User Reviews

This movie is a personal one for me. I was a high school student at George Dewey H.S., Subic Bay, Philippines from 1968-70. My buddies and I were extras in the movie when it was made out there. We would cut classes and our principal would come out to the movie set to take our names down. We got in trouble when we got back, but this was a once in a lifetime deal. We were paid $12 a day. It was cheaper to use off-duty sailors and marines as well as the high school guys as extras than to pay for extras to be flown in from the U.S. We picked up buses from various parts of the base early in the morning and were taken to the naval magazine where the movie was being filmed. We were out from 6:00 A.M. to about 4:00 P.M. I remember the prop people built this fantastic set with huts and a fake stone church that was used as the Colonel's headquarters. It was nicer than the huts the Filipino people lived in and they wanted to keep them after the movie was finished. They had to be torn down though because of insurance purposes. They had brought these British Army uniforms for us to wear but they were new and looked too good so they ran over them with trucks to give them a rough look. To this day I remember many wild times on the set. Once when Cliff Robertson arrived at the base and was in the Colonel's headquarters, the director Mr. Aldridge yelled at myself and a buddy because we were playing our acoustic guitars too loudly on top of the fake stone church and it could be heard during the scene. I guess Hendrix music was not around in WW2. Another time between takes, Michael Caine and his buddies were on the steps of a building and he started to sing "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. Everyone sang along. It was great and to this day whenever I hear that song it takes me back to that great time! (that was 37 years ago) One of the side actors brought along his girlfriend and she ran around on the beach in her bikini. That was indeed a great sight as sailors, marines and high school kids took breaks from the set to hang out on the beach. I remember meeting the British actor with the broken nose who was in "Flight of the Phoenix" with Jimmy Stewart. He was in the movie and seemed to be a nice guy. A Philippine patrol boat parked at the beach dock. They were kind enough to let us dive off their boat into the water during lunch breaks. Some of the guys earned $18 a day by lying in an open field being dead bodies. These were the soldiers from the movie who were shot by the Japanese snipers. There was a fire on the set one day and shooting had to be stopped. They repaired the set and the movie went on. Parts of the movie were shot near our base hospital on the mountain at Cubi Point in the jungle. These were the scenes where the commando team was in the jungle on the mission. The movie people would party at the Officer's Club at Cubi. It was not well received by all the officers. The movie guys had long hair and dressed very casually, and the marine fighter pilots did not care for this group. I did not hear of any fights though. My buddy next door to our quarters had Michael Caine and some others over for a home cooked dinner. It was well received. It was a great time to be in the Philippines back in those days. After we finished our tour out there we went back to a naval base at Pax River, Maryland. I went up to New York to visit my aunt and she took me to see the movie. It was pretty good. I especially enjoyed it since I could see all my buddies walking around in the background with rifles or just hanging out. It was a great movie and I must say it was filmed in the real jungle setting with snakes and all. No Hollywood back-set here!

Too Late the Hero is directed by Robert Aldrich who also co-writes the screenplay with Lukas Heller and Robert Sherman. It stars Michael Caine, Cliff Robertson, Henry Fonda, Ken Takakura, Denholm Elliott, Lance Percival, Ronald Fraser and Ian Bannen. Music is by Gerald Fried and cinematography by Joseph F. Biroc.

Lawson (Cliff Robertson) is an American naval officer who specialises in Asiatic languages, thus he is sent to a Pacific island to assist a group of British soldiers on what seems a routine mission. The mission is to simply knock out the Japanese army's key transmitter, but as the men get deeper into the jungle terrain it becomes obvious that the odds of survival are minimal at best. With inner fighting escalating and a hostile enemy closing in fast, it's a time for heroes to be born and friendships to be laid bare.

Often, and wrongly, considered a weak attempt by Aldrich to cash in on the success of his Dirty Dozen movie three years earlier, Too Late the Hero had been written some ten year previously. Although some way away from the gutsy grandeur and bulging biceps of The Dirty Dozen, TLTH is still a potent war movie. Often claustrophobic in mood and acerbic in war character observations, film holds narrative attention from first reel to last. Bursts of violence drift in and out of the plot to keep things on the boil, but it's the excellently drawn characterisations of the major players that stops this from merely being another run of the mill "insanity of war" movie. It's also nice to find the Japanese are portrayed as an intelligent foe, and not the irksome machine gun fodder so rife in other films of the ilk. It helps to have Takakura turning in a stoic performance as part of the latter, too.

Some other astute reviewers has given this film a tag line of it being a unique war film, not a truer line has been typed on the internet forums. This film, tho not bringing anything new by way of the psychological aspects of men under duress, always remains a thoroughly engrossing picture. Helmed by the criminally undervalued Aldrich, film boasts a ream of excellent performers making it unique by bringing to life a screenplay that's not pandering to any conformity's of the genre, it relies totally on strength of dialogue and character formations to capture our interest. Really the only charge from dissenters that might stick here is that it's arguably just another Vietnam allegory that the 70s seemed intent on giving us. Arguably, mind.

It's a bloody suicide mission!

