Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Let's be realistic.

Excellent, a Must See

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

As far as pro-war, anti-war or any philosophical conflicts are concerned, J. Lee Thompsons "Guns of Navarone" is certainly no "Bridge on the River Kwai". This comparison doesn't intend to diminish its impact but it's surprising that the two movies share one name in the credits that happens to be Carl Foreman, the screenwriter. In its own right, it is a pretty straightforward, conventional but efficient war movie that delivers its premise; it just happens to lack that little something that could have made it one of the greats.But this is still an entertaining spectacle typical of the early 60's productions, a muscled picture whose power and charisma rest on the broad and heavy shoulders of one of the best macho cast since "The Magnificent Seven": Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, his namesake Quayle, David Niven and a few other rigged faces, all forming a British secret unit assigned to blow German guns located in the Greek island of Navarone, on an impregnable fortress threatening a British convoy coming to rescue thousands of Allied prisoners stranded on Greek islands. So many lives at stakes and so little time left.The film belongs to the tradition of epic-adventure-action movies with one mission for many different men as the focal point, it was made seven years after the seminal "Seven Samurai" and six years before "The Dirty Dozen", the film that pushed the concept to its anti-heroic level. In 1961, people were still seeking for regular thrills and the film provided the whole package with competent acting, directing and editing, not to mention a decent story with a captivating mission, interesting "sub-missions" and subsequent interactions. But take "Kwai" again, the climactic explosion is one of the most mind-blowing moments from any war movie, and not just for the spectacular effect but the whole psychological escalation that lead to that moment, it wasn't about the bridge, but the madness that made it explode. But in the case of "Navarone", the guns' explosion (this is no spoiler) simply indicates the success of the mission but we're always more interested by the outbursts of 'madness'.And while Gregory Peck plays as usual the tough and heroic leader, I was glad he could pass as a relatively ambiguous protagonist, enough to be confronted by his officers and questioned about the way he exploited the injury of a comrade. David Niven is the impertinent British explosives expert who makes war while secretly despising it, Quinn is the brutal but reassuring presence. As the Greek Andreas, he steals the show and carries one unexpected moment of 'pathos' that suggests a predisposition for richer and more multi-layered characters, the presence of Irene Papas as the tough resistant plays like an interesting omen of their future collaborations in "Zorba the Greek", "The Message" and "Lion of the Desert". All these actors do justice to their part and besides the action, there's not one moment of dullness or where we feel that it's getting slow.There's not much left to say, except that it's a film with many shootouts, one set in the boat where they act like fishermen and less exciting than the firing itself is its anticipation, there's a heart-pounding mountain climbing of Hitchcockian effect, many ruses and disguises and a traitor's unmasking contributing to the one very powerful moment, all of these allow "Guns of Navarone" to move rather swiftly despite its run of two-hour and half. It also raises a few questions about war ethics and tortures, but overall, like a movie lead by no-nonsense Gregory Peck, the film isn't an anti-war movie, it doesn't amplify the heroism of the protagonists nor that it demonize the Germans. As a war movie, it belongs to the likes of "The Longest Day" or "Battle of the Bulge" it is old-fashioned in a respectable way.Not too subtle or sophisticated, this is a tough movie about tough guys and you spend a good time watching it.

"The Guns of Navarone" from 1961 has an all-star cast including Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quayle, Irene Papas, and James Darren. It's 1943, and the Germans want Turkey on their side. They have trapped 2000 British soldiers on an island in the Aegean, Kiros. The only way the men can evacuate is by sea, but there are two massive radar-directed superguns on a treacherous cliffside bunker on the island of Navarone. The British bring in Keith Mallory (Peck), a commando officer and expert mountaineer to bring a team of British commandos to the only part of Navarone not monitored by the Germans, a 400-foot cliff. Greek resistance will meet the team guide them to the German guns.During this difficult mission, the men, disguised as fisherman, manage to kill a German patrol but are then shipwrecked on Navarone. Then, while climbing the cliff, Franklin (Quayle) breaks his leg in two places and gangrene sets in. Then Miller's explosives are destroyed, and the men realize they have a traitor.Very exciting and absorbing film, and the biggest money-maker of 1961, deservedly. The acting is very good, but the actors, with the exception of James Darren, are probably ten years too old for their roles. And Gregory Peck is miscast as a British athletic mountain climber. He does not attempt a British accent, and his German and Greek are dubbed.It always cracks me up that whomever writes scripts constantly use German in the formal tense, even when talking to subordinates or prisoners, when they more than likely said "du" instead of "Sie." It was fun to hear the German anyway.As an aside, there is a trivia note that Harrison Ford is the soldier who looks out of the back of a truck during one scene. It's not Harrison Ford, who at the time was living in the midwest and in school. There is a very slight resemblance around the eyes but the shape of the face is all wrong. Though this movie runs long, you won't notice it.

Real Art of making a film is on display in this one. The war fiction novel by Allistair MacLean proved to be a very great source to fashion a first quality script. The filmmakers then opened the film by simulating an actual World War 2 Documentary about Navarone in black and white which gives the opening such a feel of reality that a viewer would have to know this is fiction in order to realize it is not a documentary about the war.The cast for this could not be crafted any better. Gregory Peck is very good here. This might be David Niven's best film role and this is one of the very few times Anthony Quinn and Anthony Quayle are together in one movie. Both of them did a lot of solid films but rarely are they any better than in this one. James Darren, later to become a teen idol during the 1960's is here. Irene Papas has an important role along with Gia Scala though the ladies are not the main characters. Gia is important because her being Greek in a story set in Greece helps get the feel of reality.This film was important because not only was there sequels launched by it, but the concept of this film was used in several other films as well in the 1960's. Never were any done better than this one here. This one with a mission that seems impossible, yet so real in it's goal to secure the straight by the island of Navarone so that many ships in the royal navy are not sunk by these huge guns feels right in every aspect to a first time viewer.This movie does present the Nazi's as a very intelligent and capable foe. Their spy network seems to be ahead of the team every step of the way until very late in the movie. There i a very credible storm sequence that nearly derails the mission which is sort of a mini event that later would be expanded into the disaster type films of the late 1960's and beyond. This film has everything you would expect in a real story. Nothing is made too easy for accomplishing this mission for the team. Later films trying to duplicate this effort come close but never quit achieve the quality of this film.J. Lee Thompson, the director would go on to direct Cape Fear, the now classic film with Peck and Robert Mitchum the very next year is at the height of his career as these 2 films are his best efforts by far. Because these 2 films are his best, he is not as well remembered as a director as other ones because he only really has thee 2 films as crown jewels in his career. What a jewel this one is. After doing these 2 films back to back, no others would quite reach this one.The mountain blasting sequence in this one is one of the better special effects sequences of war films. The story and the cast plus the locations used pull the viewer into this solid film.

Good WW2 drama.Based on the Alastair MacLean novel, solid plot and good action sequences. On the negative side, maybe too speech-filled and preachy. Also overly long.Gregory Peck doesn't do bad performances, and this is no exception. David Niven is a bit irritating in his role though. Solid performances from a stellar supporting cast: Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker, James Robertson Justice, Anthony Quayle. Richard Harris, early in his career, also has a minor role.