L'extraordinaire évasion

That got your attention, didn't it? The words "Michael Winner" and "Orson Welles" in the same sentence. And I don't just mean because of their fondness for wine and good food. No, the fact is, that like, Orson Welles, Michael Winner made all his best films at the start of his career ("The Jokers", "The Games" and this film). After the first "Death Wish", he was starting to go downhill professionally (although "A Chorus of Disapproval" was not bad). If you see any of his most recent films, you'll find it hard to believe that this was the same man that made such a class act as "Hannibal Brooks" back in 1968. In fact, his films don't get released any more, they escape. "Dirty Weekend" is a case in point, executed so crassly and seemingly assembled by some clueless chimp who has no idea about film-making.

Anyway, back to "Hannibal Brooks" and the days when Winner made films for the family that didn't involve women being raped and tortured. The story of a British P.O.W. in 1944 helping to lead an elephant over the Alps to freedom in Switzerland was devised by Winner and former P.O.W. Tom Wright and blessed by a great script full of quotable lines by "Likely Lads" Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Reed is great, although the film is stolen by Michael J. Pollard, who has never been better than he is in this film. With great picture postcard photography of Austria (by Robert Paynter) and a terrific score by "Love Story" composer Francis Lai, this is great entertainment and deserves a DVD release now.

I stumbled on this movie on a Sunday afternoon and, having nothing better to do, sat down to watch. I wasn't expecting much--director Michael Winner doesn't have the strongest reputation--but this was a very well-done film. It has that 60s anti-establishment tone, though Oliver Reed's character is more indifferent to war than an outright rebel. When he is captured, Reed's character, Hannibal Brooks, volunteers to work at the Munich zoo and becomes the caretaker for the zoo's elephant, Lucy. When the German caretaker is killed in a bombing raid, Brooks is put in charge and directed to take the elephant to safety in Ausria. What follows is a series of largely comic misadventures, though the film does develop a serious tone as it goes on. Unable to take the elephant by train, Brooks sets off on foot, accompanied by two German guards and a female cook.

There is some great German scenery in the film as Brooks and company make their way into the high country. Following the accidental death of one of the guards, plans change and the remaining trio make their way to Switzerland. There's a rogueish American escapee, played by Michael J. Pollard, who keeps crossing paths with Brooks, as well as a German officer, played by Wolfgang Preiss, whose path crosses Brooks' as well. Rather reluctantly, Brooks becomes something of a hero, though he's motivated more by his desire to keep Lucy safe than by anything else. A very enjoyable movie that I wouldn't mind seeing again some time.

WWII adventure that veers skillfully between drama and comedy . In War Was Two , captured British soldier Stephen Brooks (Oliver Reed) is on a prison train to Germany . On the train he meets an American prisoner, Packy (tiresomely flacky Michael J. Pollard in a major comic role) , who's obsessed with getaway. On arrival at the POW camp Stalag 7 , Brooks and other fellow POWs are sent to work at the local Munich zoo, to care for the animals .After a devastating bombing raid that kills some of the animals , the zoo staff is decided to evacuate the surviving animals. The prisoner of war , Hannibal Brooks working at the zoo is assigned to look after an elephant named Lucy , to whom he grows devoted , as he gets the chance to escape from the Germans, so he does and he takes with him the elephant that he's been caring for and liberated from Munich zoo . En route with the elephant from Munich to a safer zoo in Innsbruck , Hannibal accidentally kills the Nazi member of the escort and then he sets off with Lucy over the mountains to Switzerland . As he attempts to cross the Alps on the back of the elephant . Together they head for the Swiss border and freedom. Supersoldier in the Super Adventure . It's a suspense story. It's a comedy story. It's a war story. It's a warm story. It's a wild story. It's a love story. It's a moving story. It's an elephant story. It's a super story. Guess who "got the Steve McQueen-Sean Connery-Burt Lancaster-type role" in this super adventure?

