"Kill every officer in sight" "Theirs or ours?" "Theirs, for starters..."

Rating: Null/10 (18 October 2009)

One of the finest war movies ever made. Not only does it boast a battalion of marquee action he-man stars, but the odd but expertly handled mix of humor with violent action never disappoints. The script is clever, the direction spot-on, the action is displayed with precision, and it all works in one greatly designed package.
In the Spring of '44, while the Allied forces were preparing the massive D-Day invasion, a rebellious major (Lee Marvin) who smarts off against superior officers, is tapped to lead a mission, taking a squad of soldiers behind enemy lines to assassinate Nazi officers at a retreat villa. Since this operation is very likely a one-way trip to the "Killed in action" list, the group is to be composed of court-martialled felons. They have nothing to lose anyway, so the possible suicide mission is actually appealing, and a rag-tag group of a dozen are hand-picked (in great character study sequences). In this group you'll find Donald Sutherland (in comic relief as a dumb bell), Telly Savalas (an over-stated zealot nut), Clint Walker, Charles Bronson, and others. The officers include Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Robert Weber, and George Kennedy. Everyone in this all-star ensemble cast does well.
The first half of the film is more light-weight humor, mocking the military establishment, as the team of former misfits are trained and become a cohesive and viable force to be reckoned with.
The actual raid sequence is among the best and most believable war action put on film. The progression of events are logical, the intensity is real, the high stakes are related well, and the characters bring you into the action with them.
War movie action at its finest, which has stood the test of time very well.