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Who would of thought that a low budget Italian/U.S. war drama with no big stars would be one of the best films of 1968? Certainly not me. I saw "Commandos" on the budget video shelf in a closeout store. The price was right ($.99) and it said "Letterboxed Edition" on it. So I figured, it's less than the price of a rental, so why not?

What surprised me is what an exciting and thoughtful film this was. In an era of glamourized war films (The syrupy "McConnell Story" and ludricous "Sands of Iwo Jima" come to mind), a gritty film like "Commandos" is a real pleasure indeed.

It stars Lee Van Cleef, who you may remember from "A Few Dollars More" and "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." He was sort of the Harvey Keitel of that time, an actor who took risks and made unconventional films for the time. This is one of his very best performances. How many actors other than Lee Marvin would take such a risky role? He is heroic, but not by choice.

The plot is not really important. It's your standard search and decease mission film that's been used many times before and after. What makes "Commandos" special is its' focus on two things: mind boggling action sequences and characterizations.

I would like to make everyone aware that for a budget video copy, the video transfer is excellent. The colors are vibrant, the sound is exceptional and the full CinemaScope image (2.35:1)is very revealing in its' compositions. Front Row Entertainment has made this one in a series of films that include "Zulu", the two Chinese made Bruce Lee films "Fists of Fury" and "The Chinese Connection" and the Jackie Chan epic "Drunken Master" ("Legend of Drunken Master" is the sequel)that get the full letterbox treatment. Congratulations are in order and I hope I see more in the series.

"Commandos" is one of those films that either grab you or they don't. It grabbed me. It was not destined to receive any Oscar nods, but since when does Hollywood ever honor a truly deserving film. Look at this year's winner, "Gladiator". I rest my case.

**** out of 4 stars

(1968) Commandos DUBBED SPAGHETTI WAR

Co-written and directed by Armando Crispino During WWII when Mussolini was in power and still had an army, a group of Italian Americans are selected to partake a dangerous mission whereas they were to take over a fort guarded by Italian soldiers working alongside with the Nazis, and then wait for more US armed soldiers to show up! Lee Van Cleef also stars as the troubled captain.

One of the major problems with Spaghetti Westerns and Spaghetti War films has a lot to do with it's budget, and this one is no exception, whereas Sergio Leone makes scenes look very theatrically credible with it's close- ups and camera angles- this film lacks common sense with a lack of charisma leading to predictable results.

"Commandos" was released in 1968 and has been in circulation on public domain home video (and now DVD) in the United States and abroad since the early 1980s. A great widescreen print has now surfaced on DVD, one from the Platinum Disc Corporation and another from St. Clair Vision. This is one of the easiest to find Italian war films, and it's really not too shabby, either…

On the eve of the American landings in North Africa, a band of Italian-American soldiers are recruited for a special mission behind the enemy lines. They will capture and hold a vital oasis the day before the Allies land. Unfortunately, the garrison of Italian soldiers and a German Panzer unit will do anything to stop this takeover.

Director Crispino is all about style, and just about everything else is disregarded here. The main conflict is between Sergeant Sullivan (Lee Van Cleef, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly") and Captain Valli (Jack Kelly, "To Hell and Back"). Sullivan is an experienced veteran, and Valli is a rear-echelon officer who really shouldn't be in charge. Sullivan questions Valli's authority every step of the way. Unfortunately, this conflict remains shallow throughout, and the characters do little besides yell at and threaten each other. As an individual, however, Sullivan is a fleshed-out, battle-scarred veteran who's haunted by images of a failed campaign in the Pacific. Sadly, Van Cleef overacts through every scene, chewing up the scenery so much that it's hard to take him seriously.

