The basic plotline has the over the top Ernest Borgnine (was he ever anything else?) searching for his missing son and dealing with the Russians and Germans and the equally campy Herbert Lom in his efforts to get international assistance. Borgnine gets to utilize a fake accent (basically imitating Fearless Leader from Bullwinkle as he deals with German officer Robert Vaughan) and provides some delightful comic moments in his efforts to bring in some comedy even though the script didn't have it. Action film and "Falcon Crest" actor Daniel Greene is brawny if not brainy as the much younger military associate of Borgnine's, quite the agile man of action. The combination of unintentional comedy and nonstop action (some quite violent) works on the aspect that you never expect it to blend as well as it does.
There's some feminine beauty here that is often funny as well, with Lom's black wife laughing hysterically when Borgnine gets the better of her husband, and a blonde vixen who is able to fight among the best of the rugged masculinity standing side by side with her. Lom seems to think that he's reciting Shakespeare with his not quite Shakespearean dialog as if he was King Lear, MacArthur and Don Vito Corleone, going up against Borgnine once again emulating Wallace Beery, with a bit of Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy as well. Oliver Reed has high up billing, but his role is nothing more than a pointless cameo. Simon Sabela stands out in a nice part as an African military officer with a big heart of gold and a laugh that would give Geoffrey Holder a double take to make sure it wasn't him. Maybe not the greatest action film but one that is very amusing for its unique narrative.
There's some feminine beauty here that is often funny as well, with Lom's black wife laughing hysterically when Borgnine gets the better of her husband, and a blonde vixen who is able to fight among the best of the rugged masculinity standing side by side with her. Lom seems to think that he's reciting Shakespeare with his not quite Shakespearean dialog as if he was King Lear, MacArthur and Don Vito Corleone, going up against Borgnine once again emulating Wallace Beery, with a bit of Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy as well. Oliver Reed has high up billing, but his role is nothing more than a pointless cameo. Simon Sabela stands out in a nice part as an African military officer with a big heart of gold and a laugh that would give Geoffrey Holder a double take to make sure it wasn't him. Maybe not the greatest action film but one that is very amusing for its unique narrative.