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Kelly's Heroes

Kelly's Heroes

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A true guy movie
Review: Kelly's Heroes is a war comedy that is truly a guys movie. With an all-star cast this is a can't miss. The story revolves around a platoon of soldiers who go behind enemy lines in an attempt to steal $16 million in gold. The platoon is led by Kelly(Clint Eastwood) and Big Joe(Telly Savalas). Obviously they run into trouble on the way. The scene with the platoon moving into the town of Claremont is very well done.

This war comedy is truly funny in many parts. Donald Sutherland as Oddball steals many scenes with his hippie-like attitude. Don Rickles as Crapgame also provides a few laughs. Eastwood and Savalas are good as well. Carroll O'Connor is hysterical as General Colt who goes berserk trying to find who broke through the German lines. Excellent supporting cast including the members of the platoon. The widescreen presentation on the DVD is great. Soundtrack sounds even better than before. Do not miss this truly funny movie!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Kelly's Heroes" definitely sends out positive waves!
Review: Because I live in Japan, whenever I see American movies on the television, I have the terrible disadvantage of having to see the movie with many scenes taken out! So when I taped "Kelly's Heroes", I was only able to watch 1 hour and 50 minutes of this 143 minutes movie! Finally I am able to watch the whole movie through, and in the wonderful picture quality, sound, and color of DVD! What a thrill it was to get this DVD for my birthday, and I sincerely thank my parents for it!

When a group of soldiers from World War II complain that, "There's no action!", Lieutenant Kelly (Clint Eastwood) gives them 'a proposition', even when his tough superior Sergeant Big Joe (Telly Savalas) threatens him not to. 25 miles away in Clermont is a bank with Germans guarding 14,000 bars of solid gold - which comes up to about 16 million bucks! And since it's behind enemy lines, Staff Sergeant Crapgame "The Hustler" (Don Rickles) is absolutely correct when he says that 'it could be the perfect crime'! Sharing in their adventure is also Oddball (Donald Sutherland), who is, as you've probably already guessed, a nut but an able tank commander. And of course there's the rest of 'Kelly's Heroes', Little Joe (Stuart Margolin), Cowboy (Jeff Morris), Moriarty (Gavin MacLeod), Gutowski (Richard Davalos), Fisher (Dick Balduzzi), Babra who is always called 'Barabara' (Gene Collins), and plenty of other guys, too. But of course they have a long way to go to reach their destination. They'll be hindered by a sixty foot river, German patrols, and even have to beware of their own planes! And even if they reach Clermont, will they be able to go up against - not one, or two - but three Tiger tanks? Also starring is Carroll O'Connor as Major General Colt who wants the American Army to 'get back into the war', his nephew Captain Maitland played by Hal Buckley, and of course there is Mulligan acted out by George Savalas, who is the brother of Telly Savalas (notice the similarities, although their roles are very different from each other's).

A 'no-doubt-about-it' five star movie, though if I could give it more, I would! "Kelly's Heroes" is in a genre of it's own, having a bit of everything; action, war, comedy, suspense, and drama. And please don't believe that this is only 'a guy's film'. Yes, the movie is mostly aimed for guys but still, I'm a girl and I LOVE this movie!

The movie is well-paced for it's 143 minutes of film time. Some movies seem to be drawn out and too long but "Kelly's Heroes" doesn't have that case. I cannot actually tell you which are my favorite scenes because, well, the whole movie is good! But if I had to answer that question, I would say that the last part where Kelly and his 'heroes' are going into Clermont is one of the best parts of the movie. And of course, the scene where Kelly, Big Joe, and Oddball confront the Tiger tank. That is most definitely a classic scene, imitating western movies like Clint Eastwood's, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". And if you listen closely, you can actually here the clink of spurs! :-) The music is terrific, too, especially the song, "Burnin' Bridges". I love the intro with the drums and trumpets! The music also really pumps you up with excitement and suspense at just the right times.

As for the DVD, I would only give it four stars out of five. I must admit that the front cover and back cover is really nice. The first thing I thought when I opened of the front flap was, "WOW, that is a cool picture of Clint Eastwood!" The movie is also divided into 37 chapters, the more the better for me, since I love it when DVD's have many chapters. But I was a mite disappointed at the lack of special features. The theatrical trailer was really fun to watch but as for the "Cast and Crew" part, though about nine people are mentioned, you only get to see Clint Eastwood's filmography! They could have at least put filmographies and a short biography on Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, and Don Rickles.

Oh, well. But the movie itself certainly makes up for my little disappointment in the DVD. Great movie for anyone though I think the movie's better for kids 13 and up, rather than younger kids. If you have any 'negative waves' on this movie, maybe rent it out first although I'm sure anyone could love this movie!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: good caper flick
Review: A silly but sometimes serious caper film set in WWII Europe. It features several major stars: Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Carroll O'Connor, Don Rickles and more.

Fanciful, though not completely impossible, tale of a US Army recon unit that stumbles onto the location of a supply of gold during the Allied liberation of Europe. Eastwood is the driving force behind the caper (stealing the gold), Savalas the tough sargent, O'Connor the commanding general, Rickles the deal maker, and Sutherland an outrageous hippie tank commander. The chemistry between the characters is great, and the story is well told.

