Force 10 from Navarone

When I was a child, F10FN came on as the Sunday afternoon movie. I recorded it on an casset by setting my tape recorder beside the 9" black and white set and staying quiet while I watched. This was well before VCRs. I can site almost every line. There are some lines that have been changed, or left out, most of which is banter that only ads comidic touches (ie, Carl Weathers does not say "heavy duty dog doo") but I still have such a soft spot for this movie. Also it is Robert Shaw's last movie.

Though this movie didn't make it too well at the box office. It did well on Sunday nights on ABC television. You will see many early actors such as Michael Byrne (Nazi Major who also repeated in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with Harrison Ford) Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed of Rocky) and Richard Kiel (Villain in the Bond films-"Jaws") It has a catchy soudtrack, with many funny little slapstick jokes, amazing scenery. The story leaves off with a totally new cast, Some of the acting is a little off, but it still carries an interesting story about this elite special forces group and their journey to stop the German war machine.

I saw this movie when it first came out and again recently. As a period film, it ages well over 20 years later. Robert Shaw (hot off of the movie JAWS) and Harrison Ford (Star Wars) are pretty good. Barbara Bach (The Spy Who Loved Me, Caveman) gives an ok performance. This film is mostly good for fans of the first movie (Guns of Navarone) and fans of war and action movies. It's short life at the box office deserved a longer run.