Raid sur Entebbe

I must say I was pleasantly surprised when watching this, not having expected very much of it. I think I had some kind of trashy midday movie in mind, so it was nice to find 'Raid on Entebbe' was well above expectation.

Firstly, it was nice to find a film based on historic events that adhered to those events (barring minor and inconsequential details). Especially when a film is based on such a sensitive subject as terrorism, one hopes it won't be overblown and over the top. It wasn't – it was a good and even-handed depiction, neither demonizing the terrorists nor white-washing them, but simply depicting factually the actions they took. For a mainly B-list cast, the acting was strong and believable.

So this was a decent, solid movie, well put together and maintaining its entertainment value throughout.

I first saw this movie as a kid, but didn't remember it until I rented it a few weeks ago. This is a very gripping film, one that manages to get across the enormous amount of stress the Israeli government faced as they decided how to deal with a precarious situation. This mission took a tremendous amount of courage, which is reflected in the film. The scene where the commandos are singing on the plane conveyed the solidarity and stalwartness of the Israeli people as they rushed to the rescue of their own people.

A film that is historically accurate, Raid on Entebbe is engrossing and exciting to watch. The actual raid on Entebbe was itself a very daring rescue, and it translates extremely well to film. Even though you know the outcome in advance, you will find yourself wanting to stay with the film until the end. The actors are all excellent, and the sets extremely realistic. Yaphet Kotto gives a great performance as Idi Amin, portraying the Ugandan president as mix of grandstander, egomaniac, and thinly disguised madman; the movie is worth watching for Kotto's performance alone. While made almost 25 years ago, Raid on Entebbe remains an exciting film that has aged well and is still very enjoyable to watch.

I watched the film last night and i would say it was a very good fact-based thriller. The story of a commando operation, to free hostages Built up the excitement and tension from start to finish, It was well acted and scripted, And being based on a true incident. Was very exciting.

This is an excellent made for TV movie which will cause even non-Jewish viewers to feel pride. The Isreali government assisted in the production of a similar movie, "Operation Thunderbolt" which is very accurate historically and should also be seen for comparison. That movie used actual Isreali soldiers and several survivors of the incident. "Raid on Entebbe" is a much smoother and more enjoyable production. The cast worked very well together. This was Peter Finch's last movie. Charles Bronson is at his best. An interesting blooper is that Yoni Netanyahu was a Lt. Colonel, but is shown in the uniform of a full Colonel. Don't let that ruin the movie for you, though, it should be in every historical and military collection.