The movie is well made, the dialog well written and well acted, and the DVD transfer seems quite good. The exteriors were shot in Yugoslavia, and most of the hardware seems accurate. The Sherman tanks, jeeps, and halftracks are real, and while I'm not an expert, the Tiger tanks appear to be the real thing also. While Hollywood can be quite good at illusion (that is their business, after all), the Tigers' drive and bogey wheels match the pix of Tigers I have seen much more closely than that of American APCs. I did find the sound of the machine guns off, however. German machine guns of that era had a higher rate of fire than American guns like the Thompson. If you listen to the firefights, it seems like the sounds are reversed, with the American machine guns firing faster than the German ones. A small nitpick.

All in all, a mostly fun film with some grim battle and death scenes. (It IS a war film) The thing that keeps bringing me back is Sutherland's portrayal of the completely anachronistic "Oddball," which is great for showing his range when compared to his roles in films like The Dirty Dozen, MASH, JFK, Ordinary People, Eye of the Needle, Buffy, Backdraft, Outbreak, etc. (Check out his filmography, it's impressive.)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Super Movie
Review: It's World War II, and Kelly (Clint Eastwood) has found out that behind enemy lines there's a bank full of GOLD! Now all he has to do is figure out a way to get it it without getting killed and without having to divide it with too many of his comrades. This movie has action, suspense, comedy, and drama. It is filled to the gills with stars who play unique characters. Among the stars of this film are Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Carroll O'Connor and Donald Sutherland who by the way, gives an epic performance. This is one movie you can watch again and again and again, and still love it. Oddball, (played by Donald Sutherland) demonstrates the power of positive thinking and has the most unique way of attacking the enemy while riding in a tank. This isn't one of those low budget films that leave you wondering what in the world is going on. It is a masterpiece of writing and directing. Friends of mine who are currently in the military or who are long retired veterans adore this film. Everyone who plays in this movie give stellar performances, plus, it shows just what a little team work and positive thinking can do. This is a review for the vhs version of the movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Unique and Humorous
Review: Pretty good comedy set during WWII about a platoon of infantry soldiers who suddenly become a daring raiding force in order to swipe millions of dollars worth of gold behind enemy lines. Leading the force is "Kelly (Clint Eastwood)," an ex-Lieutenant (busted to Private for attacking the wrong hill) who learns about the gold from a German prisoner. He then organizes a small task force comprised of soldiers, of questionable integrity, to penetrate German lines. The movie shines with the all-star cast (Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Harry Dean Stanton, Donald Sutherland, and Carol O'Connor), who provide a lot entertainment with their colorful portrayals of the soldiers involved. Although humorous, it is somewhat dated due to it's release during the Vietnam War period, but it's still pretty funny. What is impressive about the picture is that it was filmed in the former country of Yugoslavia and there's quite of bit of accuracy in the movie sets with real Sherman tanks, appropriate uniforms, and modified T-34 tanks which look very much like German Tiger 1 tanks (probably the same ones used in "Saving Private Ryan"). The humor is good, a bit dark at times, and there are some somber moments as the "Heros" fight German units enroute to their objective. Overall it's a fun movie and worthy of transfer to DVD. The music is good also.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Off-beat WW2 classic with all-star cast!
Review: This is definitely one of the funniest war movies of all time! Donald Sutherland, who plays a hippie(!) tank commander, seems out of place in a WW2 setting. However, he had me laughing the whole way through! I can't imagine what this film would be like without his hysterical performance. One of my favorite scenes is when Sutherland's three Sherman tanks attack a Nazi railroad station while playing Hank Williams' music on a loud speaker! I realize that this "WW2 movie" has a definite 70's feel to it (especially with one of the hit songs of the decade, Burning Bridges), & some don't like this movie for that reason. I can't help but have fun everytime I see this! The tanks, even the German ones, look much more authentic than those in Patton or The Battle of the Bulge. This is a real treat for WW2 tank buffs like me who appreciate authenticity. I know the plot is hokey, but who cares? If you want to see a war movie that isn't depressing (like most) or boring then this is for you!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Kelly's Heroes --A Hero's Five Stars!
Review: Thanks to TBS and TNT, this movie can be seen many times a year and it's one of those movies that you can turn on at any point and watch over and over again. It's that much fun. Clint Eastwood, in the title role, leads a misfit platoon to a German-occupied French town past enemy lines during WWII. The town has a bank that is storing German Gold bars and they take it upon themselves to take the gold. There is comedy,dramatic and intense battle scenes, comraderie, and an underlying antiwar (anti Vietnam) message. Great cast including Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Don Rickels, Gavin Mcleod, Stuart Margolin, Harry Dean Stanton, Caroll O'Conner and a great support cast in minor roles. A great war comedy. The DVD does not have much except for the widescreen version and nothing else.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great entertainment,, with WWII backgound
Review:


Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: November 6, 2001

Cast:

