This is a decent if frivolous film, and 20 mins too long. It's pretty, it's colorful, it's big budget, it's very well acted with reliable WWII-movie players, but it's handicapped far too much by a pet peeve -- everyone looks like they're in the 1960s. 1960s hair, 1960s makeup, even 1960s suits. Plummer looks like he borrowed from the 007 wardrobe across the hall. After all, same director, probably same production crew. It shares the greatest 007 villain actor of all time, Gert Frobe. It even ends with a brassy, over-crooned 007-style song that sounds like it was re-written from Goldfinger. Because of all these collective nods to its dated efforts to appeal to 1960s audiences, this falls short.
Oh, and the germans aren't believable; not in their reactions, not in their motivations, not in their moral virtues. No one needs a monochromatic nazi bad guy, but these guys are too forgiving.
Oh, and the germans aren't believable; not in their reactions, not in their motivations, not in their moral virtues. No one needs a monochromatic nazi bad guy, but these guys are too forgiving.