- Twelve jailbirds will earn their freedom.if they survive a suicide mission against the Nazi brass. Tough-as-nails Lee Marvin leads a nothing-to-lose convict squad of Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Trini Lopez, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Clint Walker and more in the all-time action trendsetter.Running Time: 150 min. Format: BLU-RAY DISC Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rati
Twelve jailbirds will earn their freedom…if they survive a suicide mission against the Nazi brass. Tough-as-nails Lee Marvin leads a nothing-to-lose convict squad of Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Trini Lopez, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Clint Walker and more in the all-time action trendsetter.A model for dozens of action films to follow, this box-office hit from 1967 refined a die-hard formula that has become overly familiar, but it’s rarely been handled better than it was in this action-packed World War II thriller. Lee Marvin is perfectly cast as a down-but-not-out army major who is offered a shot at personal and professional redemption. If he can successfully train and discipline a squad of army rejects, misfits, killers, prisoners, and psychopaths into a first-rate unit of specialized soldiers, they’ll earn a second chance to make up for their woeful misdeeds. Of course, there’s a catch: to obtain their pardons, Marvin’s band of badmen must agree to a suicide mission that will parachute them into the danger zone of Nazi-occupied France. It’s a hazardous path to glory, but the men have no other choice than to accept and regain their lost honor. What makes The Dirty Dozen special is its phenomenal cast including Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, George Kennedy, Ernest Borgnine, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, Jim Brown, Clint Walker, Trini Lopez, Robert Ryan, and others. Cassavetes is the Oscar-nominated standout as one of Marvin’s most rebellious yet heroic men, but it’s the whole ensemble–combined with the hard-as-nails direction of Robert Aldrich–that makes this such a high-velocity crowd pleaser. The script by Nunnally Johnson and Lukas Heller (from the novel by E.M. Nathanson) is strong enough to support the all-star lineup with ample humor and military grit, so if you’re in need of a mainline jolt of testosterone, The Dirty Dozen is the movie for you. –Jeff Shannon
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May 28, 2008
#1
If you like this film there is something mentally wrong with you. See a doctor.
May 28, 2008
#2
After decades of high expectations, I finally saw THE DIRTY DOZEN for the first time on Cinemax and was very disappointed.
The film, while offering an impressive all-star cast to rival THE LONGEST DAY, was more farcical than action-packed, more silly than dramatic and in the end, not very well acted, either. It was almost like watching a two-hour movie of HOGAN’S HEROES or F-TROOP.
Some have called this “a real man’s action movie”. Am I the only one who noticed that Lee Marvin’s character acts effeminately gay throughout most of the first half of the movie???
In the end, I think the only good memory I will have of THE DIRTY DOZEN is Tom Hanks’ reference to it in SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE when he and his brother in-law sarcastically recall the climax like two weepy women.
“Of course, I cried at the end of The Dirty Dozen.”
“Well, who didn’t.”
May 28, 2008
#3
Bought 2 movies of Dirty Dozen.. HD 1st 1 woulden’t load.. & so stupid me bought another & that 1 would not load either.. I have 3 DVD recorders in my house and not 1 of them would play them.. Although Amazon did refund my money back on the 2nd 1..
May 28, 2008
#4
Having heard about this movie for many years I finally got around to seeing it. As I suspected its another super-commando saga. Hollywood seemed enthralled with this theme in the late 1960s with clunkers like “Devil’s Brigade” “Guns of Navaronne” etc. These films seemed to extol the adventure and action element with scant regard for any history. I fail to see what has made this movie such a classic. I guess people like to see all the big shot actors in it being tough guys. Personally I never got much out of GI locker room comraderie in any of these films. The whole idea of a bunch of criminals being used to launch a silly raid to kill German officers seems ridiculous, and I am sure was never done. I am glad I just took this one out of the library. Personally I wouldn’t waste my time or money on it, unless you like the style of acting or the actors in it. Much better commando flicks are out there if you this kind of genre. Try “The Eagle Has Landed” which truly is fantasy as well, but at least it shows a German commando group for a change, and is well done. The Dirty Dozen has to be one of the all time worst WW2 movies ever made. View it if you want a laugh. Nothing more.
May 28, 2008
#5
To destroy your enemy or not to destroy your enemy, that is the question!
Liberals beware! You will not like this movie! In fact, you will hate it! Every time a Nazi Neanderthal is ruthlessly slaughtered by a member of the elite ‘Dirty Dozen; (without due process), you will probably resort to the sort of whining and complaining that radical liberals are notorious for! (e.g.”I want a recount!”)
So, the Dirty Dozen didn’t give the Nazis their day in court before sending them into eternity! So Jim Brown didn’t think twice about foregoing the Nazi’s rights to a fair trial when he arbitrarily imposed the death penalty on hundreds of unsuspecting Nazis by tossing a few hand grenades their way! So what?
And what of the radical environmentalists? They will loathe this film. This film is the veritable “Little Boy” of movies that depict environmental destruction, and the Nazis are the Amazon Rain Forest! I love the movie’s symbolism!
At any rate, I highly recommend this movie to men…real men, to patriots, to conservatives, and to true intellectuals such as myself, who are able to appreciate the subtle art of war.