The Dirty Dozen (1967)

A model for dozens of action films to follow, this box-office hit from 1967 refined a die-hard formula that has become overly familiar, but it's rarely been handled better than it was in this action-packed World War II thriller. Lee Marvin is perfectly cast as a down-but-not-out army major who is offered a shot at personal and professional redemption. If he can successfully train and discipline a squad of army rejects, misfits, killers, prisoners, and psychopaths into a first-rate unit of specialized soldiers, they'll earn a second chance to make up for their woeful misdeeds. Of course, there's a catch: to obtain their pardons, Marvin's band of badmen must agree to a suicide mission that will parachute them into the danger zone of Nazi-occupied France. It's a hazardous path to glory, but the men have no other choice to accept and regain their lost honor. What makes The Dirty Dozen special is its phenomenal cast including Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, George Kennedy, Ernest Borgnine, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, Jim Brown, Clint Walker, Trini Lopez, Robert Ryan, and others. Cassavetes is the Oscar- nominated standout as one of Marvin's most rebellious yet heroic men, but it's the whole ensemble--combined with the hard-as-nails direction of Robert Aldrich--that makes this such a high-velocity crowd pleaser. The script by Nunnally Johnson and Lukas Heller (from the novel by E.M. Nathanson) is strong enough to support the all-star lineup with ample humor and military grit, so if you're in need of a mainline jolt of testosterone, The Dirty Dozen is the movie for you. The DVD extras are also a kick in the pants, including a promotional featurette showing Marvin and his stylishly macho costars enjoying some male bonding in the mod London bistros of the 1960s. (You almost expect Austin Powers to come speeding around the nearest corner, making it a dirty baker's dozen! Yeah, baby, yeah!) --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

The Dirty Dozen

This is an excellent WWII movie. It has a marvelous cast and the characters are all "fleshed out". You know who and what they are. I have watched it numerous times on TV, and decided I needed it for my collection. Highly recommended. June 27, 2008

Great movie, good transfer

This is a great movie, and probably the best it has ever looked. Given the age of the source material, I'm guessing it would be almost impossible to get a better transfer than what they have here. The sound quality is decent, too, assuming the same issues. June 9, 2008

Not as good as the book

If you simply want to watch an average WWII movie, this is as good a choice as any. Lee Marvin does a good job and there is nothing really wrong with the movie. But I read the book when I was younger and it is MUCH better. May 29, 2008

Review Of Dirty Dozen

Bought 2 movies of Dirty Dozen.. HD 1st 1 woulden't load.. & so stupid me bought another & that 1 would not load either.. I have 3 DVD recorders in my house and not 1 of them would play them.. Although Amazon did refund my money back on the 2nd 1.. May 11, 2008

The best WWI movie

HD makes this movie explode. There are so many great scenes that make this movie the best WWI movie made. April 1, 2008

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