Good concept, poorly executed.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

McGavin was 47 when he made this terrific little film.No TV actor was as good at these roles as McGavin. He was the TV equivalent of Steve McQueen or Lee Marvin, both of whom were also veterans of TV. "The Challenge" could have made a strong theatrical movie for McQueen or Marvin. It could still be remade today.McGavin had already starred in four television series at this point.McGavin had starred the previous season in "The Outsider", as ex-con private investigator David Ross. This was one of the finest private eye series. Roy Huggins, who created and produced the series, later retooled it as "The Rockford Files".After "The Challenge", McGavin made two other exceptional Movies of the Week: "Tribes" and "The Night Stalker". These were better films than most movie stars were making at the time.When the "Gallery" pilot didn't sell, McGavin immediately signed on for another pilot where he played a spy named Killian. The TV movie was called "Berlin Affair". When someone asked him if the film was cloak and dagger, McGavin said it was more "girl on arm". That pilot didn't sell either.I read once that McGavin turned down the lead in "Hogan's Heros" (1965-1971). He could have been dazzling in that role. But in 1965 McGavin did sign on to star in a pilot of "From Here to Eternity". McGavin would have played the Burt Lancaster role of Sergeant Warden. Another tantalizing might have been.

I saw this movie when it first came out and have also been trying to find a copy. This is an excellent movie with a great interaction between Mr. McGavin and Mako. The movie seemed to make some bold statements for the time (l970) when it was produced. I definitely look forward to seeing this again. I wonder if anyone knows whether this is still being shown around in re-runs. I highly recommend this movie and feel this might have drawn a type of cult following much the way 'Tribes' did when it was first released about the same time period. I feel that this was an excellent anti war allegory which left the viewer sensing the moral to the story.

I remember seeing this movie a long time ago, so it was probably when it first aired on TV in 1970. No one I've mentioned it to believes me that it existed--they all seem to think I'm talking about the Lee Marvin movie. I was fascinated by the twin sub-machine-gun used by Darren McGavin, like nothing else used in movies before or since. McGavin and Mako are superb in their acting and portray a very realistic duel between opposite camps. I, too, would very much like to get a copy of this movie, which does not seem to be published in either VHS or DVD (I could handle either). I'd be willing to pay any reasonable fee plus handling charges if anyone here can oblige me.

I have been looking for this film for 25 years. It was on the old ABC Movie of the week several times and I have not seen it since. Everyone that I have ever mentioned this movie to just goes Duh I don't know, or they try and tell me it's a Lee Marvin movie (wrong flick).