FANTASTIC!!!

Rating: 10/10 (5 January 2000)

This film is a wonderful achievement.
The story is intriguing, filled with bitter irony, violence, and tension. The characters are great, too (and so are all of the performances.) We really get to like and care for all of the sentenced men who make the "Dirty Dozen," and also for Lee Marvin, the best bad-ass to ever appear on the screen! The movie is funny, extremely brutal, and even touching at the end. Although it is quite fictional, and considered an "action" film, it still leaves much up for discussion, such as the way these men are locked up for committing crimes at first, keeping them from doing their jobs as soldiers, or professional killers. And once they do get their chance to serve, and become heroes, their actions are merciless--the mission is plain and simple; kill a group of unsuspecting German generals to cause confusion on the eve of D-Day. It has many chilling moments; Lee Marvin orders that they dump gasoline on their enemies. The MP's response, "Gasoline!? Are you sure?" is unforgettable, and so is Marvin's expression when he leaves the embattled chateau and sees that one of his men has been killed.
The final forty-five minutes of the movie are amazingly tense--and possibly the shortest forty-five minutes you'll ever experience watching a movie. The only thing I wish they could change; I'd like it if a certain character (the last one to get killed) lived. Oh well, I guess it does give his arc some closure. If you haven't seen this movie, I really recommend it. You'll wonder why it slipped by you for so long! *****