The kudos go to the supporting cast, who manage to put on a convincing show from start to finish. Joachim Fuchsburger is fabulous as Lt. Heitzel, a German professor who is now drafted as a Panzer officer. He hates the war, but does his duty for country. Heitzel's character draws sympathy from the audience is his character is naturally fleshed out over the course of a long dinner scene with Valli and Tomassini. It's very nice to see a late-1960s war film in which a German character has a sympathetic role, rather than a clichéd "evil Nazi" part which was so common in other action films produced during the era. On the other hand, Götz George is equally good as Lt. Rudi, a dedicated Hitler Youth-type. The Germans and Americans discuss culture and politics over dinner in one long scene, and this makes their face-to-face encounter during the final battle all the more moving. Finally, there's Marino Mase ("The Five Man Army") as Lt. Tomassini, who commands the Italian garrison and will stop at nothing to escape with the survivors and liberate what's rightfully his. Add to this long list some excellent small roles filled by Ivano Stacciolo, Pier Paolo Capponi, Heinz Reincke and Romano Puppo.

Crispino's focus is on the action, and makes the characters just believable enough to appreciate the big, explosive proceedings. The American takeover of the Italian garrison is excellently shot and finely edited, and the climactic tank battle in the oasis is purely awesome. It's filled with great shots of people getting shot, tanks exploding, bullets kicking up puffs of dirt – there are some shots with action going on in both the background and foreground, making for interesting composition.

The movie has a very realistic look and feel to it, as well. The Americans and Germans are appropriately armed and clad for the time period. The sweltering sun and dry desert are completely convincing. The oasis set is massive and Crispino makes use of every part of it. The interiors, particularly the big dining room, are well-captured with wide shots and pans. At night, the set is well-lit and the action is completely clear.

"Commandos" is a well-written, well-shot and action-packed war drama with a fine supporting cast and some nail-biting combat sequences, which put it a notch above many other Italian war productions in the same vein.

7/10

I don't know what film the people here saw. This is not a Dirty Dozen or even a Play Dirty. This is a cheaply made, horribly acted, horribly scripted, boring piece of junk. It's not even worth a dollar. They should pay someone to sit through this garbage heap.

Jack Kelly looks really embarrassed to be in this film. I really can't fault his terrible acting job because the script was written for 5 year olds. And Lee Van Cleaf is just as bad. He is totally wooden, listless, and sweats the whole film. He utters such stupid lines as, "This ain't a Halloween Party".

Even the woman in this film is hard to look at and has nothing what so ever to do with the plot. The action scene at the end is at least passable, but aside from that, I'd rather cough up 3 bucks and rent the Dirty Dozen.

I've now watched this one about five times and just don't get the vibe. It might be because this is more or less a straight-up war movie that happened to be made by Italians rather than a Spaghetti Western with tanks instead of horses. The film seems to be lacking in the "fun" department too, with a heavy handed musical score, shameless overacting by the usually more low-keyed Lee Van Cleef, a cast of hundreds of nobody's rather than just a dozen or so, and a brooding sense of doom that builds into an over-the-top final battle scene where everyone of importance to the movie dies horribly. Thank God. Even the funky desert goggles couldn't liven things up, might as well kill everybody.

War Is Hell and of course it shouldn't be fun, so fans of mainstream war films will perhaps enjoy this more than the cultists -- and they got the stupid machine guns + uniforms etc right for once, thank freakin' God for that ... I also recognize another Euro War formula element here, and that is the Singing Germans scene. This is where the decadence of the Nazi chic is portrayed by having the high ranking "Krauts" sit around a table enjoying first a hearty, fattening meal & then group-assaulting whatever liquor is on hand. Preferably expensive French wine (looted from the innocent) or top shelf German schnapps (withheld from the lower ranks). And as they get drunk, the Germans begin to sing some Vaterland schnitzel song that has them waving glasses, embracing each other, smiling like fools, and not noticing as the spy in their midst readies his stiletto for a quick execution or perhaps French Partisans loot the ammo dump. Look for Singing German scenes in HELL IN NORMANDY, CHURCHILL'S LEOPARDS and BATTLE OF THE LAST PANZER for more information.

COMMANDOS does have a great sequence where the captured Italian officers break out of their jail cell to fight their American commando captors, and like with Umberto Lenzi's DESERT COMMANDOS this movie sort of tricks you into rooting for the Axis soldiers, including a sympathetic German officer who comes off as rather a decent chap. Lee Van Cleef on the other hand comes across as a sweaty faced, sneering, jittery psychopath barely able to contain his homicidal rage, and the best image of the film has him staring into the eyes of a dead man he killed with his bare hands, reliving a flashback to a disastrous raid gone bad from his days fighting in the Pacific. He is a great exaggeration of the battle scarred WW2 vet, burnt out to the point of not caring about the difference between right & wrong, but so over-wrought that you wish someone would get him his black suit & horse.

