But for 1.6 million dollars we could become Heroes for three days!

Rating: 6/10 (17 April 2017)

Growing up I was always a fan of Mr. Warmth the renown comic of insults Don Rickles. The comic who's spur of the moment insults and outlandish quips would tickle audiences coast to coast with laughter as long as you don't sit in the first row. Lieutenant Kelly questions a captured German Officer with a
shiny single bar of gold. This opens up a Pandora's box of adventure and war time comedy. I can't believe I had just written that line. Fact of the matter is Kelly's Heroes is the lighter side of war. Coming off two westerns Two Mules for Sister Sarah and Hang Em High, No nonsense squint eyed Clint Eastwood was thrown into this Anti-War comedy with a plethora of characters who seem to have you want to sign up and join the military. Eastwood plays an Ex-lieutenant who was scapegoated for a failed infantry attack captures a Nazi Colonel who in his possession has several Gold Bars. Eastwood gets the Wehrmacht Colonel drunk who becomes a klatschbase of information about a French town 30 miles behind enemy lines that houses almost two million dollars in gold. Kelly with nothing to lose wants the gold. Enter supply sergeant "Crapgame " Don Rickles who will supply the guns and ammunition needed for their journey east. Over hearing their plans is our scene stealer Donald Sutherland "Oddball" as the Gypsy type Hippie Tank commander with his band of renegades. Gavin McCloud as the skeptical Moriarty and always with the negative waves against the aloof and carefree Oddball is timing delight. The bridge scene is classic. To round out the search for gold invasion is the critical, cynical Telly Savalas as Big Joe who takes his troupe along. Rickles and Savalas argue more than a married couple throughout this film and it's a wonder those two didn't make more movies together. The most enjoyable part for me personally is riding along with the crazy Oddball with his tanks shooting paint and playing country music as they head into battle destroying a railroad depot. Sutherland's character as Oddball is an anachronism. Oddball is more of a Vietnam soldier than a World War II tank commander. In his Verbal expressions i.e. calling Big Joe an anti-social type. Three days of traveling and the advance of Kelly, Big Joe and Oddball caught the eye of the flamboyant General Colt (Carroll O'Connor) overhearing their walkie talkie broadcasts. Colt couldn't wait to ride in his jeep and decorate each and everyone of this renegade soldiers thinking they have good intentions of advancing to Berlin in final victory when in truth it's all about the Gold. Sutherland's performance is comical genius and in my opinion his best work. Weird to have Clint Eastwood in the middle of all this labyrinth of comedy but it works despite the negative waves. I grade this movie 6 mortar shells of laughter.