At times its like watching an amdram u tube home made affair, in others its top rank .just give it a go .. over all its not wasted time .

It has some of the qualities of a television production -- the flat photography, the close ups. But what it is, is a British movie about a commando raid into Norway early in World War II. Ian Fleming is seen supporting the organization of what was to become the SAS but his isn't a prominent role, and he does not wear polished oxblood brogans or chocolate colored bow ties. He's a naval commander, and the leader of the back is major Sean Bean, older but more impressive in his bulk than ever.Some recent British war movies, like "Behind Enemy Lines," have been unusually graphic compared to the triumphant war stories of the 1950s. This one is more brutal and far less polite than any of the others in the genre that I've been able to see.These nascent commandos and the prison that one of them comes from are hellishly demanding. The Brits who run the prison ("the red hats") bully the prisoners, kick them, drive them to exhaustion and then beat them. And the commando training is even more rigorous.The first half tells the story of a prisoner who escapes in order to join the commandos. The second half spells out the story of the raid on some German radar installations in the snowy mountains of Norway.The SS officer who pursues them, tortures his captives, and executes the residents of a tiny Norwegian village is handsome and well spoken, although thoroughly evil. The action scenes -- and there are several of them -- are subject to the usual wobbling camera and instantaneous cutting that's become so faddish. The narrative nevertheless is enthralling. When a captive suffers, he REALLY suffers.The commandos kill many Nazis, and they kill each other when they must, and they even try to kill themselves if they're about to be captured. The ex prisoner is about to cut his own throat as German soldiers approach him. We're supposed to admire the dedication and self sacrifice of the commandos while condemning any Japanese who did the same thing during the war.If you see this, you're not likely to forget it in a hurry.

I am always up for a good World War II "men on a mission" movie. Emphasis on "good". This British production is quite lacking in a number of areas that at the end make the movie overall unsatisfying. The first flaw is the budget. I realize that this didn't have a Hollywood budget, and I did see that the production squeezed every last penny they had, but much of the movie looks kind of skimpy. But the movie could still have worked had it not been for the next problem - much of the movie is not exciting. After the opening action sequence, it takes forever for the next true action scene to come along. And the footage between is not very interesting - it's lacking a sense of humor, colorful characters, and original situations. Things do pick up a little in the second half of the movie due to some nice scenery and some okay action, but this material is too little and too late. While the movie isn't actively bad, it's more often than not bland, and even Brits in the audience with an interest in World War II will likely grow weary with the movie some time before the end credits start rolling.

I think this is a very good movie. Sean Bean is a very talented actor (though he does not seem to choose his movies well) and it comes out here. He does some very good work here, in his quietly intense style. There are no Rambos in this movie whom women adore and men envy, instead, the people are real, with their their good and bad sides. I particularly like the photography and scenery and i love that special effects were kept to a minimum (accidental or intended, i don't care). In regards to the story, this is not the win-the-war-by-ourselves kind and rather approaches the subject in a our-work-is-a-part-of-it-all way, which to someone like me (i am fascinated with history) is much more believable. I like the way the story is put together, showing that the learning approach that is common to all we do, including commando tactics. If you're looking for a Stallone, Schwarzenegger or Norris kind of flick, you definitely won't like this one. Go watch Commando or Rambo 3. For those of us that like our movies a lot more like the real deal, this is a very good movie.