Excellent, a Must See

Dreadfully Boring

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

One of the greatest action spy thrillers ever made. Fantastic cast. Clint Eastwood is a complete badass in the film. Lots of action and great twists in the plot

Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton are brilliant and have very good chemistry in this World War 2 classic. The picture has a lot more than just action going for it, I personally enjoyed the talkative side and most importantly the revelations that occur throughout, but one particular scene that really stood out is when Burton and Eastwood storm in on a celebration, and make the Germans feel very uncomfortable with a bit of good old fashioned trickery, the writers and the director ensure the dialogue is enthralling and the camera angles are competently done to maintain a thrilling atmosphere and the appropriate level of tension. Brian G. Hutton's film also keeps the factor of surprise around, ensuring that the film is not predictable, Alistair Maclean's screenplay is impressive, there's plenty of great moments including a scene that clearly inspired Quentin Tarantino, as there is a similar plot device within his film, though here it's not as violent nor as inventive, it's still another very good scene in a superb motion picture.Among the supporting cast is Mary Ure, who plays an undercover agent, aiding the Brits and Eastwood. The picture is competently acted all round and some are very impressive, especially Richard Burton who steals the film away from a very good Clint, I also admired the well-choreographed action and shootouts, and the nice cinematography that showcase some nice shots of terrific scenery and well-chosen locations. The film may be extremely long, but it felt captivating, enthralling and always entertaining containing a mild but good sense of humour, complete with a satisfying conclusion, Where Eagles Dare is a Great War picture with a compelling storyline, superb writing, impressive action scenes and strong performances from both Burton and Eastwood.

I think WHERE EAGLES DARE is a tremendously exciting, action-packed WW2 adventure and certainly the best adaptation of a novel by Alistair MacLean that I've watched. My only complaint is that it's taken me until the thirty-fifth year of my life to actually bother sitting down and watching it, which is almost criminal. In any case, this is a classic war film that can be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of THE GREAT ESCAPE. It features an all-star cast of heroes doing heroic things in a film which has a bit of everything: suspense that never lets up from beginning to end, huge action in the form of countless shoot-outs, sinister Nazi villains, beautiful women, and rugged male heroes.Richard Burton is the erstwhile lead, doing unsurprisingly well with a multi-layered character, and Clint Eastwood is the perfect choice for his young, cocksure, American partner. The setting itself - this was filmed in the Bavarian Alps - is beautifully shot and a fine addition to the movie. I find the idea of infiltrating a Nazi mountaintop fortress to be incredible in itself and WHERE EAGLES DARE runs away with the premise. In the second half, there's as much action as in COMMANDO, it gets so thrilling.Mary Ure and Ingrid Pitt in particular make their mark as the femme fatales caught up in the action. Other reliables like Donald Houston, Patrick Wymark, Michael Hordern, and a superbly slimy Derren Nesbitt really make their mark, and Anton Diffring plays one of his most memorable Nazi characters. There are some stunning set-pieces here, but the latter bit on the cable car is by far the best moment of the film. I just can't get over how fresh and modern-feeling WHERE EAGLES DARE, and how much entertainment it packs into that lengthy running time. It's a classic!

During WWII, American General Carnaby is captured after his plane crashed on its way to Crete. A British team is sent to rescue him from a German mountain castle before he reveals plans for the second front. The team is led by Major John Smith (Richard Burton) and includes American Morris Schaffer (Clint Eastwood). Upon parachuting down, one of the men's neck is broken under suspicious circumstances. There is a massive German base and something is going wrong with the mission.This is a relatively good war espionage movie. It starts with a weak explanation. The Allies would bomb the hell out of the place and Eisenhower would be happy about it. My b.s. detector goes off right away. The German helicopter confused me a little but they did have a few of them back then. The story could have been simpler but it insists on trying to add layers of double-cross. It finally climax in a confusing reveal where even Clint Eastwood's character says he's confused. If one tries to dig into the twists, it's a highly-improbable and overly-complicated way to get what they're after. The escape with the prisoners is something that needs lots of popcorn and no brain function to truly appreciate. It still has some good action and two excellent stars.