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Could have been nice

Below average WW 2 movie that was ruined by bad directing/script.Too bad because the cast and story was very good and had the potential to make this movie a classic. The production was rushed and done with no love.The cast was great but the actors were just going thru the motions.The props used was good though.Too bad because that did not save this movie.Still a movie to be enjoyed by big WW 2 movie fans and by some big fans of the lead actors.......

Undemanding, to put it mildly, but not unlikeable

Set your expectations low for this one. Force 10 From Navarone is a lazy and (very) belated sequel from the will-this-do? school of filmmaking right at the tail-end of the Alistair MacLean `genre.' After this and the barely released Bear Island, it was straight to video for future adaptations. Not that this bears much resemblance to his novel, or even the original film, with Gregory Peck and David Niven replaced by a slumming it Robert Shaw and Edward Fox, more King Edwaaahhhrrrdddd than the Jackal here. They're sent to Yugoslavia to identify and kill the traitor who `blew them' on Navarone - pretty tricky since he's changed from the rat-like Tutte Lemkow into the I'm-too-sexy-for-`tache-and-don't-I-know-it Franco Nero - tagging along with a remarkably stilted and uncomfortable young Harrison Ford as the least convincing colonel in the US army who has been sent there to blow up a bridge with his small force of Rangers (you'll never guess their code number). Naturally they end up doing each others jobs, going through the usual run of captures, escapes, bluffs, double-crosses, traitors within, shooty bang-bangs and big explosions (here a dam rather than big guns), all shot as functionally as possible by a complacent Guy Hamilton to the accompaniment of Ron Goodwin's jolly and catchy score.


Fellow Bond veterans Richard Kiel and Barbara Bach are along for the ride, the latter briefly getting out her jubblies for no good reason other than keeping the dads dragged to see this by their kids happy. Not a disaster, and possibly one of the few films shot in Yugoslavia that's actually set there (Tito gets a name check in the script for providing the tanks and extras), but it has the feel of an episode of Garrisons Guerrillas with an only slightly higher budget.


The transfer quality leaves something to be desired, but this does include the longer European cut alongside the US one, as well as the theatrical trailer.

Sequel in name only

I've always liked this film. When compared to its predecessor, Guns of Navarone, it falters a bit. However, it is a good action/war adventure that gets a bum rap because of its lineage.

Might have been better off had they not worked in the Navarone connection.

Good performances all around, and a fun, enjoyable 2 hours.

Unfocused and largely unmemorable.

How many people out there do you suppose could name this as Robert Shaw's final film? Probably only his most devout fans could. That's the trouble with Force 10 from Navarone. It seems to have all of the right ingredients including a great cast, beautiful locations, a rousing score, and that ever-dependable villain the Nazis. However once it ends, you likely won't remember many details other than the destruction of an enormous dam and bridge in the final moments. What went wrong? First off it must be pointed out that this film is reputed to be a sequel to Guns of Navarone which was released several years prior. I must confess to having never seen much of that film, yet several informed accounts point out that this film has very little in common with its predecessor other than the word "Navarone" in the title. That is not the only problem; in fact had the film been written better, it might have hardly mattered at all. Force 10 is unfocused to say the least. We have an elite team of American special forces ready to embark on a mission into Yugoslavia. Harrison Ford is their leader, and their mission is to blow up a bridge. Added to the mission at the last moment are two Englishmen. One is an explosives expert who doesn't even seem to know that he will be used for the demolition. Another (Shaw) is along for the ride to kill a double agent who is operating amongst the Pro-Allied Partisan force near the bridge. Only about half-way through does it seem to become clear that everyone is on the right page and understands what they're all supposed to be doing. Even then, there are double-crossings going on nearly up until the very end.Some of the action is compelling. Some of the situations these operatives find themselves in are ludicrous. The acting is uniformly very good. You can tell Harrison Ford already knows he's a star. Shaw is great, too. Franco Nero as a Partisan leader shows some talent, and Barbra Bach is a real treat for the eyes. The pacing is poor, and some of the dialog is absolutely bottom-of-the-barrel. Despite the PG rating, there are some adult-like surprises. Bach is topless in one scene (yes!), and there is a very graphic decapitation of a hapless Nazi soldier.In sum, this film won't put you to sleep, but with all involved it should have been better. The script is what ultimately dooms it. 5 of 10 stars.The Hound.

So-so

A band of soldiers in WWII go behind German lines to blow up a dam. The whole production is rather stiff and cheap, with a creaky script that depends upon a lengthy string of unlikely coincidences for its plot twists. It's remarkable how, with a rather large territory to wander about in, key characters just happen to encounter each other at the right moments.

