cruel, overlong and overrated

Rating: 4/10 (20 May 2001)

Warning: spoilers ahead. Despite great performances all around (save for Telly Savalas' giggling psycho), this is one overrated and overlong 'classic' action movie. I have a hard time when Hollywood tries to turn murderers and rapists -- all sentenced to death or life in prison -- into a bunch of lovable, misunderstood goofballs. I could buy it if one or two of them had been wrongfully accused, but eleven of them? Or rather six of them, since the other half of the 'dozen' aren't even developed into characters. I could also buy it if they redeem themselves or come to some personal revelation through their mission, but the finale of this film was so sadistic that it ruined everything that had been set up. Are we supposed to cheer when these so far unredeemed 'heroes' pour gasoline on a bunch of trapped Nazi officers' WIVES?? Why did the writers put women in this scene at all? Where's the redemption in psychos acting psychotic? This finale just puts them on the same level as the Nazis, but unfortunately this film isn't going for any kind of moral message. The screaming, trapped women getting doused in gasoline by a bunch of unredeemed murderers and rapists completely ruined what had been an OK action film.