To me, this movie is perfection.

Some things I liked some I did not.

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Just to let future readers know, both this movie and the sequel are available on Amazon's UK site. At time of posting (August 2010 it is available new for £34.99 and used from £16.99 which is not too bad). I looked all over the place with no luck, and then I tried Amazon not expecting a result and was pleasantly surprised. Get in there quick and buy this brilliant set. The film is a brilliantly produced film, fairly close to the book and in my opinion just as good, which is a rare thing to be honest. Seeing Jason Donovan as I remember him when I was 14 was a bit of a blast from the past and a good excuse to sit down and reflect on times gone by. I can not understand why this film has not been made available on DVD or even as a download somewhere because I am sure that it would certainly sell.

The 1988 Australian Miniseries "The Heroes" tells the story of Operation JAYWICK, the famous Z Special Unit raid on Singapore Harbour.This miniseries is closely based on Ronald McKie's book of the same name. Keep in mind that the book was written in the 1960s and the TV miniseries in 1988, 7 years before the SRD/Z records were fully declassified. They did an awesome job in getting it as right as possible.Also, take note of the rickety fishing boat used in this series, to me it looks identical to the KRAIT. Perhaps the KRAIT was used for the production? That would have been a mind-job for the cast and crew, many of whom had liaised with surviving members of the JAYWICK party.If you wish to compare fact with fiction (or in this case, docu-drama), run a search on Google for "Operation JAYWICK" and you will find the Special Operations Australia page on the operation which is closely based on Ivan Lyon's actual log/diary of the operation. Photos on that page also marry up very closely with instances in the film where John Bach, the actor playing LT Davidson, takes happy snaps on board the KRAIT. Really well done.

I had a devil of a time over several years getting my hands on this movie, (and it's sequel, The Heroes II The Return). I finally had success bidding through the British e-bay site, and was able to have them transfered to DVD from the PAL videotapes in which they were released (this seemed okay since I own legal PAL copies and the movies are unavailable to buy in US format).These two very long and well-made features seem ripe for a re-release on DVD for history buffs and anyone appreciating well made action movies. They are (in my estimation) the Australian equivalent to the US mini-series Band of Brothers. I also obtained a copy of the book on which the films were based, which is a worthwhile read.

I watched this on TV years ago and have been searching without success to find a copy ever since. It involves a ragtag group of servicemen sneaking undercover, via a rickety old boat, into Japanese controlled waters to stage night raids by canoe. The movie moves at an appropriate pace and includes just enough humor and family relationships to provide some relief to the increasing intensity of the suspenseful action. The plot is inventive and the casting excellent.