The Russians want to escape undetected and unharmed, but their small landing party is discovered, and a Cold War parable unfolds. The locals, fearing a Soviet invasion, form a militia equipped with shotguns, hot tempers, and misconceptions. At the film's climax, there is a tense standoff with the Russians and Americans staring down the barrels of each other's guns. A young boy who has climbed a nearby church steeple for a better view slips.
All eyes turn upward.
For a few breathtaking minutes he hangs suspended. Then, spontaneously, the Russian sailors and the locals form a human chain and rescue the boy, and everyone learns a lesson about our common humanity. The Russians are Coming'' was a comedy with a message. But there are messages here, too. The United States has offered to assist.