The closing battle is a doozy for sure, but I don't know about this one: It's a slog, and sense desperation in the 26 credited scriptwriters. And by the way, those miraculous widescreen bargain bin releases were made from a (now discontinued) Japanese DVD release -- "Clara Vision" or "Front Row" didn't do anything but rip off a nice rare DVD for their commercialized re-burn, and congratulating them for their work is like rooting for BitTorrent. Welcome to the world of public domain genre films, where the point is to rip off the best version possible, undercut the original releases with a ridiculously/suspiciously low price, and as such de-value a rugged little distinctive movie into a bit of garbage on sale for $.49 cents in the store where people go to buy things like forks, mutated Doritos or cheap party decorations.

If that's your idea of progress, here you go.

4/10

Decent Italian/German co-production with enough action and dramatic events to make it worth looking in on . It concerns about the usual commando operation against Rommel 's forces in North Africa , October 1942 , about the Operation Torch . It deals with the inexperienced but stalwart Lieutenant Valli (Jack Kelly) who puts together a group of Italian-Americans (Giampiero Albertini , Pier Paolo Capponi , Ivano Staccioli) led by a tough sergeant (Lee Van Cleef) . They have to take an oasis where there is an indispensable water depot and subsequently they must secure this desert base in advance of Allied landings .All the while these Italian- Americans pretend to be Italian soldiers , disguising as Axis soldiers . After the soldiers have knifed the Italians in their beds , they take the strategic location and meet a beautiful prostitute (Marilu Tolo) living at the base. Sullivan's commandos are to hold this camp and its weaponry until an American battalion arrives . But there is a hidden man (Helmut Smith) on the fort , and problems emerge and things go awry.

It follows the commando-sub-genre with familiar plot and cliché-filled, as an expert group of soldiers into disguise as Italian soldiers in order to infiltrate a North African camp held by the Italians and often hosting the enemy , but things go terribly wrong after that .It displays thrills, noisy action, extreme violence, fatalism and impressive final battle . Violence is extended throughout , as commando members kill in cold blood , point blank , while enemy sleeping and back . Moving and stirring screenplay plenty of twists and turns , written by 6 screen-writers , including the famous Dario Argento and Menahem Golam . Nice acting by Lee Van Cleef as unsettling sergeant who has a war trauma and constantly argues with his superior and fine performance from Jack Kelly as a green by-the-book officer . Support cast is frankly excellent , full of secondaries usual in co- productions (Spaghetti , Eurospy , Peplum) such as Giampiero Albertini , Marino Masé , Götz George , Pier Paolo Capponi , Duilio Del Prete, Ivano Staccioli , Marilù Tolo , and Joachim Fuchsberger from Edward Wallace series , among others .Evocative and atmospheric cinematography in Cromoscope, being shot during July , August 1968 in Cerdeña.Enjoyable and adequate musical score by Mario Nascinbene.

The motion picture was well directed by Armando Crispino . Armando was a good craftsman who written/directed all kinds of genres as Spaghetti , Wartime , Nunexploitation , Thriller and Gialli such as ¨John Il Bastardo¨, Requiescant¨, ¨Rififi in Asterdam¨, "The Castro's Abbess" , ¨Dead or alive¨ ,"auptopsia" and several others

Lee Van Cleef and Jack Kelly are the two American stars of this European made war film with an Italian and German cast. Van Cleef is a combat veteran of the Pacific and Kelly is a Captain in his first mission. That mission is a gem.

Kelly and Van Cleef head a team of picked Commandos all of whom have an Italian background and speak fluent Italian. Their mission is to take a desert waterhole over from a company of Italian soldiers and hold it until Eisenhower's army, landing in Morocco can reach it. In the meantime the group is to kill all the Italian soldiers and take over their command like a relief unit and keep their cover under the watchful eyes of the Germans.

Van Cleef is convinced that Kelly is incompetent and Kelly proves him right. Their bickering also endangers the whole mission.

