Escuadrón 633

A WW2 squadron of Mosquito bombers are training for a perilous mission to bomb a cliff face in Norway; with the aim to bring the cliff tumbling down on the German arms factory below it.

633 Squadron may not be a film for the War enthusiast purists? But the work done here to make this film a winner should never be understated. In this day and age it's often forgotten how these type of film's relied on good aerial photography, deft model work, and a stirring score. All of which this picture contains, thus making 633 Squadron more than a wet day crowd pleaser. Sure the intermittent scenes between the training sequences and the actual mission are mere filler, and the subplots obviously halt the flow of the movie (hello romance, hello sacrifice clichés); but what they do do is give a sort of added feel to the proceedings come the mission at the end. We do after all have to have some sort of affinity with the characters putting their lives at risk, and we get that here courtesy of a well written first half. Also boasting (in my opinion naturally) one of the greatest scores used in a War movie, courtesy of Ron Goodwin, the film triumphs because the ending is all that you hope for. In truth it's never in doubt given the build up we are given (and being the normality for many genre pieces), but with little dashes of poignancy and slivers of adrenalin rushes, the impact is akin to a jingoistic chest thudding.

Besides which, if you can't get a tingle on your neck watching the Mosquitoes fly over the Norwegian fjord? Well you got no blood in your body say I. 7/10

While this is not the best film that has ever graced the cinema screen, it is useful to note that it is the basis of Star Wars. Much of the film's scenes were transplanted into the 1977 blockbuster, especially the famous death star trench sequence.

I saw this movie as an American kid growing up in England in the early 1970's. It absolutely captivated me, as it did my 9 year old English schoolmates. The musical score still resonates to this day, as do the magnificent scenes of those twin Merlin powered Mosquitos. As a movie, its got its share of flaws, but as a piece of aviation memorabilia, let it live forever! Along with "The Battle of Britain", this movie will captivate audiences for generations to come who will wonder what it was like when a few brave airmen stood between barbarism and civilization. The movie may have its cheesy moments (like many WW2 flicks) but the emotions were real. A lot of those guys never came back from their missions. This film, quite simply, shows both the glory and the sacrifice of war. The De Havilland Mosquito was a remarkable aircraft, and this movie really is a tribute to all the men who designed, built, and flew it in combat.

This film which begins with its blood pumping Ron Goodwin's musical score and the cloud opening sequences fire's it's beginning, then lets one down with it's almost 'World War II pulp comic book' screenplay.

However...watch this film for its remarkable footage of one very remarkable aircraft, the film's real stars.......the exciting, beautiful, fast, deHavilland Mosquito's. The dialogue is sometimes painful to recall, the story could have been better written, but the flying sequences recalls many real Mosquito W.W. II exploits as a pinpoint high speed strike aircraft, such as the real historical attack at rooftop height in France on the Gestapo headquarters freeing the many French Resistance prisoners standing out foremost. Why could the story not revolve around this real historical exploit, among many others?

Cliff Robertson's real life flying experience bleeds through somewhat, but we are wishing more. The romantic subplot?...fast forward the video through this. Also the kinky Gestapo woman interrogating Chakiris! Enjoy the Goodwin score, as the Mosquitos practice for there mission in the Scottish highlands, and the sound of those Merlin engines. Love those planes! '633 Squadron' is a keeper, but for aircraft buffs only really.

Corfman

The timing for me watching this is fortuitous, as just this morning I finished watching "Mosquito Squadron" (1969)--a very, very similar movie. Both films featured the de Havilland Mosquito (an amazingly fast and capable British fighter-bomber) and both were concerned with an Allied attempt to knock out a German rocket factory. This factory was set in Norway, the other film had it set in France. So which is the better film? Read on if you'd like my opinion.

Cliff Robertson plays the American leader of a squadron of British planes. While this is odd, it might have occurred, as there were American pilots who joined the Brits after WWII broke out and before the US went to war. He is told that his squadron will have a new assignment. They are to fly into Norway and bomb an overhand in the rocks in a fjord in order to seal in a German rocket factory. This naturally will require precision low-level bombing--at which their Mosquitoes were best suited. To practice for the raid, they go to Scotland to fly among the cliffs. It's not Norway--nor is Norway, actually, as they used this same locale as a stand-in for Norway later in the film when the actual raid takes place.

My biggest complaint about this film was the casting of George Chikiris. No, it's not because I have anything against him personally (I am sure he's a swell guy) but he was cast as a Norwegian!! He sounds about as Norwegian as Bill Cosby! And, while there are of course dark-haired Norwegians, why not hire an actor who at least looks Norwegian?! I don't blame Chikiris--after all, he was probably happy to have a job. But I am sure this must have nagged him as well, as the role just wasn't suited for him--he deserved better.

While it's a bit obvious some of the planes are models on strings and the German fighter planes are simple transport/observation planes (Me-108s) and the film technically is not nearly as good as "The Battle of Britain", it's still a decent film. It has a rousing score, decent battle scenes and ends strongly. Overall, I'd give this one a 7 and say it is just a bit better than "Mosquito Squadron"--mostly because although Robertson mostly plays a grumpus, at least he has a personality--a problem with the other film, where the leading man was pretty flat, as he was given little in the way of personality.