The Guns of Navarone is a long and eventful adventure film, though fairly monotonous.While, Peck and Quinn were reasonable, the rest of the cast added very little. Anthony Quayle's character is merely there for Mallory to use as a soundboard to give back story so there is some tension, that is never eventuated and I think he was out of place in this role. The film is watchable, but it is lacking the punchline so to speak.

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE is an adventure war drama about a small group of Allied commandos, who were sent to the almost impossible mission in a fictional Aegean island. Film is based on Alistair MacLean's 1957 novel of the same name.The commandos, disguised as Greek fishermen on a decrepit fishing vessel, sail across the Aegean Sea. Their destination is the island of Navarone. This dangerous job is full of challenges. Several thousand British troops depends on them. They must destroy the big guns, which are stationed on a small island. They rendezvous with local resistance fighters. However, one of the team members has seriously injured her leg on a cliff. The mission becomes even more difficult, because one team member is saboteur...The film is full of attractive actions scenes in exotic locations, which seem pretty rough in war conditions. Mr. Thompson has stressed a relationship between the individual protagonists, therefore, the film has received a melodramatic tone. The war has remained in the background of the story. A war motif is shown through a small group of capable people, which are up against far more numerous enemy. This mission does not forgive mistakes. It has, in some segments, contributed to the credibility of the acting and realism of the story. Gregory Peck (Capt. Keith Mallory) is a renowned spy and mountaineer, who is committed to their mission, as a decisive leader. Below a rough and insensitive surface is a self-sacrificing character, who takes care of his fellow soldiers and their emotions. Anthony Quinn (Col. Andrea Stavrou) is a brave and simple Greek soldier. He is an unpredictable character with a strange sense of humor, who shows his true nature in the end. The two of them are in a vortex of a serious vengeance.David Niven (Cpl. Miller) is an explosives expert and incorrigible pessimist. He is a character who knows a lot of things and for each of them has a convenient sarcastic review. However, he made a mistake in the assessment of people. Anthony Quayle (Maj. Roy Franklin) is a cheerful as an original leader. An unbreakable spirit of a dedicated soldier.Irene Papas (Maria Pappadimos) Gia Scala (Anna) are the local resistance fighters. They have brought a small dose of intrigue and romance in the story.James Darren (Pvt. Spyro Pappadimos) is the brother of Maria and a native of Navarone. Stanley Baker (Pvt. 'Butcher' Brown) is an engineer and expert knife fighter. He is a killer, who is tired of killing.A constant tension, explosive actions and heroic ventures are a real treat for all fans of this genre.

As far as pro-war, anti-war or any philosophical conflicts are concerned, J. Lee Thompsons "Guns of Navarone" is certainly no "Bridge on the River Kwai". This comparison doesn't intend to diminish its impact but it's surprising that the two movies share one name in the credits that happens to be Carl Foreman, the screenwriter. In its own right, it is a pretty straightforward, conventional but efficient war movie that delivers its premise; it just happens to lack that little something that could have made it one of the greats.But this is still an entertaining spectacle typical of the early 60's productions, a muscled picture whose power and charisma rest on the broad and heavy shoulders of one of the best macho cast since "The Magnificent Seven": Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, his namesake Quayle, David Niven and a few other rigged faces, all forming a British secret unit assigned to blow German guns located in the Greek island of Navarone, on an impregnable fortress threatening a British convoy coming to rescue thousands of Allied prisoners stranded on Greek islands. So many lives at stakes and so little time left.The film belongs to the tradition of epic-adventure-action movies with one mission for many different men as the focal point, it was made seven years after the seminal "Seven Samurai" and six years before "The Dirty Dozen", the film that pushed the concept to its anti-heroic level. In 1961, people were still seeking for regular thrills and the film provided the whole package with competent acting, directing and editing, not to mention a decent story with a captivating mission, interesting "sub-missions" and subsequent interactions. But take "Kwai" again, the climactic explosion is one of the most mind-blowing moments from any war movie, and not just for the spectacular effect but the whole psychological escalation that lead to that moment, it wasn't about the bridge, but the madness that made it explode. But in the case of "Navarone", the guns' explosion (this is no spoiler) simply indicates the success of the mission but we're always more interested by the outbursts of 'madness'.And while Gregory Peck plays as usual the tough and heroic leader, I was glad he could pass as a relatively ambiguous protagonist, enough to be confronted by his officers and questioned about the way he exploited the injury of a comrade. David Niven is the impertinent British explosives expert who makes war while secretly despising it, Quinn is the brutal but reassuring presence. As the Greek Andreas, he steals the show and carries one unexpected moment of 'pathos' that suggests a predisposition for richer and more multi-layered characters, the presence of Irene Papas as the tough resistant plays like an interesting omen of their future collaborations in "Zorba the Greek", "The Message" and "Lion of the Desert". All these actors do justice to their part and besides the action, there's not one moment of dullness or where we feel that it's getting slow.There's not much left to say, except that it's a film with many shootouts, one set in the boat where they act like fishermen and less exciting than the firing itself is its anticipation, there's a heart-pounding mountain climbing of Hitchcockian effect, many ruses and disguises and a traitor's unmasking contributing to the one very powerful moment, all of these allow "Guns of Navarone" to move rather swiftly despite its run of two-hour and half. It also raises a few questions about war ethics and tortures, but overall, like a movie lead by no-nonsense Gregory Peck, the film isn't an anti-war movie, it doesn't amplify the heroism of the protagonists nor that it demonize the Germans. As a war movie, it belongs to the likes of "The Longest Day" or "Battle of the Bulge" it is old-fashioned in a respectable way.Not too subtle or sophisticated, this is a tough movie about tough guys and you spend a good time watching it.

Direction is great..story is real..acting is outstanding...more i see this movie more I understand about reality of ground...Leadership quality team work dedication towards results movie picturization is also a Top class. I have seen saving private ryan but this war movie is all about team play. Such type of movie comes after long time..such type of great events happens very rare..such real hero comes after long time...It is really a great movie to know about such heros...it is not sci fi movie it is movie which above then many standards...After seeing this movie there is no need of seeing another movie...searching such story making great movie to wonderful picturization is not that much easy the way happened in this movie..everything was great standard.....