Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

The WWII Wonks and Buffs can relate the Fiction vs Fact aspects of this Mid-Sixties, Big-Budget Production that had a Number of Contemporaries in the Time-Period. This one is as Good as any.The Realistic Sets and Details are Convincing and it has a Big International Cast, mostly British except for Sophia Loren in a Small but Engaging Part and Headliner George Peppard.It's more of a Spy Movie than a Typical War Action and it Blends the Genres to make for a Gripping Real-Life Story about German Rocketry (Buzz Bombs and V1 & 2). The English and German Conflict had an Urgency, displayed for Dramatic Effect in this Nail-Biter. The Film has a few Drags in Spots, but Very Few.Overall, a Handsome Production, Fine Acting, and a Story to Kill for. Entertaining for its Kind with just Enough Classic Intrigue, Action, and Suspense that makes it Hold Up to this Day.

Operation Crossbow was a film I enjoyed a lot. I didn't think it was perfect, some scenes drag and you can tell that Trevor Howard is not entirely interested in his role. That aside, it is very well directed, is well made with great cinematography and editing and has a brooding Ron Goodwin score. The film is talky, that I agree, but the dialogue is very good and the story compelling with on the whole with tense suspense and atmosphere, intriguing subplots and a thrilling action-packed finale. The acting is fine, George Peppard is likable, and while Sophia Loren's appearance is brief it is one along with her shocking death that is memorable. Tom Courtenay and John Mills are also well cast. Overall, an impressive film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Operation Crossbow is a fine MGM film produced by Carlo Ponti and filmed at MGM's British Studios. Starring Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Richard Johnson, Tom Courtenay, and cameos by Lili Palmer et al, this is an exciting and well directed Film.Some may carp that Sophia Loren who has a cameo but is top billed. Ms Loren at the time was a huge International Movie Star of the first rank and also married to Carlo Ponti. In short Loren was cast as box office insurance. George Peppard is the real star of the film. Peppard had just scored a tremendous hit on loan out from MGM To Paramount in The Carpetbaggers and had a few months to run on his 7 year MGM contract. MGM cast George Peppard in this great film detailing the commandos who destroy a Nazi rocket factory to get one more Peppard film before George Peppard left MGM.I liked Richard Johnson a lot in this film as well as the veteran star Lili Palmer.Excellent World War II film as good as The Great Escape.

In some ways an old-fashioned, star-studded, overstuffed "mission" movie, "Operation Crossbow" has, to me, an authentic WWII feeling to it. I'm guessing this movie's scenes and attitudes may have resonated with people in 1965 who'd lived through that period.World War II was Big, and that's reflected here. The movie's individual characters are less important than the group war effort, something they're very aware of. And the nothing-personal killing of one character by a Resistance member, is pretty stunning. My hat is off to that.Side note: During the '60s did Thomas Pynchon ("Gravity's Rainbow") go see this movie? He was then working on his big novel about the V-2 rocket. People have noodled about a possible cause-and-effect between movie and novel, including Dave Kehr in the NYTimes. FWIW, somewhere in "Gravity" I think there's a description of someone's wristwatch being worn on the inside of the wrist, "World War II style." (So the luminous hands wouldn't show during night operations??) That's the way George Peppard wears his watch.