Watch Too Late the Hero For Free

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Dialogue supervisor: Robert Sherman. Producer: Robert Aldrich. Associate producer: Walter Blake. (Available on an excellent Fremantle DVD). An Associates and Aldrich/Palomar Production. U.S. release through Cinerama: July 1970. U.K. release through C.I.R.O.: 18 October 1970. Sydney opening at the Paris. 16,135 feet. 144 minutes. Cut by the distributor to 133 minutes in the U.S.A.SYNOPSIS: Mixing the time-honored clichés of the war film with a fashionable dash of cynicism, "Too Late the Hero" has Robert Aldrich stamped all over it. — Nigel Andrews in Monthly Film Bulletin.COMMENT: The main impediment to a favorable review of Robert Aldrich's film is its length. It could be trimmed by at least 30 minutes to advantage. I would start in on Ronald Foster's part, then I'd eliminate some of the close-ups and needlessly repeated reaction shots in individual scenes and trim the long sequence of the microphone pursuit which, despite Aldrich's commendable use of the sound track, goes on for far too long. Fortunately, the film comes to an exciting climax with its obstacle race across the plain, and some of the photography here is absolutely breathtaking. In fact, most of the film was obviously lensed on location. There is not even a single frame of stock footage - which is a pleasant and most agreeable surprise. But on the debit side, the story is uncomfortably akin to an earlier Aldrich war movie, "The Dirty Dozen", which has a more entertaining script and higher production values than this one. Also that film's cast was far more interesting. Despite his prominence in the credits, Henry Fonda makes only a fleeting appearance, and neither Cliff Robertson nor Michael Caine have a strong enough screen presence to overcome some of the weaknesses in their material — although they both make a game try. Admittedly, reliable old Harry Andrews is back as the British C.O., and the rest of the players are competent, but unfortunately lack the sort of sparkle the film needs.

Robert Aldrich had something of a renaissance in the 70s with films like "The Longest Yard" and in particular "Ulzana's Raid" and "Hustle", however this film is not at the level of those films in my opinion. The ideal conditions for making unusual and risk taking films appeared to have been in place in 1970s America when mainstream Hollywood was making original, daring and interesting films like never before or since. These conditions could be said to have roughly existed between 1966 through to 1981-82. On the positive side this film has those classic Robert Aldrich dark touches, where we see humanity at its worst and weakest and we also get glimpses of how horrible War can be. The performances of Michael Caine and Denholm Elliot are both very good. And as one other reviewer has noted, you can really see that these guys are running around the jungle and not on a set or in a botanic garden somewhere, this film really has a sense of place and the film's Production values are high.However on the downside, the action scenes lack the vitality and realism that suggests that these characters really are fighting to the death, something I believe that this era of War films lacked. This element of realism in War Films didn't really come into place until "Cross of Iron" and "A Bridge Too Far" (both made in 1977). I also found the ending to be unimaginative, contrived, and over the top and it is always disappointing when a film does not end well. This is not one of Robert Aldrich's best films, but it has enough interesting about it to be worth checking out if you like films from this era.

