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1.7 KiB
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The only thing that stops me giving this film one star is the cast. It's rare to find this many good character actors in one movie.<br /><br />I didn't realise as I watched, but apparently "Too Late The Hero" is meant to be an allegory for America's war against Vietnam. Trying to draw parallels between Vietnam and WWII really doesn't work.<br /><br />Despite a vehement anti-war streak, the movie seems to delight in its action sequences, almost daring us to cheer as the nominal bad guys get shot or blown up.<br /><br />It's this inconsistency in tone that destroys "Too Late The Hero". What point is the film trying to make? Is Denholm Elliot's character a cowardly villain or a shot-away, crazy-brave hero? Why does Cliff Robertson's character refuse to accept a simple change of plan at a crucial moment? Is he a coward or a by-the-book officer? Why does Michael Caine's character alternate between anti-authority and gung-ho heroics? What, quite simply, is Ronald Fraser's character's problem? If he's that much of a coward, surely he'd have found a more effective way of invaliding himself by now? What makes Lance Percival's character follow a murderous and cowardly comrade into a Japanese trap? There are too many questions going unanswered, even before the film's "50/50 Chance of Survival" finale. <br /><br />If you're looking for a more realistic portrayal of British soldiers fighting in South East Asia during WWII, watch the 1961 B&W film "The Long and The Short and The Tall". If you're looking for a more realistic portrayal of American troops in Vietnam, the choice is endless. "Too Late The Hero" was recently given away as a free DVD with a UK newspaper, which gives a good indication of how lame it is. |