavia . This powerful , dramatic story from the Alistair McLean novel starts when the commanding staff assigns a mission to several oddly assorted military experts as Mallory , now been promoted to the rank of Major (played by Robert Shaw in this sequel and was his last film completed , he was called Captain Jack Mallory ; in the original was played there by Gregory Peck) and Miller, who has now been promoted to the rank of Sergeant (played by Edward Fox who replaced Ian Bannen ,here was called Corporal Dusty Miller , in the original performed by David Niven) . They are teamed to discover a traitor and destroy a bridge vital to enemy strategy . The outfit must destroy a huge dam and a bridge that threaten the Allied . To do so , they must sneak throughout the Nazis' noses disguised as German soldiers.It is one of the most thrilling and moving films set on the years of the Second World War . This interesting wartime picture contains high-powered action-packed , shootouts , explosions , floods , mass slaughter and lots of fun . Fairly decent acting by the star-studded , a traditional all-cast , this Box office hit is a funny , exciting WWII actioner . Common production personnel who worked on or were credited for both this movie sequel and the original The Guns of Navarone included novelist Alistair MacLean , producer-scriptwriter Carl Foreman, production designer Geoffrey Drake, editor Raymond Poulton and production supervisor / production accountant Sidney G. Barnsby . Highlighted by a stirring and thrilling climax with overwhelming action scenes proceeded by a good technician and artistic team. The picture is well set in Yugoslavia and results to be a great super-production with all-star-cast , impressive scenes , shimmer photography and a vibrant sound , the time has increased its value ; despite its releasing was panned by critics . The acting of the interesting characters is believable and convincing , furthermore and enjoyable support cast as Carl Weathers , Franco Nero , Alan Badel , Michael Byrne and it's one of three movies, all made during the mid-late 1970s, that actress Barbara Bach and actor Richard Kiel both appeared , it includes The humanoid , Spy who loved me and Force 10 . Director Guy Hamilton uses a clip from his earlier film Battle of England when the Messerschmitt attacks the Lancaster bomber and the so-called German Panzer tanks shown at the end of the movie are actually Soviet T-34s - a medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958 . The screenplay has eloquent dialogue , humor , double-crosses , continuous tension and surprising twists that keep the viewer's attention . Sweeping wartime movie epic from the director of 'James Bond's Goldfinger' presents the historic events of hokey manner but it does so fascinatingly . All in all,it's a successful piece of warlike fluff. Although overlong ,has good battle footage , solid acting , breathtaking scenes which help offset a sometimes far-fetched plot, but suffers on television , as the small screen damages its really spectacular images. The soundtrack by French composer Maurice Jarre , Jean Michel Jarre's father , is full of vibrant sound , brings a solemn score, cutting edge, played by an orchestra of wind . Colorful cinematography in glimmer color by Christopher Challis , being filmed on location in Jersey, Channel Islands , Mediterranean Film Studios, Malta , (studio), Montenegro , Plymouth Docks, Plymouth, Devon, England,Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK . Guy Hamilton' filmmaking is absorbent and entertaining , a good job , and the production shoot for this movie went for sixteen weeks . Rating : good but inferior to original , wholesome seeing . This picture should please most action-war-adventure buffs.Interesting screenplay by Robin Chapman based on a novel by Alistair MacLean . He wrote many best-selling action novels that were turned into often successful movies. When asked to comment on why his stories were so popular he remarked that he always wrote stories that were visual. Since they were easy to imagine when the books were read, they were easy to film . This flick is one of several movies based on an Alistair MacLean novels set in rugged battles during WWII , the first was ¨ Guns of Navarone¨ , after that , it would be ¨ When eagles dare¨ by Brian H Hutton . And subsequently post World War and Cold War as ¨Bear Island¨ by Don Sharp and ¨River of death¨ by Steve Carver ; in addition , two adaptations directed by John Sturges : ¨Ice Station Zebra¨ , ¨The Satan Bug¨.
