Best movie ever!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This film is in many other ways a bit of a mess and didn't need to be. Not only is the film anachronistic, but it isn't very well thought out or logical as well. After all, an American (Cliff Robertson) is chosen to lead a secret mission of British soldiers because of his knowledge of the Japanese language (which makes sense) but through the course of the film, the soldiers sneaking into the Japanese sector of a contested island CONSTANTLY talk, yell and even sing!!! What part of SECRET is all this?! You would assume that with their lives at stake that they'd SHUT UP!! You'd also assume they wouldn't pick some of the worst soldiers in the history of films to be in this elite group...but one is practically a Japanese agent due to his CONSTANT disloyalty, bickering, stealing from the dead and MUCH worse. So you have an important mission and only send a few men and you make several of them totally evil and selfish. What sense does any of this make?!This film, like "Kelly's Heroes", is a revisionist picture. While the movie is supposedly set during WWII, it clearly is meant as a metaphor for the Vietnam war as well as shows the spirit of the 60s. Because of this, it's a lousy history lesson. Plus, combined with bad writing, it's really not a very good picture. And, at over two hours, it's a long ride.So if there anything I liked about the film? Well, I liked how they showed the Japanese soldiers and Michael Caine and Robertson weren't bad. They weren't exactly good, either. The ending was also pretty exciting. Other than that, it's a big-budgeted film that really isn't all that good.

Robert Aldrich, who had done a fine job with other WWII films "The Flight Of The Phoenix" & "The Dirty Dozen" returns to the period with another success, the story of a American Soldier(played by Cliff Robertson) who is reluctantly transferred from a secure base, to a British unit, where they are sent to a Pacific Japanese held island, occupied by both allied and imperial forces. Their mission is to go into enemy territory to destroy a Japanese Radio outpost, but Robertson proves to be a most reluctant hero, much to the consternation of his unit, led by Michael Caine(fine performance once again) among other cast members including Ian Bannen & Harry Andrews.Nicely realized film creates an authentic period feel, especially the claustrophobic danger from the jungle, where enemy soldiers lurk. Builds to a memorable and fitting end, where the surviving men find redemption and escape, in this well done war story.

Given the cast, this should have been way better. But the plot, and, more so, basic logic fail in scene after scene of this clunker, and it seems the cast may have realized saving the movie was beyond their capabilities given the truck-sized holes in the logic, so they gave up, went through the motions, got it done, collected their lunch money, and went home.Numerous folks have pointed out the lack of regard for basic military tactics, and those in particular for jungle warfare. But the disdain for giving any of the characters even rudimentary military common sense is an insult to the characters, and will be exasperating to the viewer, especially anyone with any military background, or any common sense for that matter, and bears some spotlighting: Half the movie is the misfit commando squad sneaking up to the Jap base, then trying to escape back down to the Brit base. So, while they're AWAKE, they're sneaking along in the jungle and alert (never mind the incorrect patrol techniques, smoking every half hour, etc). But a half dozen times in the movie, they get tired and literally crap out in the open -- no, don't bother to hide behind some bushes, or in the jungle. Just go to sleep right in the open, on the flipping jungle TRAIL. Oh, and DON'T have ANYONE stay up and stand watch -- let EVERYONE go to sleep right in the trail, or in the open clearing at the jungle temple, for hours. Such idiocy in a combat environment would warrant all the little misfits having their throats slit in their sleep, or getting perforated by one awake enemy soldier with a rifle waltzing into their sleepover party -- but no worries, it doesn't happen, because credibility isn't important here. In THIS movie, all the Japanese pursuers, famed/notorious for their jungle fighting, silence, and infiltration skills, always ensure they manage to make enough noise in the distance, so the good guys wake up in time and scurry for cover. It got to the point I was rooting for the Jap pursuers to take out some of these lazy sods. As one other person wrote, this movie devolved into just a sort of long episode of the Combat! TV series, though that usually had more regard for common sense and military credibility.There are several other ridiculous plot elements -- the stupid gauntlet situation of the Brit camp, the need for the US convoy to travel past that point of the island at that point in time, the elaborate stage management of the Jap loudspeaker brigade, bracketing the Brit refugees every day to scare them into surrender (hey, maybe those loudspeaker guys could, you know, FIND the heroes, and KILL them instead, and save all that tree climbing), the lack of the possibility that hey, the Japs might have -- gasp -- TWO transmitters on the island, and maybe ONE more at their HIDDEN air base. Yes, the movie pays lip service to these with some lame explanations voiced by the players, but they're paper thin, and just occasions for additional viewer wincing and head scratching. Not worth the time or effort required, but if you want to watch it, check your brains at the door.