It benefits from some fun performances from Robert Shaw and Edward Fox and a kind of retro feel to it that makes it seem like a film that could have been made twenty years earlier.

Not as bad as the critics think

I think this movie has gotten a bad rap from Hollywood critics. I've always kind of enjoyed it, even with it's storyline glitches, and believe me I am very picky about WWII movies. OK, totally believable it's not, but if you're looking for an exciting adventure movie this might be your thing. It is interesting to note that this is one of the earlier movies to portray the hotbed of Balkan politics that we all know today. I first saw this film when I was still young and in school and it inspired me to read up on the Balkans, it's Partisans, Chetniks, Croats, and Serbs. Strange as it sounds, I actually had a better understanding of Balkan politics when Yugoslavia splintered in the early 90's thanks in small part to this film. Don't sell the movie short until you have seen it.

Great movie, poor mastering job.

I think this is a terrific action/adventure film. It's NOT to be compared with "The Guns of Navarone", because they are not related and the former is actually a masterpiece... this film is just doggone good fun to watch.

I give this a lower rating however, because on my brand new copy of the DVD, I could not remove the French subtitles on my brand new Panasonic DVD player at all. Not sure why it was impossible, but it was distracting and coupled with the poor transfer, I give this a "3" reluctantly.

Underrated fun, plus lots of Bond veterans

I first saw this movie 20+ years ago on HBO (I was about 13 and a huge "Star Wars" fan, so I watched anything with Harrison Ford), with no knowledge of the original "Guns...", so I definitely have a soft spot for it. The best way to approach it is like a 007 movie: not necessarily realistic or literary, but a good fun romp, and without the utterly implausible over-the-top histrionics of today's action flicks. Plus, it's chock full of Bond film veterans: Robert Shaw (Nash in "From Russia With Love"), Richard Kiel and Barbara Bach (Jaws and Maj. Amasova respectively, both from "The Spy Who Loved Me"), Edward Fox (M in "Never Say Never Again"), plus it was directed by Guy Hamilton, who did several Bond films, including "Goldfinger", "Live and Let Die", and "The Man with the Golden Gun". No tuxedos, Aston Martins, or shaken-not-stirred martinis, but hey, it's WWII. Good fun filmaking, underrated because of its association with its predecessor.

This movie gets better every time I see it(watching it now)

I saw this movie on the big screen years before I actually watched "The Guns of Navarone". It is certainly not as good as the Gregory Peck/David Niven movie, but it is a personal favorite of mine. Robert Shaw and Edward Fox however are more than adequate(an understatement)in the roles of Mallory and Miller. This movie also has excellent performances by Harrison Ford and Carl Weathers. Franco Nero and Barbara Bach should also be recognized for some excellent moments in the film. It is however Richard Kiel as Captain Drazak that delivers the best performance in the movie."We're going to blow up a bridge"-Major Mallory"Well they may be experts at building them old boy, but I am an expert at blowing them up"-Staff Sgt. Miller.It's lines like these that make this movie pure fun to watch.It's not a historical documentary to be sure, but as a product of entertainment in the genre of war movie, it is worth a look.

Great WWII action movie!

First off, I enjoy anything having to do with World War II. I remember seeing this movie as a kid before I saw the original "Guns of Navarone." I was flipping channels last night and saw that "Force 10" was on. I watched it and remembered how much I enjoyed it the first time.

Not only does this film focus on a remote battlefield (remote in the sense that it's not a Normandy or anything you might have seen in "Patton"), but it provides an exciting story that the viewer just can't forget. After so many years, I fondly remembered Carl Weathers' knife fight with that big guy (the name escapes me, but he played the character Jaws in two Bond films), the amusing explosives expert Miller, and all the crazy twists and turns that took the commandos to their final objective - destroy a dam to destroy a bridge. (What I never understood, though, was why didn't the Germans just have their armored and infantry divisions cross the dam rather than face hostile fire on the bridge from the Partisans!).

Anyhow, the film is great. They just don't make movies like this anymore. Harrison Ford and Robert Shaw (and the rest) make a great team, best shown when they walk cavalierly away from that ticking bomb that's about to explode in the dam! Yes, a great war flick that I highly recommend and rank right up there with the best.

Gregory who?