A war comedy with adventures , thrills , humor , spectacular battles and a good thrilling climax . It is a sympathetic tale with entertainment and funny enough , featured by some likeable roles who enhance the amusement . It waves from comedy , noisy action to melodrama . Main and support cast are pretty well . British Oliver Reed plays a POW assigned to evacuate valuable elephant from Munich zoo , giving an agreeable acting , forming a peculiar buddie movie with snub-nosed American Michael J. Pollard who steals the the show by delivering comic relief , while the elephant wins all hearts in the emotive final. They're very well accompanied by a fine support cast , such as : Wolfgang Preiss as Colonel Friedrich von Haller , John Alderton as Bernard , Peter Carsten as Kurt , gorgeous Karin Baal as Polish Vronia , Ralf Wolter and brief appearance by James Donald as POW priest.

Hannibal Brooks (1969) contains a sensitive and catching musical score by French composer Francis Lai . As well as colorful cinematography by Robert Paynter , though a perfect remastering being really necessary . The picture was acceptably directed by Michael Winner. He had important commercial success in the mid-70 with his fetish actor, Charles Bronson , achieving various box-office hits, as ¨Deathwish I and II¨, furthermore ¨The mechanics¨ and ¨The stone killer¨. With his obsessive need to work, Winner accepted many inferior projects, including two weak Death Wish sequels , though occasionally he attempted to make more prestigious films, notably ¨The Nightcomers¨ (1971), a prequel to Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, made in Britain with Marlon Brando; and ¨A chorus of disapproval¨ (1989), a satisfying version of Alan Ayckbourn's bittersweet comedy . Hannibal Brooks (1969) rating : 6.5/10 . Fun and enjoyable film that will appeal to Oliver Reed fans and WWII enthusiasts.

What can you say about a war movie where an elephant crosses the Alps? It's silly but a heck of a lot of fun. The scenery is gorgeous, the acting is light and the action sequences are top notch. Oliver Reed is perfectly cast as our hero Brooks. He has played so many villain roles that it's great to see him play a nice guy for a change. The beautiful Austrian scenery steals the show. Somehow every time we see a breathtaking view of the mountains, we forget we're watching a war movie. The war is shown in a very comedic way(especially all of Michael J. Pollard's scenes, which are priceless) and this works to some extent. The comedy never goes overboard (a fine balance is kept throughout the film). A good example of this is the final action sequence at the border crossing which is exciting and well played with a nice dash of humour thrown in. At many times we are required to check our disbelief at the door but this is such a good natured movie that we don't really care.We root for our heroes to make it to safety, all the way to the end, without ever really wondering if they will make it, but that's part of the film's charm. Overall a great movie to see on a cold winter day.

You've already read the plot, where an English POW risks his life to conduct a bombed-out zoo elephant, Lisa, from Germany to a safe haven in Switzerland during World War II. Despite the doubts that plot line might suggest, this is a great movie that held my attention the whole way through. An excellent cast gives life to a wide range of characters; and you really do come to understand their actions and care about them.

Oliver Reed, as "Hannibal" Brooks, brings a light touch and a wry sense of humor to this role that blends both comedy and drama. It pays to listen closely to the by-play between Brooks and his fellow POWs and the zoo staff, and German soldiers he encounters - there's some really funny stuff here. However, as a war film, it's not all comedy - there are fighting sequences and the film includes some spectacular explosions and pyrotechnics.

One thing I liked about the movie is that it portrays the decency of common people; the ordinary people they met along the way who took time to be caring and kind -- in contrast to the horrors of war all around them.

Michael J. Pollard, as Packy, an American POW who has ambitions of military glory, is kind of strange. But, then Michael J. Pollard is always strange, so I guess that's what they wanted for his role. I would have preferred to see it played "straight", but I think the strangeness works in this movie anyway.

This is a very enjoyable movie - I hope it gets wider distribution on video/DVD so that more people can enjoy it.