class war tosh

Rating: Null/10 (31 October 2001)

this is a war movie of that simply is the best of its kind. however it is not to be taken seriously movies like a bridge too far,stalingrad and the tv series band of brothers would bring home much more closely what close combat is really like. where eagles dare is a fantasy nut a highly enjoyable one.anyone in britain will know it was standard christmas easter or bank holiday showing. the movie centres around a group of british and 1 american soldiers sent into bavaria to rescue a downed american general who knows the secret of the second front. when some of the team are killed and all 5 are arrested it looks like the mission was a failure. however richard burton and clint eastwood with the help of mary ure and ingrid pit turn the tables on the german and manage to uncover a german spy network in britain. they also manage to destroy the best part of a battalion of german soldiers and all they get in return is a bad flesh wound for burton.
there are weaknesses in the story the fact the germans always seem to run the wrong way all the time. when burtons group are cornered at the radio room they get away when realistically they should have been killed.the movie is despite this still a masterpiece of populist tosh lines like "strange but i seem to remember that the cathedral was on the other side of the square" or "what the hell a hole is a hole is a hole as they say" and "why its incredible-yes but to the british very very simple" merely augment the humour in what is an excellent fantasy tail. we are lucky that that 2 great actors burton and eastwood chose to do something especially in burton part so far removed from much heavier roles.
i would rank this as one of my all time favourites a remouned masterpiece to alastair maclean who wrote it the director and all the cast many of whom are sadly now dead thank you for 3 hours of complete enjoyment.