Five for Hell (1969)

Touches You

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

So much average

Great Film overall

This Italian action/adventure set during the Second World War is essentially a riff on the then recent American smash hit The Dirty Dozen (1967). Its story is broadly similar where we have a specially selected group of five American soldiers being chosen to go behind enemy lines to steal some heavily guarded battle plans from a well-protected German stronghold. But the question you need to ask yourself is could that earlier Hollywood blockbuster have been improved with the inclusion of scenes involving its crack commandos jumping off mini trampolines, using baseballs as weaponry and indulging in extended tap dancing routines? Well, this is the film that essentially answers that particular question. I'm not going to give you the answer though as I think it's best a person decides for themselves on such matters.This one features the go-to bad guy actor of the day, Klaus Kinski, in a role of a ruthless Nazi and the delectable Margaret Lee as a German double-agent. The five-man army, on the other hand, were decidedly less distinctive than this pair. The film itself is reasonably entertaining in a lots-of shooting kind of way but it is also very by-the-numbers too. The final assault on the German base drags somewhat until it becomes a machine gun fest. So I reckon it could have been a bit more interesting really but in fairness, like its title characters, it still gets the job done.

This is another favorite of my childhood, I've seen it so many times that I know it by heart. I know even why, now, at 57(my age), is especially for the eroticism of Margaret Lee. With each viewing, I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, this time they will not shoot her and I will be able to take her home with me at the end of the film...To show her my collection of stamps, what did you thought? I can't say that I love the film now. I can not say that is the worst movie in the world neither. I've seen others even worse. Plus, we have Klaus Kinski, an extraordinary actor, a genius in playing insane characters(it seems that he was also a little bit crazy in real life). John Garko is OK and the music is not bad either.

1969 music. Gymnastics. Softball (as a weapon.) Tap dancing. Very much like a spaghetti western except it's a WWII flick. Giving it a 5 because it's hardly a classic but I've seen worse. They actually did a good job with the weapons, uniforms, and vehicles. Sure, there are some nits to pick, but I give these guys credit for at least trying. The plot details were a bit fuzzy but the film gives you all the basics you'd expect for a raid. The dubious goal almost gave it a sci-fi feel at points. Kudos too in that the Germans actually spoke German, although the number of Germans with Hitler mustaches exceeded the allowed quota in the realm of believable cinema.

The graphics (lol) are pretty offish for its time--but you know, for some reason, they seem to improve over time. (For instance, if the camera is shooting from a distance, the guys look really tall and skinny. Up close, it looks more realistic.) Any points of interest? Well, a couple of softballs are used in this movie--not to mention a pretty nifty knife-throwing technique near the end of the movie. (And loads of action sporadically located throughout the movie)!But that's all I can tell you for now...Plot: A GI leader picks four or five men to go on a mission to Germany in order to obtain "Plan K" and refute a plan from the German army to crush US forces.