a true and brilliant one off

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2007)

Kelly's Heroes is one of those films that appeals to the imaginative and the emotionally grown up. Never meant to be taken as a serious look at War itself, Kelly's Heroes is never the less strongly themed and morally centered. It's all about breaking away, anti establishment and anti war values - all of which perfectly echo the time it was made - 1970. To judge it in any other way is to totally miss how the film was meant to be taken. This is a film that leaves one with a sense of, 'anythings possible'. It also makes the point that War can be totally absurd. There are some amazing War films out there that should be judged on their accuracy and ask serious questions, this however, is not one of them. It's actually a heist movie at it's heart, with the satire of the War as an overlay and setting. The characters are beautifully developed and wonderfully interlinked. The comedy scenes are great, the production values high, the story face paced and fun, the direction and editing good. sit back and enjoy that rare event in the film world - a pop corn film with a heart.