alexanderdavies-99382 "Play Dirty" has been one of many films in which Michael Caine's career hasn't exactly benefitted. The film wasn't particularly successful at the box office and I'm hardly surprised. The story tends to resemble something out of "The Dirty Dozen" film - except that one is ten times better. Michael Caine merely sleepwalks his way through the film as he usually does (no doubt thinking how much money he was being paid). Nigel Davenport as the soldier who accompanies Caine on their suicide mission is somewhat better. A highly skilled actor by the name of Nigel Green is wasted in his brief on-screen appearance at the film's beginning. Why on earth wasn't he written into the screenplay properly?? Admittedly, there are a few fairly good action scenes but they can't possibly atone for all the tedium that takes precedence in between. The downbeat ending doesn't help either.

georgewilliamnoble This is a film that has escaped my attention for the best part of 50 years. Until i met this film on budget DVD. Based around the famed British elite desert force of World War 2 the LRDG Long Range Desert Group the early forerunner to the SAS. The original special force. And set during the Monty Vs Rommel battles of late 1943. Here history stops and the films Counter Culture, Vietnam era, Anti Establishment, Anti heroism, Anti War, remember the "Ban the Bomb" protests & the late seventies swing to all things on the political LEFT! Drop out, Doped up and swinging on to free love time? Well i do, and well.From this historic era PLAY DIRTY was made. Yet, the film disguises its populist sentiments more or less until 60 seconds from the end, when BANG! - Boy did i not see that coming. Very well made despite a troubled production history, the original director and top star both dropped out at the last moment and a novice director then took over. The superb production values are excellent with authentic arms, uniforms and vehicles, the film is top from almost every aspect apart from the awful depiction of all things British Army. Rather insulting in reality to view through today's eyes. None the less this is a secret classic war film and classic ERA film it could OH SO, only of been made in 1969.Well worth a look, for lovers of the films from the 60's and even WW2 gender fans.

ron-kwongwah top action film with no frills direction by screen veteran Andre DE Thoth.the scene in the sandstorm with the attack on the dummy fuel dump is a beauty.interesting to note Richard Harris was replaced by Nigel davenport.anyone know why? also interesting is the cynical nature of the storyline.nobody seems to win at anything and betrayal is always around the corner.the characters played by harry Andrews and Nigel green seem to sum up the nature of the storyline and i found the script quiet good in letting the story unfold around the events as they happen.the supporting cast is completely unknown but i guess this adds to the cynical nature of the piece and helped with their budget i guess.

markjoel60 This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Thank God I saw it for free. I would have hated to waste my money on it.First off, there isn't a character in the movie that is in any way likable. Michael Caine comes close, but even he is pretty flawed. The rest of the "commandos" are made up of disgusting ex-cons. There are the two gay Arabs, and three guys who try to rape a red cross nurse, and the "leader" who has no trouble sending his men off to get killed so he can escape.The "mission" is anything from suspenseful. They are to blow up a fuel dump. Sounds exciting, right? Well, the footage follows them through endless sandstorms and fixing flat tires. Yes, you read that right. The "suspense" is whether they will run out of spare tires. We actually WATCH them change something like 12 flats on the way. That's how incredibly exciting this movie is.They get to the fuel dump to find that it is a decoy. So, nothing to blow up. And at this time, for some very convoluted reason, the British army decides that they don't need these guys anymore, and radios their whereabouts to the Germans to kill them.So, now at least we'll have an exciting race to freedom? Nope, instead, they decide to blow up a different fuel dump, to create a diversion. But, when they get into the place, they set off a trip wire, and the Germans come to get them -- calling out their names over a loudspeaker.Really weird. If the Germans knew where they were and where they were going, why did they let them get all the way into the dump before springing the "trap?" Instead, they wait until they get into the fuel depot, and set all of their charges. Yeah. Right. That would happen.So, they blow the dump, the leader sells out all of his men -- except for Michael Caine, since he's been offered $2000 to bring him back alive.OK... so, the men are all betrayed and killed, and Michael Caine and Nigel Davenport survive. The British troops come in with tanks, and they decide to go get rescued. Since they are wearing German uniforms (they wore them to blow up the dump) they tie a white flag around a stick and walk out into the road.Some British guy walks up behinds them and machine guns them to death. Credits roll.Yep. The two "Heroes" of the movie die due to a random act of violence.It's almost like the movie suddenly ran out of budget and decided: "That's a wrap. Kill them off and we'll go home." I wasted 2 hours of my life watching this tired, unimaginative and totally unrealistic movie that ended with a gracefulness of a bomb.