The Rat Patrol "The Chase of Fire Raid" #1.1 (1966)

Meeting the team, 4 July 2017

First of all, I am not a stickler when it comes to historical accuracy. First, I watch for enjoyment purposes and as long as the inaccuracies don't interfere with my viewing pleasure, I don't care about them. If someone is shown driving the wrong vehicle or wearing the wrong hat, it most likely won't bother me. Second, while I'm no idiot when it comes to the basics of WWII, I haven't studied it as much as some people I've seen comment on Rat Patrol. I most likely won't notice the odd incorrect rifle (or care for the matter).

Anyway, on to the mission: The Rat Patrol is assigned the task of blowing up an old Allied fuel dump before the Nazis can find it. Complicating the mission is a new British Sergeant assigned to the team.

I'd call The Chase of Fire Raid good, but not great. It does what it sets out to do - it introduces us to the main characters (both Allied and Axis) and gives us a taste of the action to come. Character introduction is pretty standard for a first episode, but it leads to the even more predictable clash between characters. Here, however, with less than 30 minutes, things get resolved unusually quick and the guys move on. The drama in the final scene surrounding the destruction of the fuel dump is handled and filmed expertly. Overall, a solid start to the series.

6/10