Agreed, the original Guns of Navarone was far superior to this sequel. The original had a great story, a seriousness, a debate about morality and immortal performances by Quin, Niven and Quale. It unfortunately also had Gregory Peck who plays Mallory, a British officer who spoke German like a German. Can't say much about Peck's German since I don't speak any German myself, but it does sound a bit wooden. But why didn't Mallory speak English like an Englishman? On top of that Peck's dramatic scene's reminded me of William Shatner's acting style.Force 10 from Navarone isn't quite the piece of art Guns was. As many had said before, Carl Weathers' character was completely out of place here and many other things were wrong.But the one thing I would like to point out is that what many consider a blooper really isn't one. Mallory still suspects the Nero character of being the traitor they thought he was, long after the Nero character was supposedly cleared. Only Miller knew Mallory spoke German like a German! So when the Nero character proposes to join them because they don't speak German, Mallory keeps his mouth shut about being able to speak German so he can keep an eye on Nero's character. You know, keep your friends close but keep your enemies even closer. It was the logical thing to do. It was what I would have done.Shaw was the only thing in this movie that was better than Guns. Peck was a poor choice. And Shaw's Mallory is really great.

Harrison Ford and Robert Shaw in a action classic...SPOILERS

I love this film. This is one of the films on my favorites list. They just don't make them like this anymore. (Only the upcoming U-571 looks like it comes close) The story is the tale of a American mission into Yugoslavia to destroy a bridge before German troops can cross it, to destroy Yugoslav forces under Marshall Tito. However, the mission is blown by a sinister spy, the plane and equipment are destroyed, and it looks as if all is lost. The new target of the mission becomes a dam. With the dam destroyed the force of the cascading water will destroy the bridge the germans are trying to take. This film was based on a novel by ALISTAR MCLEAN and was the sequel to the GUNS OF NAVARRONE. The film was filmed on location in communist Yugoslavia. Among the cast were CARL WEATHERS, RICHARD KIEL, FRANCO NERO, and the beautiful BARBARA BACH. I wish Hollywood would crank out a few more like this, however, I doubt it. They seem to be out of touch with what the rest of the nation wants and continue to crank out drek like HOME FRIES.

What did I think of this?

I found this movie to be one worth watching!It was far different from a continuation of The Guns Of Navarone that I expected, and the use of Yugoslav T-34/85's was definitly a plus in my opinion. Fair enough, it may not be the best war film ever made, but Id want it in my World War Two movie collection!Keep an eye out for Carl Weathers, better known as Dillion from the first Predator movie.

a "force" not to be missed

really this is just a war movie in it's own right and the name "navarone" is just added because they based it,in name only,on the sequel to the classic "guns of navarone"
robert shaw(who died just after the film was finished) and edward fox(edward&mrs. simpson,the day of the jackel) take gregory peck's and david nivens roles and are joined by a very young harrison ford as a colonel on a different mission as they join in his mission to blow-up a bridge(there's always one to blow up in these's movies!)in yugoslavia,and mallory & miller(shaw & fox) are being sent to find a traitor who almost got them killed at navarone,though to be dead,but now with the partisans and still working for the germans.
after a bad start(facking a plane theft that leaves them with a black american con(carl weathers,just off "rocky") and short a few men,then shot down and the loss of the main strike group) they find the partisans(who turn out to be with the germans)and then it gets really fun!!!!
i know this sounds hard to follow,but trust me it's not,and what we get is a very good world war II thriller and some great action scenes!! this is really a fun and action packed thriller so give it a chance!!!!!

Most Underrated War Film

While Force 10 from Navarone may not be as good as its predecessor The Guns of Navarone, it remains to be one of the most underrated war films of all time.The survivors of Navarone have been given a new, and even more difficult assignment - they must destroy a huge bridge located deep in the Balkans. However, in their midst is a traitor who betrays them to the enemy, and nearly succeeds in foiling their plans.Force 10 From Navarone has been poorly received by many critics such as Leonard Maltin who called the film a bomb, but this is the same person who gave films such as Jaws 3 and Jaws: The Revenge (that IMDb has put in the worst films of all time list) a 2 1/2 out of 4.The cast which includes Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Bernard Fox, Franco Nero, Carl Weathers, Barbara Bach and Richard Kiel all put in good performances. The script and special effects are also worth a mention. The finale which takes place on a dam is spectacular and features some excellent miniature shots.While its not the best war film, it is certainly a good film that is very underrated. Ignore the critics that give it poor reviews. Watch it and decide for yourself."A guilty pleasure to be sure, but Ford is great and Robert Shaw's final speech is irresistible." -- Rob Vaux, FLIPSIDE MOVIE EMPORIUM"Entertaining war flick shadowed by superior original." -- Gerry Shamray, SUN NEWSPAPERS OF CLEVELAND"A very cool, unpretentious war film about a mission to blow up a dam." -- Shannon J. Harvey, Sunday TIMES (AUSTRALIA)

Dumb Movie with Handsome Actors

Sorry, but this movie was really stupid. The plot is unbelievable, the
characters are shallow (or should I say "characatures"?) and the "action" is dumb.However, if you are a big Harrison Ford fan, then see this movie...Hey, he is still a dashing, handsome fellow! Imagine Indiana Jones meets World War 2, and you get the idea.But the movie is a stinker.====

Good Action-Adventure War Film!

