Part war movie, part comedy, part classic

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2004)

Not your average war movie. Fascinating cast includes Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Don Rickles and Carroll O'Connor. It's a shoot 'em up war film on one hand with Germans mowed down like the morning grass but it's also a heist picture. This movie is certainly a a product of its time with a showdown scene reminiscent of Eastwood's spaghetti western past. Sutherland plays the spaced-out tank jockey with a 60's flavor that's fun to watch. Savalas may be the toughest sarge on film and that's saying a lot. This film probably could have been a classic without much trouble. The pieces are all there. The ending needs work. But enjoy what we have which is plenty.