Commandos (1968)

Very nice $1 DVD, 29 April 2005

A group of American commandos, disguised as Italian solders, must infiltrate North Africa and take of an Italian outpost. In addition to the Axis forces in the area, the commandos face one other obstacle - a battle-hardened and battle-scarred sergeant who doesn't see eye-to-eye with his "green" commanding officer. This may prove to be the biggest hurdle that the American solders face.

Commandos has a lot to recommend - action, suspense, cast, and locations. The action sequences are first rate. The final battle scene is a thing of beauty and far exceeded my expectations given the films obviously limited budget. In between the moments of action, Crispino is able to inject the movie with some very suspenseful moments. For example, you can feel the tension in the air when the commandos have their first face-to-face meeting with some of the nearby German troops. Several Euro-movie regulars make-up an excellent supporting cast. Chief among them are Marino Mase (the Italian officer who must work with the Americans to save his men) and Joachim Fuchsberger (the German officer who would rather be at home than fighting a war). The entire production takes place on what I felt were very authentic looking sets. If not for a couple of flaws, this could easily have become a personal favorite.

But there are flaws in Commandos. Chief among them is the usually solid Lee Van Cleef. You can look far and wide but I doubt you'll find anyone who overacts and chews the scenery quite like Van Cleef does in this movie. He plays Sgt. Sullivan, the grizzled solder who has seen more than his fair share of combat. He has issues taking commands from the new Captain and he doesn't mind showing it. The problem is that Sullivan shows his disdain for his new CO a little too often and a little too vocally. I just can't imagine a real solder questioning a superior officer quite like Sullivan does in Commandos. It would seem to be a sure fired way to get yourself court marshaled. To top it off, Sullivan's beef with the Captain is so superficial. He never gives the Captain a chance. He dislikes the man from the moment he hears his name. A more realistic disagreement between the two solders would have made the movie much better.

There are several budget companies that specialize in public domain films that have released Commandos. I paid all of $1 for my copy and couldn't be happier.

6/10