Bam-Pow-Zoink-War!

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2002)

Another glossy jingoistic World War movie, protaganized by hard-assed tough-nosed soldiers. The 'Dirty Dozen' in this case refers to a group of criminals morphed into an elite fighting squad by a selfish, short-sighted army brass. These criminals, traitorous malconents through and through, get suddenly sprung from hard time and death sentences with a promise from a desperate US military. The army has volunteered these strapping young lads to see through a suicide mission of the highest import. Face overwhelming odds and conquer a French castle armed to the teeth and stocked with elite german officers. No problem, echoes our unshaven group of malcontents. Lee Marvin plays the passive-aggressive, jaded to the point of constipation Major in charge of this heroic fiasco. Of course tempers flare and rams butt horns, but in the end up becomes down and the condemned men ultimately prove heroic. No suprises - things blow up, recruits brawl, sacrifices are made in the vague name of duty. And capping this illustrious tale of anti-pacifism is the US flag, waving bloodily in the smoky sky for all to see.