A great personal favorite, and a terrific movie.

Rating: 9/10 (29 April 2012)

At a time when movie audiences found themselves confused and bored by youth culture movies that seemed to have no plot and no point, and studio executives had clearly lost sight of how to make a successful picture, along came this movie with just about the perfect blend of the new and bold with the tried and true. It successfully mixed easily recognizable, Old Hollywood forms (the WWII action picture, and Telly Savalas as a tough sergeant whose first and only thought was for his men; the military comedy with Don Rickles as the hustling Sgt. Bilko- style supply sergeant) with the latest cinematic trends (heist movies, crime thrillers with the slightly amoral viewpoint of focusing on the perpetrators, Clint Eastwood as a laconic Sergio Leone anti-hero looking out for himself, Donald Sutherland as a Bohemian proto-hippie). The result was a deft exercise in product updating and a huge hit. Any longtime fan of WWII actioners had a lot to enjoy, while the disaffected protester next to him ate up the idea of infantry grunts defying orders to pull off a robbery!
The reason behind the success of this movie was simply high quality at every level. Action sequences were beautifully staged and shot and were highly exciting, comedic elements (satire, sight gags, throw away jokes) were integrated smoothly into the action without ever seeming forced or out of place, and the ensemble work amongst the mismatched crew worked brilliantly as contrasting types played off one another to generate both comedy and occasional tension. The dialogue crackled with clever exchanges, along with tons of sad sack humor and character business, all played against the epic background of a big budget war picture.
Clever satiric touches find their way into the mix as well. I love the early scene in which an officer reminds a subordinate that the penalty for looting is death, all the while securing a commandeered sailboat for shipment to his uncle, the general!
There is so much here to like that the movie almost demands repeated viewing just to properly appreciate the sheer volume and quality of its component elements. Enjoy. More than once.