This story is seen as a Brit-flick, but it has to be said, was a fine American production, with the great Robert Aldrich at the helm. Previously having done the 'Dirty Dozen', a hard act to follow, a kind of 'Motley Crew', in came this film.A group, as I say of misfits, though not criminal are pitted with a neurotic officer, played well by Denholm Elliott, with American Lieutenant Cliff Robertson, the obligatory American to get the 'States audience to watch it, one would imagine (Just like his star part in 633 Squadron) along with the annoying but definitely watchable role for Michael Caine, one of his best in my opinion, even though it's not a million miles away from his true cockneyed accent! (Nor the kind of parallel with the great film 'The Long and the Short and the Tall', with Laurence Harvey playing the loudmouth).The plan is thus, for the group/platoon to eliminate a Japanese radio/communications station on the 'other side' of the Pacific island they both occupy. The jungle terrain of the interior is brought to life with the atmosphere of the sweat and later blood throughout the film as the platoon battle forward.Robertson's Lieutenant is quite an eye-opener too. Much like the reluctant William Holden's 'officer' in the 'Bridge Over the River Kwai', although he's not a 'fake officer' like that part, he's still an incredible workshy, lazy, enjoying the sun, sea etc, as he's had the cushy job of only getting his commission due to the fact he's an interpreter. Now he has a rude awkening as, being an interpreter with regards to this Japanese radio problem he's duty-bound for his talent to accompany the platoon, into the interior of the island and with a gun. The nice thing about his role is, that although we had the impression his 'cush gig' is over, he actually makes a fine officer, with tactics and strategy etc all along being at odds with Caine (Pte Hearne) and the 'off his rocker' Hornby. (Elliott) As Hornby cops out, Robertson makes good. Hearne takes on as platoon medic making sarcastic and insulting, but sometimes valid comments all the way. "He's got about as much class as a syphillitic roadsweeper!" he says about one of his compadres! The platoon are also made up of some great British character actors putting in fine performances too. Ian Bannen as the Scots roughneck but keeping the likes of the slimy equally excellent Ronald Fraser in line is worth watching and of course the great Percy Herbert. Although some on IMDb have said they found the scenes too talky, I think they had this mix of action and words just right.The memorable scenes are the opener, which shows the remnants of the first platoon in the film 'coming in', across a wide opening from the jungle, trying to beat their Japanese pursuers to their lines, exhausted, bedraggled and zig-zagging to avoid the Jap machine gun fire, whilst all along their Brit chums on their line are shouting them on to get across. This is also where the film ends with the remnants of this present platoon and quite a shock twist. We see the only remaining members making for their lines and not knowing who is going to make it - the two that do are Caine and Robertson. Harry Andrews as the CO is then seen looking down at the only surviving platoon member - and lo and behold, it's Caine who gets up. All along I was thinking obviously the American is going to make it, but I was glad it was Caine - not because I am British or biased, but because I didn't think it was the typical ending I expected. Perhaps some Americans may say the same about Caine, as he's British and it was a British platoon, I don't know. But it was an enjoyable film all the same and one of the best, as I have said, lesser-known/publicised WW2 flicks.