The story is interesting, but the production is truly shoddy. Not more to be said about Commandos.

i bought this movie on a DVD with two sides with this as the main movie and "five for hell" as the flipside for less than a dollar! for some reason i only played the five for hell side and never got around to watching commandos until today. the movie starts out of nowhere, kinda like they cut out the beginning, like other instances of scene clipping threwout this movie, and like I've seen on many of these older movies i get for less than a dollar. for this jarring start to the movie one would suspect the film to be "el cheap-o", but one look at the mean ass sgt. sullivan and you can tell this film has some pretty good potential to be good. then the opening credits roll and that old school, Italian movie masterpiece symphony music comes on and grips any real hard core war flick fan by the nads! setting pace for a grim, gritty, and surprisingly realistic look into covert operations from a time in warfare one doesn't see too much about in film. there are also several instances of revelation of emotional toll and distress threwout this film. flashbacks and dissent abound, the film at times takes on a hallucinogenic, psychedelic frame of mind stance, and can leave one deep in thought about the effects of war on a mans soul. though the mission the "commandos" are on may seem to be absolutely impossible, for some reason this film makes it all seam possible and looks rather realistic, especially for its 1968 release. and anybody who is a fan of tanks and tank crews in film, such as "the beast", will love the presence of the Germans in their panzer units, riding and fighting threw the desserts of Africa. in my opinion commandos is very much a classic, too bad i cant say the same for "five for hell!"

I can't remeber when I last watched a movie this bad. Direction and acting is just lame. It like if it was all done by kids and their imaginsry friends 😬

See This Movie!!! As for all the nay sayers on this site, it doesn't sound like they actually saw the movie or watched it all the way through.

If you love WWII films or action films, make this a must see. The action is so intense it's difficult to believe this was made way back in 1968. The production quality is very high.

How intense is the action? Well, I've seen this movie twice and I've yet to find a rifle on screen! (no kidding) Every character is armed with a submachine gun. Just as 'Die Hard' tought us, SMGs make for the best action scenes no matter how unrealistic it would be to actually hit a target at 100 feet. (or 50 feet) The plot: October 1942, North Africa. Lee Van Cleef leads a band of New York Italian American paratroopers whom must raid and hold an Axis water supply depot. Most importantly they must be about to pass for Italian solders in order to fool their German comrades.

The oasis depot proves to be a very elaborate but well fortified Axis hotel. There's even a bar and grill and a prostitute.

The GIs do their best to fool the Germans but inevitably the situation cannot hold. Their Italian prisoners escape, more and more German squads keep visiting and worse yet Van Cleef himself is a deranged and unstable veteran of Bataan who hates all superior officers as glory hounds carelessly putting his men at risk.

The final scene is a really great one. I've never seen anything like it in any war movie! It's the perfect conclusion.

For those of you not familiar with the "Spaghetti WWII" film 'Commandos' is a great place to start.

No, "Spaghetti WWII" is not part of the "Nazisploitation" films made in Italy during the 70s and 80s. (remember 'Salon Kitty' 'Last Orgy of the Third Reich' or the Elsa films?) "Spaghetti WWII" films are an overlooked genre that embodied much of what we love about American WWII films. The brotherhood of solders, the hell of war, and the glory of combat. These films were told from either the Axis or Allied side and just like traditional WWII films the Nazis always lose. Even if they are the main characters.

Unlike neutered German WWII films like 'Stalingrad.' The Italians got it right. No drama or romance, just guts and glory.

'Desert Commandos' is a perfect companion piece to this film.

Macaroni Kombat from German-Italian collaboration

North Africa in October 1942: A group of Italian-American soldiers led by Sergeant Sullivan (Lee Van CLEEF) attack the Italians' post and take their places in order to obtain secret information from the German allies about Rommel's next actions. When the Germans soon arrived at the Italian post, the deception worked. But soon two rival lieutenants (EUROPEAN FILM AWARD nominee Götz GEORGE and Joachim FUCHSBERGER) become suspicious: And then all hell breaks loose...

It is thanks to the streaming service NETFLIX that this war film can finally be experienced in its original version. The German synchro was once again extremely shortened. The film by Armando CRISPINO (Das Geheimnis des gelben Grabes) was shot in Sardinia. Dario ARGENTO was also involved in the script and Artur BRAUNER co-produced.

