Classic Movie Monday: Force 10 from Navarone

Welcome to Classic Movie Monday. Every Monday, I watch a film at least 25 years old that I have never seen before. I will then write my comments on the film, telling you what I thought of it. This is an attempt to beef up my classic film knowledge as well as highlight some forgotten gems of Hollywood's heyday. So without further ado...

Force 10 from Navarone
Released: December 8, 1978
Directed by: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Robert Shaw & Harrison Ford

Plot in a Nutshell:
In this, a follow-up to The Guns of Navarone, an elite squad of men set out on a mission to destroy a vital bridge in WWII Europe. Complications arise when the team is captured, and the mission must be altered if it is to succeed.

What I thought:
It's a shame. I love The Guns of Navarone. It's one of my favorite WWII movies, if you could even call it a war movie. It's not so much about a war, as it is about a eclectic group of characters brought together to bring down a Nazi stronghold. This sequel to that excellent film, plods along, playing by the numbers, but it just doesn't do it quite as well.

This story is virtually the same as in Guns. An elite group of men join together in a secret squad to destroy an enemy ________. It even has two of the same characters, Mallory and Miller. Played previously by Gregory Peck and David Niven, here they are replaced with Robert Shaw and Edward Fox. Neither do remotely as good a job as their previous incarnations. And neither does this story hold near as much interest as the last. Since it is virtually the same plot but with a different skin, it needs to bring something new to the table, unfortunately it doesn't.

So it's obvious this film is not as good as the previous one, however, on it's own, Force 10 makes for a fine little action picture. Directed by a seasoned 007 helmer, Guy Hamilton makes some great use of stuff blowing up. The finale is very large, and at one point quite funny. Ford and Shaw's characters are setting off a bomb in a damn, expecting it to go off in 20 seconds, they say their goodbyes. Little do they know, the bomb is nowhere big enough to kill them, instead it causes a tiny crack which brings down the whole damn. But as much action and mayhem are caused, it becomes clear early on, that not much is behind it. The characters are uninteresting, the plot feels tired, over-worked, and the performances are not remotely exciting.

I find it a real shame, because not only is the exceptional talent wasted, but it feels like a carbon copy of a much better film. Instead of a Gun placement to destroy, here we get a strategic bridge. The characters get captured almost exactly the same way, and they are just as easily freed 10 minutes later, with no danger whatsoever. The primary difference between the two films is that while Guns is refreshing and fun, Force 10 feels stretched, overweight, and altogether unnecessary. That being said, on it's own, it could make a decent flick, but it has a hell of an act to follow. But take my advice, skip this, and see The Guns of Navarone instead. Then, and only then, come back for this tired imitation (if you even want to).

Bottom Line:
A sequel that seems too similar to it's predecessor. Even though there is some good action here, this is an unneeded attempt at following up an already brilliant film.

C

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