633 Squadron
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Movie Reviews of 633 Squadron
Movie Review: Great Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a super movie and you can see and hear where Stars Wars scenes come from and the radio chatter.Movie Review: Give these planes the Oscar...
Summary: 4 Stars
Loved this film when I first saw it as a 9-yo ww2 airplane-crazy kid at a neigbors house, none of the limited special-effects taint it then, anymore than they did 'The Battle of Britain'. This movie is based on a book of the same name, I've never read the book, cant name the author, but the mission itself is an imaginary-one, but does reflect bits and pieces of actual Mosquito-bomber exploits in ww2: the mid-film raid on the Oslo Gestapo building to kill their own captured Norwegian-resistance friend before he can give it up under torture was resembling a job Mosquitos did in both Oslo and Copenhagen Denmark-tragically also hitting a school and killing many Danish school-children in that otherwise successful raid. One other famous Mosquito exploit was the aptly-named 'Jericho' raid on Amiens medieval prison in the French countryside, to blow -down the walls and release French resistance fighters held by the Nazis.This raid is imitated in the later film 'Mosquito Squadron', with David McCallum, which is a perhaps inferior film to this one, and re-uses some of 633's canned Mosquito flying footage.The film is a fair-classic of the genre and like the even more atmospheric and heady (and true-fact) 'Dambusters', has a memorable and rousing score, this one by Ron Goodwin, who wrote many scores for war-films-this would be the best one, and is worth checking-out on your legal pay music download site, frankly(winks)
The comments by people here concerning the special-effects are true,as Ive attacked to some degree the special-effects of 'the Battle of Britain', 633 has more excuse, would have been far less ambitious lower budget. But the twin-merlin Mosquitos are as gloriously acoustically and visually British as Dambusters Lancs and 'Battle of Brits' Spits and Hurricanes.
And '12 Oclock High's Fortresses, one might add.
George Shakira's casting as a Norwegian Resistance fighter(or any Norwegian!)goes down as one of the casting oddities of celluloid history.
If you havent seen it before, youll like it, if you love good airplanes, airplane footage and sounds, it'll probably actually get you high.
The remarks I saw here about the rationale of the Mosquitos wooden construction being about shortage of aluminium, well, cant rule it out totally,without loking into it first, but would point out that the specially glued plywood skin obviated the need for 100s of flush-rivets as metal-skin planes have, resulting in drag,and loss of speed, and this aircraft was conceived to be fast enough to evade enemy fighters by speed alone, without the need for defensive or offensive guns, which the bomber and recon glass-nosed Mosquitos actually were unarmed, and Luftwaffe found it almost impossible at first and always difficult to intercept them, even when they could see them comiing. Despite being wooden, they were also regarded as a remarkably sturdy aircraft that frequently returned with major battle damage. The Mosquito was also one of the few twin-engined planes which was claimed could not merely fly on one engine, but even climb comfortably with one engine stopped and 'feathered'.
Movie Review: Exciting WWII adventure
Summary: 4 Stars
633 Squadron is not a well-known or highly-touted WWII movie, but it is an above average, exciting look at an RAF fighter-bomber squadron. In the early months of 1944, a section of the RAF Eagle Squadron, the 633 Squadron, is given a dangerous mission that could have a profound impact on the upcoming D-Day. The 633 must fly through a narrow fjord of Norway and blow up a German factory producing rocket fuel. The factory is built deep under a cliff, think Guns of Navarone, and is impossible to attack in any other way. With the help of the Norwegian underground who will try to knock out the German anti-aircraft, the 633 begins their training for this possibly suicidal mission. This movie is not groundbreaking, but it does everything well. The training sequences in Scotland are exciting, the camraderie among the pilots doesn't seem forced, and the final attack in the fjord is very well done. I give credit to this movie for how it handles the attack, it's not necessarily a happy ending, not all the pilots make it, but it shows the realistic results of what an attack like this would be. So for a moving, realistic and still exciting WWII movie with some great aerial footage of the Mosquito fighter-bomber, give 633 Squadron a try.
Cliff Robertson takes the lead here as Wing Commander Roy Grant, the leader of 633 Squadron. Grant accepts the risk involved with the mission and its possible impact, but also knows it may cost a lot to get it done. Robertson is very strong as Grant, a really good role for him. George Chakiris gives support as Lt. Erik Bergman, the leader of the Norwegian underground who initially trains with the 633 before being dropped back into Norway to prepare his men. It's not a huge part, but Chakiris pulls it off well. Maria Perschy plays Hilde Bergman, Erik's sister who begins to fall for Robertson's Grant as they get to know each other. Harry Andrews, Donald Houston, and Michale Goodliffe are good in supporting roles as Grant's RAF superiors. The squadron consists of John Meillon as Gillibrand, the Australian pilot who loves women and drinking, John Bonney as Scott, the one-handed cocky but likable second-in-command, and Angus Lennie as Hoppie, Grant's nervous navigator, among several others who aren't given much to do.
The DVD offers a great-looking widescreen presentation, a real beauty, and a theatrical trailer for the movie. Not much in the way of special features, but the movie is worth the price. So for an exciting WWII adventure with a strong cast headed by Cliff Robertson, check out 633 Squadron!
Movie Review: A Treat for Aviation Buffs !
Summary: 4 Stars
This film seems to have attracted a number of interesting, positive reviews--there is little for me to add except to say that is is a fine World War II thriller, featuring Cliff Robertson, George Chakiris and a solid British cast in support.Of course, the real "stars" of the movie are the Mosquitos--seeing them fly is a feast for aviation fans. Some scenes really seem to put you in the cockpit with our heroes as they train for their "mission impossible". There is also a fair bit of model work involved, and this is perhaps the only area of the movie that is dated. Special effects have made huge strides since the sixties--when these planes crash or blow up, it is not done in a convincing way for modern audiences.
Cliff Robertson is fine in the lead--later in the decade, he was to win an Oscar for "Charly", yet he has always been under-rated. His career certainly had it's "ups and downs"--in the seventies, he blew the whistle on a Hollywood executive who was embezzling money, and good movie roles seemed to "elude" him for a while. Clearly, he is a man of great integrity. It was nice to see him, after so many years, have an important role in the monster hit, "Spiderman".
George Chakiris aquits himself well as a Norwegian resistance leader. British character actors, Harry Andrews and Donald Houston, provide the mandatory "stiff upper lips" ! When the movie is over though, it is those fabulous planes that you remember most.
The DVD is widescreen, with decent colour for its age--the sound is mono ( imagine those Mosquitos in surround ? ! ). The packaging is very rudimentary, but I suppose this is in keeping with the low price ?
If you like war films with the accent on aviation, this one is for you. Try it !
Movie Review: Possible inspiration for "Star Wars" Death Star attack?
Summary: 4 Stars
As another reviewer so astutely observed, the climactic bombing run through a fjord at a specific target evokes the Jedi attack on the Death Star at the conclusion of "Star Wars." While George Lucas has acknowledged Kurasawa's "Hidden Fortress" as a primary influence on "Star Wars," I wonder if he had "633 Squadron" in the back of his mind when designing the end run on the Death Star? Something to ponder.
The other reviewers have said some wonderful things about the excellent and authentic aerial combat footage, and the footage of the Mosquito fighters themselves, so I will only add my praise to theirs.
The only quibbles I have with the movie are the very fake miniature plane models used in the climactic bombing run, Cliff Robertson's lack of a British accent (he is playing an RAF captain...the only flaw in an otherwise marvelous performance), and the trite, standard romance that always seems a part of most war movies.
Overall, worth owning and watching several times.