Jack KELLY, Marino MASE, Pier Paolo CAPPONI, Marilu TOLO and Helmut SCHMID (husband of GOLDEN GLOBE nominee Liselotte PULVER) can also be seen in other roles. Giampiero ALBERTINI and Heinz REINCKE (who otherwise delivers the banging performance as usual) have a wonderful scene together at a special point in the film. Do not miss!

Interesting contribution from the war film genre of the Italian film industry!

There is something markedly anachronistic yet strangely appropriate about the 1986 war film Commandos. Released in a decade when global cinema-particularly in the West-had largely moved away from traditional portrayals of World War II in favor of introspective narratives or high-concept action reinterpretations, this film arrives as a kind of outlier. Its earnest dedication to the subgenre of commando sabotage missions-a tradition deeply rooted in the 1960s and 1970s European war cinema-stands in contrast with the cynical and often revisionist attitudes of its own time. The film attempts to sustain the myth of the hyper-competent Allied infiltration team operating behind enemy lines, but it does so with a tonal and stylistic sincerity that is both its strength and, in some respects, its undoing.

Technically, the movie is competently assembled, although not without signs of budgetary strain. The cinematography is conventional, functional rather than expressive, relying on wide, flat compositions that seldom exploit the dramatic potential of shadows or constrained spaces, which are crucial in sabotage narratives. The mise-en-scène avoids flamboyance, and yet the production design does achieve a certain grounded texture-the uniforms, gear, and setting suggest a credible North African backdrop without lapsing into overstatement or visual pastiche. However, one of the film's notable weaknesses lies precisely in the lack of precision when it comes to uniforms, weapons, and especially military vehicles. This is particularly evident in the use of tanks that are clearly of a later era than the one depicted. These anachronisms are jarring for viewers with a trained eye, and they point to a broader issue: this is not a historicist film, nor does it strive to be. Made during a period when such details were often secondary-either due to a real scarcity of authentic period matériel or to budget constraints-it prioritizes narrative propulsion over meticulous reconstruction. The emphasis is firmly on plot-driven tension rather than archival fidelity.

The editing is pragmatic, almost staccato in rhythm, especially during action sequences, which are cleanly choreographed but rarely pulse-raising. Explosions and shootouts are captured with a kind of matter-of-factness that perhaps reflects a European sensibility, eschewing spectacle in favor of narrative clarity. However, this restraint verges at times on the mundane. The film lacks the kinetic drive and formal tightness of The Dirty Dozen (1967), whose tight editing and well-constructed character beats made each skirmish feel consequential. Here, by contrast, the firefights, though not chaotic, feel somewhat interchangeable, lacking escalating tension or clear narrative stakes within their individual beats.

Performance-wise, the cast operates within a narrow emotional range, likely by design. The emphasis is on steely resolve, brief outbursts of masculine camaraderie, and the stoicism required of wartime operatives. There is little room for vulnerability or nuance-again, a deliberate choice, but one that renders the characters archetypal rather than layered. That said, the lead exhibits a compelling intensity that anchors the film, a grim determinism that aligns with the broader tonal register. Supporting roles are less consistent; some verge on caricature, particularly the Axis officers, whose menace never rises above the perfunctory. This is a weakness the film shares with Operation Crossbow (1965), another example of mid-century sabotage cinema that at times reduced its antagonists to plot devices rather than characters.

What is most intriguing about the movie, however, is how it reflects its moment of production. Released in 1986, it emerges at a time when the Cold War was undergoing a slow but visible thaw, and the ideological certainties of earlier war films were no longer taken for granted. Yet this film seems untouched by that climate. It revives the moral clarity and black-and-white worldview of earlier decades, suggesting an almost nostalgic belief in the righteousness of Allied action and the utility of violence in defense of freedom. There is little of the introspection that characterized 1980s American Vietnam War films or the moral ambiguity of contemporaneous European cinema. Instead, it adopts a kind of mythic pose-World War II as a crucible of heroism, sacrifice, and mechanical violence undertaken for a just cause.