This is one of those Post-War action-adventure war films they produced in the 1960s and 70s. They're always fun with good casting, often implausible WWII plots and lots of action. Dirty Dozen, Guns of Navarone, Kelly's Heroes, etc. all very popular with fans. The same is true of "Force 10 from Navarone", not really a sequel but rather more of the same type of action, intrigue and fun. The cast includes a very young Harrison Ford (Lt. Col. Barnsby) in a lead role early on in his career, Robert Shaw (Mallory), the always dependable Edward Fox (Sgt. Miller), Barbara Bach (Maritka, a partisan), Franco Nero (Lescovar) and Carl Weathers (Sgt. Weaver). The story involves two combined missions that unexpectedly end up as one. Ford, Weathers and company are to blow up a vital Yugoslavian bridge occupied by the Nazis; Shaw and Fox are to assassinate a German spy. Things go awry and they have to work together. They are initially captured by Yugoslav partisans and turned over to the Nazis. Another partisan group working with the allies rescues them and things go on from there. Director Guy Hamilton is a director quite adept at this type of story and he keeps things rolling. Plot twists and action keep the viewer guessing and the film delivers. Beautiful cinematography by Christopher Challis and a good music score by Ron Goodwin add to the enjoyment.

Are you kidding?

This has got to be the best idea to turn into the worst movie. It's hard to believe this movie got released. The beginning sequence where they put out two new actors into the leading roles with blended footage from "The Guns of Navarone" let me know that I better clean the house while this is on. Like Robert Shaw's character would simply give up his mission when another commanding officer says he was wrong! That might happen. This is also filled with a lot of 70's style comments and subtle sarcastic humor which isn't consistent either. Another favorite is when Carl Weather's character pulls a gun on his commanding officer (Harrison Ford) and get away with it, everything was just fine. I guess that's what it's like when you are on top secret WWII missions.

Not a classic, but a solid WWII flick

World War II has spawned so many stories, films, books, songs, TV shows, from garbage to genius, that one could easily spend an a lifetime absorbed in them. Here is a basic WWII movie that tells a very straight forward story about a small group of soldiers trying to blow up a bridge in enemy held territory. It doesn't try to be Bridge on the River Kwai, another film where a small group of special forces travel (on foot I might add) to destroy a bridge important to the enemy forces. On the plus side is that the action takes place in Yugoslavia, not the setting of too many war movies made in Hollywood, so that gives this some interesting moments (how many movies have Croatian Chetniks in them?).
Also, Robert Shaw, good in anything, and Edward Fox have a great rapport, trading lines with impeccable timing. It would be easy to believe they are lifelong friends in real life the way they portray their characters.
Harrison Ford gives a solid performance as a young overachieving officer, helping the subplot of the new blood clashing with the old veterans.
Barbara Bach is beautiful, but not much other reason for her to be around.
Carl Weathers actually gives a nice performance as the rebellious black soldier, implausibly brought along by weirdly improbable circumstances.
Facing the fact that the Armed Forces were segregated during WWII, it seems like the makers wanted to have a black included in the movie and had to make up some way to do that, coming up with a ridiculously contrived way to have him along. It's unfortunate they couldn't come up with something better because, though Weathers is likable and his character brings something to the party, they way they did it undermines the plotline.The action is okay, though the payoff at the end, clever as it is, ultimately fails because of the special effects--they just weren't that well done; they seemed like they came from a grade b movie. If you've seen some WWII movies like A Bridge Too Far, Kelly's Heros, Battle of the Bulge, the Devil's Brigade, or Where Eagles Dare and liked them, definitely give this one a try. Not a classic, but a decent addition to the crowd.

this movie is not good

I watched ten minutes of this movie on tv, enough to ascertain:The dam was obviously built after WWII ended, and no attempt was made to cover this fact up.One of the railings over which they jump is rubber, and it wobbles as such.The score slavishly imitates John William's score for "Star Wars" in the climactic scene blowing up the dam. The first five notes are exactly the same. It was made or the moviegoer who says, "I like this movie; it reminds me of a movie I just saw".My mom is one of those filmgoers. I love her, I would fight for her, but...lots of money went into this film, it stinks. It stinks.