Mivtsa Yonatan

Accurately historically, keeps the rhythm to the very end. Seems even better than the two other versions of it. I liked it very much. It was a good idea and implementation the usage of real video of Israeli leaders. The film describes the Operation Entebbe, which took place on the night of July 3 and early morning of July 4, 1976. Originally called Operation Thunderbolt by the Israeli military who planned it and carried it out, and it was subsequently renamed Operation Yonatan after the raid commander, Col. Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu, the only Israeli soldier to die in the raid. "Yoni" was the brother of the former Israeli primer minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of the Likud party. The Israeli singer and actor Yehoram Gaon played Col. Netanyahu and there is a good acting by the German actor Klaus Kinski as the leader of the terrorist gang. A good war film but more than that a must for those who like films on international affairs.

This is an amazing retelling of Israel's great Entebbe victory. It doesn't sink into melodrama, but shows us how all the pieces were brought together for this singular achievement. Exciting, gripping, and with a sense of realism rarely seen.

Not that I've seen all that many Israeli action movies, but it's definitely the bets one I've seen. Yes, this movie is dated. It relies on stereotypes and is full of cliches like the "oh-no!" quick-zoom. The dialogue is sometimes silly and there are a variety of flubs, both in continuity and historical accuracy. But, it's fun! From the music (which is so wonderfully 70's) to the memorably cheesy lines, and of course the sheer audacity of the mission that gives the movie its title, it all makes for an exciting and surprisingly emotional film. It's also the only film I know of where most scenes were shot twice so it could be released in two different languages. There is a Hebrew version out there (recently released on DVD, but hard to find) and an English version (first released on VHS and Beta in 1984, after which there may or may not have been a subsequent 1991 VHS re-release). And neither version is dubbed! Gotta love it.

A decade before the infamous Cannon Group millions dollars craps of the eighties, hiring SylvesterStallone or the last Charles Bronson's movies, this movie speakS of the amazing performance of Sayaret Maktal ( Israeli special forces, the equivalent of SEALS or SAS) on Entebbe airport in 1976. Israeli movie industry could not ignore, neglect to make such a film, and Menahem Golan was the most bankable Israeli director on the international market at this time. It is efficient, never boring but nothing to do with what a director like Paul Greengrass could have done with this topic; remember his UNITED 93 or even CAPTAIN PHILIPS. And I also prefer Jose Padilla's feature made in 2017, showing the events from another angle. With also a unusual aesthetics approach, though the opening scene of OPERATION THUNDERBOLT is not bad either and could have inspired Padilla's film opening sequence too. Klaus Kinski is excellent here as one of the terrorists.

The movie depicts the true operation to release hostages in Uganda by Israeli commandos. The movie focuses on the leader of the operation - who ends up as the only casualty - very much like a french movie.

The movie uses 4(!) different languages (Hebrew, English, German and Arabic) that lend to the credibility and authenticity of the movie. The plot has good pace and does not let you dose off for a second. The story is "classic" and powerful.