This makes the film particularly fascinating within the context of its era. It is not propaganda in the sense of state-sponsored cinema, nor is it a naïve throwback. Rather, it seems to function as a cinematic ritual-a reaffirmation of a particular historical narrative at a time when that narrative was being questioned. This partly explains the film's formal conservatism: it is not innovating, it is enshrining. And yet, in its very attempt to revive the tropes of earlier sabotage films, it opens itself to the scrutiny those tropes can no longer escape. Its portrayal of camaraderie among soldiers, the efficiency of military operations, and the near-mythic competence of Allied commandos feels increasingly theatrical, almost operatic, but without the self-awareness that might make such theatricality profound.

There is one area where the film almost distinguishes itself: its handling of silence and stillness. At various moments-particularly during sequences of infiltration or reconnaissance-it allows the ambient sounds of wind, boots on sand, or distant artillery to occupy the soundtrack with minimal musical accompaniment. These moments, though brief, are far more evocative than any of the dialogue-heavy scenes, suggesting what the film might have achieved had it leaned further into atmosphere and restraint. There's a palpable potential in those scenes that hints at a more immersive and psychological kind of tension-something rarely fully realized but clearly gestured toward in the film's quieter interludes.

What also adds a layer of texture to the viewing experience is a faint but unmistakable air of spaghetti western that permeates the film. From the framing of certain close-ups to the use of barren landscapes and the moral ambiguity in the dynamics among the commandos, there is a stylistic residue of the Italian western genre. However, this influence is handled with a notable degree of restraint. The production appears to make a deliberate effort to distance itself from the more excessive stylizations of the genre-there are no dramatic zooms, no Ennio Morricone-like musical cues, and no overt genre mimicry. The effect is more atmospheric than referential, a subtle borrowing rather than a stylistic overhaul. The result is a film that feels regionally inflected without collapsing into genre hybridization, and that, in itself, reflects a certain ambition to balance pulp energy with narrative discipline.

Despite its flaws, the film holds a peculiar charm, rooted less in its aesthetic sophistication and more in its commitment to a genre that, by 1986, had largely retreated into television or parody. It neither reinvents nor deconstructs the subgenre; it simply reasserts it. For viewers drawn to micro-histories of sabotage and infiltration, especially in the Mediterranean or North African theatres of war, the movie offers a familiar yet sincere experience. Its utility lies not in how it expands the war film canon, but in how it preserves an approach that by the late 1980s was already slipping into obsolescence.

Another fantastic slice of war drama from the Italians, who were at their best filming on a tight budget in the middle of the African desert and blowing up shedloads of jeeps and tanks along the way. Following in the footsteps of dozens of similar offerings post-DIRTY DOZEN, the simplistic plot line tells of a small group of American soldiers who capture an Italian base in the middle of the desert (what for is never quite explained) and then who have to pretend to be Italians when the Germans show up looking for a good time. An excellent script with full-on characterisation, a few moral messages about the nature of war and comradeship, and heapings of suspense (realised through a monotonous but effective chordal note on the soundtrack) make for one heck of a film.

The film is based on a short story by notorious exploitation producer Menahem Golan, with the script co-written (with three others) by none other than Dario Argento, who later found fame as the "Italian Hitchcock". Argento brings his trademark touch of strong characters and violent situations into the story with the direction left in the more than capable hands of genre director Armando Crispino.

The cast is outstanding, with notable performances from all the major players. Lee Van Cleef handles the part of his tough sergeant as well as you would expect, and as a bonus gets extra psychological torment via some Filipino flashbacks. Jack Kelly is equally good as the determined captain who leads the group into disaster. Everyone else is perfect, especially the German actors, and there's a good turn from Giampiero Albertini (ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON) as a loyal fighter. The action sequences are mostly saved for the finale, but what a finale it is: packed with gunfire, explosions, destruction, mayhem and death, this easily rivals much more lavish productions and is the best battle I've seen in a long time. COMMANDOS is a hard film to fault which is why I award it full marks for effort and execution.

