Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

That was an excellent one.

One of my all time favorites.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Cynical SAS captain Peter Skellen (ably played with firm and charismatic resolve by Lewis Collins) infiltrates a radical political group who are plotting a terrorist abduction of several American dignitaries who are visiting England. Director Ian Sharp, working from an absorbing script by Reginald Rose, relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, maintains a tough gritty tone throughout (thankfully, there's no silly humor with anyone making dopey quips after someone gets killed), generates a considerable amount of tension, and stages the explosive action in the last fifteen minutes with consummate skill and brio. Moreover, the filmmakers warrant additional praise for the way that they show how a group of left-wing radicals can be every bit as dangerous and misguided as right-wing fanatics. The sound acting from a sturdy cast rates as another major asset: Judy Davis delivers plenty of sexy and saucy pluck as passionate and dedicated group leader Frankie Leith, Richard Widmark portrays the role Secretary of State Arthur Currie with deliciously sardonic bite, and Ingrid Pitt radiates pure menace as the ruthless Helga, plus there are commendable contributions from Robert Webber as the hearty General Ira Potter, Edward Woodward as the pragmatic Commander Powell, Tony Doyle as the hard-nosed Colonel Hadley, and Rosalind Lloyd as Skellen's loving wife Jenny. Kudos are also in order for Phil Meheux's slick cinematography and Roy Budd's pulsating score. A real cracking winner.

When SAS Captain Peter Skellen is thrown out of the service for gross misconduct due to unnecessary violence and bullying, he is soon recruited by The People's Lobby, a fanatical group aiming to hold several US dignitaries hostage. But Skellen's dismissal is a front to enable him to get close to the terrorist group. Can he get close enough to stop the Lobby from creating an international incident?...Imagine a really really British version of Die Hard, made six years before said movie, and featuring a hero who is more British than Austin Powers, and you have this movie.A what a weird and almost wonderful film it is. Collins is definitely leading man material, and it cannot fathom for the life of me why he never made it huge in the movies, he has great albeit very British screen presence.Back to the movie though, and we get him, dressed like the Major from Fawlty Towers, getting it on with Judy Davis, so he can join some sort of freedom group led by Ned Flanders.Its a lot of talk talk for the first two acts, but as son as the action rears its head, it never lets up, and is very well edited and choreographed.It's not uh classic I remember, but it's still fun to watch.

It was 1982; Britain had Thatcher, America had Reagan. The Falkland war had just past and there was a strong vein of nationalism within the UK. With that backdrop, we have "Who Dares, Wins" (AKA Final Option). It's too easy to dismiss this movie as a piece of right wing propaganda, but I think that's too simplistic. It was a film scripted in Los Angeles with the usual oversimplification that only the British film industry could carry off, and so was somewhat detached from UK reality, with cardboard cutout terrorists and macho army guys. Lewis Colins, a then well-known UK actor from the TV series the professionals, which had ended production by that time, was cast as the hero. He's more than up to the task, but what a waste of other cast members (Judy Davis, Widmark, etc.).A contemporary TimeOut review described it as "something to offend everyone" - that sums it up.

This is actually a pretty bad film. The ideology is not as perverse as in those films Collins made later. However, my main misgivings about the film are that it is implausible and quite frankly boring for a long time. The whole concept of an ex-SAS man joining terrorists for no particular reason isn't very convincing and you can't help wondering why a group of highly organized terrorists (who later become pretty clueless) fall for it. The film starts with a pretty powerful scene but then meanders for quite a long time building up towards the great finale. Overall, I think Who dares wins could have been an interesting 45 minutes episode of The Professionals but the story doesn't carry a feature film. Although reasonably successful at the time this film initiated the demise of Collins' career who in the eighties mainly made cheap and dubious soldier-of-fortune or army films. Pity, because he actually is quite a versatile actor but at the end of the day Martin Shaw chose his roles more carefully and has a career that's still successful.