633 Squadron (1964)

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

633 Squadron actually part inspired the Death Star battle sequence in Star Wars and although you might have never seen this film before, you would have heard of its stirring theme music.It is 1944 and the Royal Air Force commanders have been informed of a factory producing fuel for the German V2 rockets in the Norwegian fjords. The factory is protected by an overhanging cliff which if it collapses could destroy the factory beneath it. A squadron of De Havilland Mosquitoes are assigned the task for this dangerous mission.Cliff Robertson plays the stoic American flying ace (who joined the RAF) and he is joined by Oscar winner George Chakiris who plays the Norwegian resistance fighter Erik Bergman who is there to provide the sex appeal and has a sister who Robertson can romance.The British actors are also rans but who can miss Crossroads legend Shughie McFee and the film makes a nod to soldiers from all parts of the commonwealth.Despite the stirring finale the film has an hackneyed plot, cheesy lines such as 'You can't kill a squadron' and some hammy acting. The special effects are average at best but let's not ignore the stirring music and its influence on George Lucas.

633 Squadron is not too bad. The special effects are not that great though although seeing real Mosquitos is brilliant because there are none currently flying in Britain. This is a film which shows that Britain did actually play a part in winning the war and it wasn't solely won by the Americans. Sadly Hollywood does tend to overlook this sometimes !!. Cliff Robertson plays a Canadian Wing Commander who has licked his squadron into top shape which is why it is given the "reward" of having to carry out the dangerous mission of destroying a Nazi rocket fuel factory in Norway. I think he is fine in the role. The love story part of it is token and a little staged. The final attack is good although as I said before the special effects are not great. However, I suppose for its time and budget they are as good as were possible. The mission succeeds but there is only one definite survivor (Cliff Robertson's navigator). Cliff Robertson may also survive but it is assumed that he dies too by the reaction of the people with him at the end. Overall not a bad film and it also has magnificent music.

***May contain spoilers*** Wow. The De Havilland Mosquito is certainly the star of this film. What a beautiful, amazing aircraft.Clichéd plot and tired special effects aside, this is an aviation classic with some beautiful shots of the Mosquito and some thrilling, scenic action sequences. The very dated effects in places slightly detract from the enjoyment of the film, but that said it is very easy to watch and perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon when you have 91 free minutes.If the plot and characters manage to draw you in, then be warned that there are some truly depressing moments, revealing some of the sacrifices made by service people during WW2. The deaths and horrific injuries come thick and fast, but fortunately the film is very sanitised (it is a PG) so the audience is spared witnessing graphic splatter and scorched flesh. The film does help to drive home the pointlessness and idiocy of war.Definitely worth seeing.

This, along with The Dam Busters, is a classic film about the exploits of the RAF in the Second World War although unlike The Dam Busters this follows a fictional squadron. Not surprisingly for a film made in 1964 the special effects seem dated but the sight and sound or real Mosquitoes flying is something a modern film couldn't have.The squadron is given the task of destroying a factory making rocket fuel in Norway, to do this they will have to fly up a well defended fjord and bomb a fault on the mountain above the factory rather than attacking the building directly. The squadron is made up of a mixture of nationalities and lead by an American, Wing Cmdr. Roy Grant, who had enlisted in the RAF Eagle Squadron before the US joined the war. The are assisted by a Norwegian Navy Lieutenant, Erik Bergman, who brings them details of the factory site then later returns with the intention of enlisting the help of local resistance fighters to attack the anti-aircraft guns. There is also a subplot where Wing Cmdr. Grant gets romantically involved with Erik Bergman's sister.Like most British war films of the time this isn't about gung-ho heroics but about the sacrifice involved in warfare. The film was fairly well acted and the flying scenes were great, it is tragic that there are no longer any airworthy Mosquitoes here. Being a fairly old film it is suitable for younger viewers as there is no bad language and there isn't gore, even people shot with machine-guns manage to avoid bleeding. No review of this film would be complete without mentioning Ron Goodwin's excellent score which combined with the drone of the Mosquito's two Merlin engines is enough to give one goosebumps.