Das dreckige Dutzend Teil 2

This movie had all the warning signs of a horribly cheesy comical re-make. Based upon "The Dirty Dozen," this almost unbearable 90 minutes of film made me almost rethink such masterpieces as Conspiracy Theory, The Blair Witch Project, and Batman and Robin. The movie itself was a mix between the worst Naked Gun humor, and a mildly serious Police Academy 7. Since it was also a "made-for-TV" movie, and since it was also a "made-for-TV" movie comedy, it is among the very cheesiest of the cheesy. So be warned, and watch out for Sonny Landham who played Billy in Predator.Particular attention should be payed to the German scene, which was one of the cheesy-funny scenes in the movie. But as a rule, avoid most movies with "The Next Mission" in the title, or comedies made for TV.

Hopefully this was the Dirty Dozen's last mission, or rather the "Baker's Dozen's" last mission!

.Lee Marvin returns as Major Reisman, who is once again charged with training a dozen convicted and condemned felons for a suicide mission behind enemy lines in the latter days of WWII. Ernest Borgnine also returns as the commanding general, as does Richard Jaeckel as the MP sergeant. Among the flavorless 12 are Ken Wahl, Larry Wilcox, Sonny Landham, Ricco Ross, Gavan O'Herlihy, and others who in no way measure up to the original's cast. Wolf Kahler plays the German general that's the target of the mission. He's intent on assassinating Hitler, and the Allies don't want that, as Hitler's many military blunders are hastening the war's end. The script is pedestrian at best, and many chunks of dialogue are repeated verbatim from the first film. I'm glad I saw it, as it was a Lee Marvin picture I had yet to see, but I'm not in any hurry to see it again.

Dirty Dozen got its sequel, what, 18 years later. I don't know whose idea it was that this is an important movie to make. I mean, watching the sequel it looks like there should be more new ideas invented during all those years. But no, it starts almost like the same movie over again. Lee Marvin plays again the major who is assigned to gather a new team of misfit soldiers. Even the dialogue seems similar to the first film (when Marvin is giving instructions to the new guys). I was a bit disappointed that Charles Bronson is not in this one because his character survived the end battle of the first film. My guess is that he was busy making Death Wish 3 at the time (well, I don't blame him for that choice).

So, Lee Marvin is the main guy who holds this movie on his shoulders. It's actually strange his face hasn't aged much even despite the long gap between the movies. The new actors are not bad but their characters are left paper thin. The training part is very short and straightforward. Instead of character drama we have a short but cool training montage, and then it's time for action. For the merit of this film I must say its length is a lot shorter than the first one. That makes the lack of new ideas a bit easier to digest. It's an action film that doesn't try to accomplish anything deeper.

I happened to find this movie as bonus material on the dvd of the first film. That's pretty much how you should take this film - a bonus feature for fans who can't get enough of the first movie. Just go with low expectations.

Part II picks up a few months after the first(despite coming out 18 years later!) which has Lee Marvin returning as Major Reisman(older looking but still game) along with Ernest Borgnine and Richard Jaekel in their original roles. Reisman must once again recruit 12 condemned military prisoners, only this time, the group seems even less trustworthy than the first...

Belated TV sequel tries to provide a seamless transition from the first film, and almost succeeds, but plot is uninspired, even silly(stop the assassination of Hitler? Unlikely in late World War II, but OK...) Works as well as it does by the good cast(Lee Marvin is still appealing, as are Borgnine and Jaeckel). Not bad at all, but hardly necessary! Still, there would be two more TV sequels, then a series.(Which I haven't seen).

Maj. John Reisman gets another mission, where he has to train convicted army soldiers.This time they have to kill a Nazi general, who plans to assassinate Adolf Hitler.And there's some talk about a Nazi treasure.The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (1985) is directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.Lee Marvin reprises his role as Maj. Reisman.As does Ernest Borgnine as Gen. Worden.And so does Richard Jaeckel as MP Sgt. Clyde Bowren.Ken Wahl plays Louis Valentine.Larry Wilcox plays Tommy Wells.Sonny Landham is Sam Sixkiller.Ricco Ross is Arlen Dregors.Gavan O'Herlihy plays Conrad E. Perkins.Jay Benedict plays Didier le Clair.Stephen Hattersley is Otto Deutch.Rolf Saxon is Robert E. Wright.Wolf Kahler plays S.S. General Sepp Dietrich.Michael Sheard plays the part of Hitler, as he did in a few other movies.The movie has some tight action scenes.And at one point Dregors has Hitler at his target.That is quite fascinating to watch, when he's pondering should he pull the trigger.The sequel, although not gaining the level of the original, still manages to entertain.In these kind of movies you don't have to ask for more.