Amazon.com video review:
This rousing, explosive 1961 WWII adventure, based on Alistair MacLean's thrilling
novel, turns the war thriller into a deadly caper film. Gregory
Peck heads a star-studded cast charged with a near impossible mission:
destroy a pair of German guns nestled in a protective cave on the
strategic Mediterranean island of Navarone, from where they can
control a vital sea passage. As world famous mountain climber turned
British army Captain Mallory, Peck leads a guerrilla force composed of
the humanistic explosives expert, Miller (David Niven), the ruthless
Greek patriot with a grudge, Stavros (Anthony Quinn), veteran special
forces soldier Brown (Stanley Baker), and the cool, quiet young
marksman Pappadimos (James Darren). This disparate collection of
classic types must overcome internal conflicts, enemy attacks,
betrayal, and capture to complete their mission. Director J. Lee
Thompson sets a driving pace for this exciting (if familiar) military
operation, a succession of close calls, pitched battles, and
last-minute escapes as our heroes infiltrate the garrisoned town with
the help of resistance leader Maria (Irene Papas) and plot their entry
into the heavily guarded mountain fort. Carl Foreman's screenplay
embraces MacLean's role call of clichés and delivers them with
style, creating one of the liveliest mixes of espionage, combat, and
good old-fashioned military derring-do put on film. In 1978, the
sequel Force 10 from
Navarone was released, but MacLean fans will prefer to check
out the action-packed thriller Where Eagles Dare. --Sean
Axmaker
