The Sea Wolves (1980)
Country: GB/US/SW
Technical: col 122m
Director: Andrew McLaglen
Cast: Gregory Peck, Roger Moore, Trevor Howard, David Niven
Synopsis:
During the Second World War British nationals in the Far East use their maritime experience to take out a Nazi transmitter.
Review:
Reuniting the producer and director of The Wild Geese with the stars of The Guns of Navarone was bound to result in a wistfully geriatric MacLean-style war movie, but this is a flabby affair to say the least. The usual Equity stalwarts, some of whom are on the flabby side themselves, are trotted out to take on the impossible, not to say insane, mission, and if they are lucky they will get a couple of lines (John Standing scarcely contrives to get in shot). Despite the welcome presence of Peck, who can lend even bad lines a certain class, this is inferior to the more cynical Geese: though similarly inflated beyond what it can sustain, it spends a good hour and a bit in preparatory cloak and dagger and tiresome romantic asides involving Moore, the only cast member not yet turned sixty - the cost of keeping a shoot seaborne for two hours no doubt had something to do with this. The explosive climax when it comes is perfunctory to say the least; a brisk 1950s approach would have been better, and more in line with its aspirations, Dam Buster-lite score, and budget.
Country: GB/US/SW
Technical: col 122m
Director: Andrew McLaglen
Cast: Gregory Peck, Roger Moore, Trevor Howard, David Niven
Synopsis:
During the Second World War British nationals in the Far East use their maritime experience to take out a Nazi transmitter.
Review:
Reuniting the producer and director of The Wild Geese with the stars of The Guns of Navarone was bound to result in a wistfully geriatric MacLean-style war movie, but this is a flabby affair to say the least. The usual Equity stalwarts, some of whom are on the flabby side themselves, are trotted out to take on the impossible, not to say insane, mission, and if they are lucky they will get a couple of lines (John Standing scarcely contrives to get in shot). Despite the welcome presence of Peck, who can lend even bad lines a certain class, this is inferior to the more cynical Geese: though similarly inflated beyond what it can sustain, it spends a good hour and a bit in preparatory cloak and dagger and tiresome romantic asides involving Moore, the only cast member not yet turned sixty - the cost of keeping a shoot seaborne for two hours no doubt had something to do with this. The explosive climax when it comes is perfunctory to say the least; a brisk 1950s approach would have been better, and more in line with its aspirations, Dam Buster-lite score, and budget.
Country: GB/US/SW
Technical: col 122m
Director: Andrew McLaglen
Cast: Gregory Peck, Roger Moore, Trevor Howard, David Niven
Synopsis:
During the Second World War British nationals in the Far East use their maritime experience to take out a Nazi transmitter.
Review:
Reuniting the producer and director of The Wild Geese with the stars of The Guns of Navarone was bound to result in a wistfully geriatric MacLean-style war movie, but this is a flabby affair to say the least. The usual Equity stalwarts, some of whom are on the flabby side themselves, are trotted out to take on the impossible, not to say insane, mission, and if they are lucky they will get a couple of lines (John Standing scarcely contrives to get in shot). Despite the welcome presence of Peck, who can lend even bad lines a certain class, this is inferior to the more cynical Geese: though similarly inflated beyond what it can sustain, it spends a good hour and a bit in preparatory cloak and dagger and tiresome romantic asides involving Moore, the only cast member not yet turned sixty - the cost of keeping a shoot seaborne for two hours no doubt had something to do with this. The explosive climax when it comes is perfunctory to say the least; a brisk 1950s approach would have been better, and more in line with its aspirations, Dam Buster-lite score, and budget.