Such a frustrating disappointment

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

¨The Marines were formed 28 October 1664. On 29th April 1802 His Majesty King George III directed that they should ¨The Royal Marines ¨. At a critical stage of the war just Merchant ships operating from Bordeaux were seriously endangering the British Blockade . For political reasons saturation bombing was rejected . The Navy was unable to penetrate the defenses without air cover . The Royal Marines were given the job. Postmouth , England-March-1942¨.Based on historical events with screenplay by Bryan Forbes and Richard Maibaum from the story by George Kent , including technical advisers as Colonel Hasler and ex-Marine W.E. Sparks . The film starts when a Major of Marines is arrested by the patrol boat for canoeing in a restricted area . He is Major Stringer (Jose Ferrer) under orders to execute a dangerous mission. The captain Thompson (Trevor Howard) has been appointed as the administrative officer . The Major joined in a fit of boyish enthusiasm and the High Command put him in in charge of the unit , while the captain is a WWI veteran ; going to be awfully difficult to get used to taking orders from a young officer. The mission results to be the following : It seems German ships are running in and out of Bordeaux , getting past out blockade and bringing vital raw materials to the German war machine . The job is to get all the way up there , try to blow up those enemy ships in the docks , by means of cockleshell canoes , they'll be traveling at night and hiding in the day . The'll be dropped out somewhere outside the minefield , 75 miles to the target , should be able to make it in three or four nights of paddling . The team , a group of highly-trained volunteers (Peter Arne , Anthony Newley, Percy Herbert , Victor Madden , David Lodge , among others ) for hazardous service .This is an exciting movie about warlike fits dealing with the blowing up of German warships by an expert squadron of soldiers in cockleshell canoes . The picture contains thrills , action , suspense , and amusement when the training of the soldiers take place . First-class performances from Jose Ferrer as obstinate Major and Trevor Howard as second-in-command captain . Large plethora of secondary cast and new-comers actors as Percy Herbert, Anthony Newley , Peter Arne and Victor Maddern as stiff Sergeant Craig . Furthermore brief appearance of Christopher Lee as submarine commandant. Evocative cinematography in glimmer Colour by John Wilcox and Ted Moore , produced at Shepperton Studios , England , being one of the first English movies to be realized in Technicolor . Good musical score including patriotic tunes by John Addison and conducted by the usual Muir Mathieson with the London Symphony Orchestra. The producers -Irwing Allen and Albert R. Broccoli who subsequently would produce James Bond series- acknowledge the assistance given to them in the making of this film by ¨The Royal Marines¨ and other branches of the ¨Royal Navy¨. The motion picture is well played and directed by Jose Ferrer . Rating . Better than average, worthwhile watching .

An excellent film,however the continuity is slightly wrong in the scene where the Germans are searching for the commandos,they are using,Lee Enfield rifles and Sten Guns instead of Mauser rifles & either Mp 38's or Mp 40 sub machine guns. The name of the expedition leader,who in real life was called Major Hasler,known to one and all as Blondie was changed in the film to Major Stringer! And Marine Sparks was called Marine Clarke.Otherwise an enjoyable film. The French take the raid very seriously,having dedicated a footpath of 100 Kilometers from Blaye on the Gironde to Ruffec,where the two survivors met with the resistance.

This is in fact a true story. It was a raid that was authorised byMountbatten in 1942. The names of the characters are changed. There was such a raid called operation Frankton that was executed in winter months. The movie is no doubt an exaggeration in many parts but certainly creates a lot of suspense. Of all the performances the only strong one is that of Trevor Howard who delivers his character extremely well on screen. His relationship with his commanding officer is in many ways the centre piece of the film. I can understand why people unaware of the raid would find this film implausible. But I can assure this was a real episode brought to the big screen. The raiders in real life did endure extreme hardship.

Reportedly based upon a true story, but much of what is seen in this British motion picture production is simply difficult to believe.The plan and objective are understandable and seem worthy of movie treatment, although in real life one would question the idea of planning a long multi-night canoe trip in the Winter season. Without fire and shelter, the elements would likely be a greater danger than German guns.In any case, the mission itself is contained only within the last third of the film. What comes across as outlandish is in the first 2/3's of the movie in which the "heroes" unknowingly play games with live bombs and also they are put in German uniforms and dropped 380 miles away in Northern England and are told they may break English law and do whatever but must return to their army camp in Southern England within 48 hours to pass the test -- all in the name of a training exercise!It is difficult to believe that such dangerous and reckless training tests occurred in real life. It is difficult to believe that such radical training tests could be authorized by an officer with only the rank of a Major. It is difficult to believe that this training really took place for many reasons.