Given the cast, this should have been way better. But the plot, and, more so, basic logic fail in scene after scene of this clunker, and it seems the cast may have realized saving the movie was beyond their capabilities given the truck-sized holes in the logic, so they gave up, went through the motions, got it done, collected their lunch money, and went home.Numerous folks have pointed out the lack of regard for basic military tactics, and those in particular for jungle warfare. But the disdain for giving any of the characters even rudimentary military common sense is an insult to the characters, and will be exasperating to the viewer, especially anyone with any military background, or any common sense for that matter, and bears some spotlighting: Half the movie is the misfit commando squad sneaking up to the Jap base, then trying to escape back down to the Brit base. So, while they're AWAKE, they're sneaking along in the jungle and alert (never mind the incorrect patrol techniques, smoking every half hour, etc). But a half dozen times in the movie, they get tired and literally crap out in the open -- no, don't bother to hide behind some bushes, or in the jungle. Just go to sleep right in the open, on the flipping jungle TRAIL. Oh, and DON'T have ANYONE stay up and stand watch -- let EVERYONE go to sleep right in the trail, or in the open clearing at the jungle temple, for hours. Such idiocy in a combat environment would warrant all the little misfits having their throats slit in their sleep, or getting perforated by one awake enemy soldier with a rifle waltzing into their sleepover party -- but no worries, it doesn't happen, because credibility isn't important here. In THIS movie, all the Japanese pursuers, famed/notorious for their jungle fighting, silence, and infiltration skills, always ensure they manage to make enough noise in the distance, so the good guys wake up in time and scurry for cover. It got to the point I was rooting for the Jap pursuers to take out some of these lazy sods. As one other person wrote, this movie devolved into just a sort of long episode of the Combat! TV series, though that usually had more regard for common sense and military credibility.There are several other ridiculous plot elements -- the stupid gauntlet situation of the Brit camp, the need for the US convoy to travel past that point of the island at that point in time, the elaborate stage management of the Jap loudspeaker brigade, bracketing the Brit refugees every day to scare them into surrender (hey, maybe those loudspeaker guys could, you know, FIND the heroes, and KILL them instead, and save all that tree climbing), the lack of the possibility that hey, the Japs might have -- gasp -- TWO transmitters on the island, and maybe ONE more at their HIDDEN air base. Yes, the movie pays lip service to these with some lame explanations voiced by the players, but they're paper thin, and just occasions for additional viewer wincing and head scratching. Not worth the time or effort required, but if you want to watch it, check your brains at the door.

Cliff Robertson playing a somewhat reticent U.S. Naval Lieutenant (Lawson) hoping for a long due leave posting, is unexpectedly assigned to a command with a British base on an island in the New Hebrides off the South West Pacific in 1942. Because of his Japanese language skills and directed to penetrate to the north of the island with a British commando force he is given a directive to take control of an enemy radio station and deliver deceptive messages to their adversary in order to confuse Japanese naval intelligence. On arriving at the British base and expecting some form of settling relaxation beforehand, is informed by Commanding Officer Thompson (Played by Harry Andrews), that he will be leaving for his duties in "half an hour".The stunned look on Lawson's face, and at a subsequent pr-briefing put him into a state of disbelief as to what is happening with his association with his British colleagues who are already demonstrating precision control over their already come to attention to duties.Enter British "Limey" Michael Caine (Tosh) an equally disconcerted medical orderly soldier with a totally disloyal uninterested squad of men, led on this patrol by bungling Captain Hornsby (played superbly by Denholm Elliot) who takes his troops to complete disaster with poor judgment of jungle fighting skills. A shootout between them and an unanticipated Japanese Patrol leads to casualties on both sides - with the sarcastic remark of a Corporal describing the affray as though it was the outcome of a Soccer match -"It's been a great day at Hampden Park folks - Hornsby's Hotspurs 5 - Japanese United 3". - all of them scored by Hornsby.Tosh after attending to the dead and wounded replies - "Fairy Feet Hornsby deployed his forces with such a masterful grasp of tactics one half of ourselves got shot by the other half". Another replies - I don't believe it.Tosh again interjects referring to his fallen comrades - go dig out the bullets - you won't find "Made in Japan" written on them.The rest of the patrol in their mission ends in absolute disaster with the loss of Hornsby on his disastrous assault of the radio station. A subsequent discovery of a major Jap naval airstrip there by the remainder of the patrol leads to a chase and run by the enemy in an endeavor to stop them reporting this find.The remainder of the force retreat in a shambles with some of the party becoming victims of the Japanese,either killed or surrendering beforehand, leaving Lawson and Tosh to try to make it back to base.Both eventually leave the jungle perimeter under enemy fire over an exposed field with only one survivor returning.Really great movie full of comedy quips, combined with interesting American - British off beat well quoted differences, and a conclusion deserved of the movie title.