Clint Eastwood ... Pvt. Kelly
Telly Savalas ... Master Sgt. Big Joe
Don Rickles ... Staff Sgt. Crapgame
Carroll O'Connor ... Major General Colt
Donald Sutherland ... Sgt. Oddball, Tank Commander
Gavin MacLeod ... Moriarty, Tank crewman
Hal Buckley ... Captain Maitland
Stuart Margolin ... Pvt. Little Joe
Jeff Morris ... Pvt. Cowboy
Richard Davalos ... Pvt. Gutowski
Perry Lopez ... Pvt. Petuko
Tom Troupe ... Cpl. Job
Harry Dean Stanton ... Pvt. Willard
Dick Balduzzi ... Pvt. Fisher
Gene Collins ... Pvt. Babra
Len Lesser ... Platoon Sgt. Bellamy 42nd Engineers
David Hurst ... Colonel Dumpkoppf
Fred Pearlman ... Pvt. Mitchell
Michael Clark ... Pvt. Grace
George Fargo ... Pvt. Penn
Dee Pollock ... Pvt. Jonesey
George Savalas ... 1st Sgt. Mulligan, Artillery Unit
John G. Heller ... German Lieutenant
Shepherd Sanders ... Turk, Tank crewman
Karl-Otto Alberty ... German Tank Commander
Ross Elliott ... Major Booker, Gen. Colt's Staff Communications Officer
Phil Adams ... Pvt. Whiskey
Hugo De Vernier ... French mayor
Frank J. Garlotta ... Tanker
Harry Goines ... Supply sergeant
David Gross ... German Captain
Sandy Kevin ... Mo
James McHale ... Guest
Robert MacNamara ... Major Roach, Gen. Colt's Staff
Reed Morgan ... U.S. lieutenant
Tom Signorelli ... Sgt. Bonsor, Gen. Colt's Staff
Donald Waugh ... Roamer, Gen. Colt's Staff

Vincent Maracecchi ... Old man in town
Tony Wheeler ... Cpl., General Colt's Driver

This film is rich with humor, as well as suspense. Kelly (Eastwood) learns about a bank full of gold bars, in Germany behind enemy lines. He gets together a mixed bag of what can only be called losers and misfits, appropriates a tank, and heads for the gold. The ensuing struggle to get rich provides the motivation which keeps the motley band together.

Donald Sutherland ("oddball"), the hippy tanker, is the source of much humor, as well as Don Rickles ("Crapgame"), and (believe it or not) Carroll O.Connor as the general.

This is a funny movie, with more than a little action. Nothing offensive.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books



Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Action packed and funny
Review: Another "tough-guy" film that is sure to entertain you over and over again. Starring Clint Eastwood as the demoted Sgt. Kelly, Telly Savalas as "Big Joe", also starring Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, Carol O'Connor and Dean Stanton. Truely great action packed film with lots of dry humour. Donald Sutherland looks like he's spent the last 5 years in San Fransisco than an actual Tank commander. I recommend this film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What A Cast!...What A Blast!...
Review: This review refers to the Warner Bros(Clint Eastwood Collection) widescreen DVD version of "Kelly's Heroes"....

Well, our guy Clint is at it again...he's after the money and no little event like WWII is gonna stop him. Thirty years before George Clooney led his "Three Kings"(also a fine film), to make a big score in Desert Storm, Lt. Kelly(Eastwood) gathered up his motley crew and stormed Europe for a little heist of their own.

The men are tired. They've been dodging the blasts not only from the German's, but from our side as well. They just want a little R&R...maybe, someplace where there's a little action going on..and not the kind the war has to offer. When Kelly stumbles onto some top secret information, the men get there second wind. Well you would too if there was millions of gold to be had.He puts together an array of colorful characters that includes the likes of guys called, "Oddball","Crapgame","Job", "Cowboy" and Master Sgt. "Big Joe". These guys jump at the chance to take home a token of the war. But wait!...the gold is safely tucked away in a guarded bank!...and what's more..it's deep behind enemy lines!.But you don't those little obstacles will stop these guys, do you?

Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, and the world's first "hippie"..Donald Sutherland will take you on a dangerous but fun and exciting adventure, as they go for the gold. These characters are off the wall and will keep you smiling. The weapons they use are not exactly General Issue either. Tanks that play loud music and shoot paintballs are only part of what the Germans at the other end have in store for them.

Also included are such greats as Carroll O'Connor, the gung-ho General who thinks these guys are out to win the war,Harry Dean Stanton, Gavin MacLeod, and Stuart Margolin. You'll love the music, especially the theme song, and all the action and great cinematography in the wonderful widescreen presentation.

This film from 1970 looks and sounds fabulous on this DVD. A beautiful clear picture and great sound in DD5.1. When those tanks come rumbling in..you will know it!It may also be viewed in French(but not in surround sound), and has subtitles in English and French, which are nicely placed below the film in the black bar area. There is also a theatrical trailer.

This is a great Eastwood film,terrific war story, lots of fun, and has a supporting cast on the brink of greatness!...Check it out and ..enjoy...Laurie


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