Stop with the Negative waves!!!

Rating: 9/10 (8 June 2006)

This brilliantly manic film was Hollywood's second message about the madness of war (the first of course being M.A.S.H) starring the ever-steadfast Clint Eastwood as a battle-weary lieutenant who learns about a stash of gold: Only problem is it's behind enemy lines, but the prize is too much to ignore so he sets about bringing a motley crew of soldiers together. His recruits range from the hard-boiled yet disciplined Big Joe (a great turn by Telly Savalas) and the relentless hustling of Sgt Crapgame (Don Rickles) The platoon start off reluctant and wary of their mission but soon slip easily into being soldiers of fortune as well as warfare and the comradeship is soon apparent as they battle the Germans while trying to find the banks that houses the gold.
This film also has one of the best show-stealing characters in Cinema, the loosest but most lovable of loose cannons; Tank Commander Sgt Oddball (masterful performance by Donald Sutherland) it's well-known he was seriously ill while filming. The film direction is permanently tongue-in-cheek as nothing but the war machines tells you it's WWII; the slang, the attitude everything screams 1960's but that gives you just another excuse to love it!!