Starring the legendary Lee Van Cleef and with the collaboration of Dario Argento during his early days as a screenwriter, Commando is one of the lesser-remembered works of Italian cinema that has been part of a period of war films focused on World War II. Its plot is simple and straightforward, but it lacks character development to connect with them. It is something that is attempted once the commandos have taken over the base and we see them having fun, but there is no development in their relationships and we don't really know who they are. Sergeant Sullivan is the only one with a fascinating background, being the sole survivor of a battle against the Japanese. He is someone who fiercely defends his honor and is willing to fulfill his team's mission. Sullivan is firm and maintains a disciplinary attitude. He becomes the only interesting character in the movie. The rest are not well developed, the moments where they have fun at the base are not very interesting, and the characters end up being very easy to forget. The movie becomes boring during those moments, but the presence of a survivor ready to counterattack brings back a bit of interest. The prisoners' attempts to escape reignite the action and the movie becomes interesting again. That's where it improves and delivers an exciting final battle between the commandos and the Germans. The film fulfills the task of war cinema by leaving that sense of reflection on the violence of war once it concludes. Its only weaknesses are having obviously fake deaths, forgettable characters, and a mediocre budget. Commandos is not a very memorable movie and is quite forgettable. The only reason to watch it would be for its action scenes and Lee Van Cleef's performance. Other than that, it has nothing else to offer and it might just be a curiosity for those who don't ask for much. It's just another run-of-the-mill war movie and there's nothing more to say about it. My final rating for this movie is a 6/10.

Commandos is one of those movies I remember watching on the late-late-late show back in the late 70s and early 80s. It aired frequently.

I was quite surprised to find it included in a WWII movie multipack I bought at WM. An entirely different description of Commandos was listed, so imagine my surprise when I saw it was the old Lee Van Cleef movie! This movie isn't going to win any awards. There's no historic accuracy to it at all, other than the Germans and Italians were fighting in North Africa (or the Western Desert, for our British friends). But it's still fun to watch.

I didn't know this movie existed until I accidentally ran across it at a retail store. Intense not so covert war action with good drama between characters and a few twists in the plot. The movie highlights the individual heroic efforts in battle, the insanity and randomness of events during conflict (and the responses by the players), and the disconnect between the battlefield and the strategic planners (both blind to each other).

Sergeant Sullivan (Lee Van Cleef) shows scares from previous conflicts, illustrating the personal side that never is far away from the professional. His past torments him throughout the film. The personal conflict and struggle between Sergeant Sullivan and Captain Valli (Jack Kelly) is constantly simmering and sometimes boiling over. Captain Valli, untested in battle, struggles to lead his newly appointed team on a very dangerous and unpredictable mission. At one point, he displays a dilemma in leadership, having to choose between his hard earned gains in the battle with his new team vs. new direction from above. The result of that decision has enormous consequences.

A very cool movie.

As I mentioned in my board comment, I found this film to be entertaining overall and was intrigued by the portrayal of "shell shock" and the "friends vs military obligation" themes. Not to mention Mario Nascimbene's mono-chordal, analog synthesizer sound track that, while annoying at times, really does create a creepy atmosphere of suspense. Lee Van Cleef can really frighten the audience while maintaining a good guy innocence at the same time. Although the Echo Bridge DVD claims the movies are "digitally remastered" and "Enhanced 5.1 Audio", the picture and sound were drive-in quality at best. I managed to butter up the sound with my Sony Surround Receiver, but I can't help but wonder what the experience of a film like this would be like if it were truly restored with the latest in film restoration technology.

I too picked up Commandos in the budget bin. The movie itself was decent...acting a bit over the top from some of the players, the plot very predictable, and the ending a bit smarmy, intent on teaching us a nice lesson about the horrors of war.

The worst part of the film were the technical details. The US Army dropping paratrooper commandos behind enemy lines prior to Operation Torch (factual error... US Airborne troops were no where near ready for a raid prior to Torch). The obvious use of the 1944 M3 Grease Gun as the weapon of choice for the commandos, a weapon which didn't even see North Africa, let alone North Africa in 1942, the year before it made it to Army usage.

One can forgive the use of US Chaffee and Walker Bulldog tanks repainted in German Afrika Tan (after all, Patton did too), but too many errors upon errors crept into the movie to make it truly enjoyable. For 99 cents and a Saturday afternoon, it will serve. As a great movie, it falls far short.