That the cast list contains Michael Caine (brilliant here with gritty swagger), Cliff Robertson, Denholm Elliott and a barely used Henry Fonda is of obvious interest from the start, but the ace card in Too Late The Hero's pack is with its supporting players, Ian Bannen, Harry Andrews, Ronald Fraser and a serious turn from comedy specialist, Lance Percival, where all of them in the sweltering confines of the Phillipines location manage to pull the viewer into the mix and fully realise the crispness of Aldrich's excellent screenplay; aided superbly by Biroc who manages to convey via his photography some apt sweaty jungle madness. Yes! This is not a film for those wanting guns a blazing at every turn, it's simply not that type of Gung-Ho picture, those bursts of action, while hitting hard, are swamped by the focused action of the human mind at work, the kind where greed, mistrust and a basic survival instinct are the order of the day.

The set-up of the two opposing armies on this island is a bit daft, so some suspension of logic is needed from the off, while there's no escaping the fact that there are a number of war movie clichés within. Yet this is still potent stuff, a film with things to say and corrosive in its telling. Making for once, the negativity of such material, still a rewarding viewing experience. 8/10

In the spring of 1942, in Southwest Pacific, Captain John G. Nolan (Henry Fonda) postpones the leave of the volunteer Lieutenant Sam Lawson (Cliff Robertson) and gives an assignment in New Hebrides Island with the British troops based on the required profile – fluency in Japanese and good shape. When Lt. Lawson arrives in the base, the commander explains that the island is divided in the British and Japanese sectors and he should go with a group of soldiers behind the Japanese lines to destroy their radio and transmit a false message to the Japanese forces. Captain Hornsby (Denholm Elliott) is assigned to lead the group, but during the tense mission, he has friction with Private Tosh Hearne (Michael Caine). When things go wrong, the soldiers have to fight to survive while exposing their weakness in character.

"Too Late the Hero" is a realistic and original war movie with human and cynical characters in the jungle of an island in Pacific. Michael Caine plays a rude and insubordinate cockney soldier that is only interested in surviving. Most of the soldiers are cowards that fight only to save their lives and not for patriotism or idealism. The hero of the title is actually an anti-hero that redeems himself in the end. The dialogs are cynical and Tosh has the best lines, like for example, when he proposes to Lawson to go North; or when he talks about the hole where he lives in his hometown in a total lack of perspective. My only remark is the long running time that could be a little shorter. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Assim Nascem os Heróis" ("This Way the Heroes Are Born")

What do you know about psychological warfare? Not much I guess.

Well, this is a war movie with a major twist. It's much less about shelling the enemy or just drill some holes in him, but more about "really" to outsmart him.

An American officer, an Interpreter in Japanese, who's a real artist when it comes to avoid the battlefield, is about to get a long awaited leave when he suddenly is tasked to help a bunch of British raiders in their endeavor to capture and destroy a forward listening Japanese outpost.

Through thick and through thin (literally), men who hate each other as well as hating the American officer (played by Cliff Robertson) have to face a common enemy who masterfully hides in the Jungle.

One by one they get hunted down by the Japanese. Nevertheless, the mission succeeds, but now the remaining force has to return to base. Not an easy task, considering that the Japanese made prisoners and are using them as bait while they communicate with the only two remaining raiders (Robertson and Michael Caine). Through a microphone and various loudspeakers scattered throughout the Jungle and by performing a highly skillful and mind-shattering blackmail, they try to lure the two to surrender.

A well timed war drama, masterfully played by all the actors involved figuring Ian Bannen ("The Hill", "The Outrage" etc.), Harry Andrews ("The Hill", "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "Battle of Britain"), Denholm Elliot ("Raiders of the Lost Ark", "A Room with a View"), Ronald Fraser ("The Hill", "The Wild Geese") and Ken Takakura ("The Yakuza", "Antarctica", "Black Rain").

If you like two movies into one: a War Movie and a Suspense Thriller, then the price is really low.

The DVD edition is as one may expect from Anchor Bay. No extras included, except for the trailer, but the movie alone is, in my view, a tiny masterpiece and well worth the effort.

By the way, if you're looking for a similar movie, forget it. It's the only one in its genre. Think about it.

This taut war film is set during spring 1942 WWII, a superior officer(Henry Fonda) assigns a reluctant American lieutenant (Clift Robertson) a dangerous mission in island of New Hebridas . At the island of Pacific , British military rule over the South region, while Japanese govern the North part . The goal of US Navy turns out to be the occupying the Japanese zone . For getting the objective is necessary destroying a radio station from Japanese . The lieutenant goes to the regiment commanded by a colonel (Harry Andrews) joining forces for participate the suicidal mission . It's formed a commando under orders a captain (Denholm Elliott) and a motley gang of soldiers released after fall of Singapur , as a tough sergeant (Percy Herbert who was actually a prisoner of the Japanese Army in The Second World War) , a mad soldier (Ian Bannen), a despicable private (Ronald Frazer) , among them.

This exciting war movie contains thrills , noisy action , rousing adventure , tension , lots of violence and twists and turns . Well made plot is based on a story by Robert Sherman and the same director Robert Aldrich . The powerful Aldrich camera crams in as much shock impact as possible . The picture kept afloat by the skills of their all-star cast formed by largely British actors . Michael Caine as a cynical soldier sustains and compels interest by careful concentration on his acting with cockney accent . Clift Robertson as lieutenant avoiding patriotism , gives a good performance , as always . There're strong portrayals by Ronald Fraser as a rogue private and Ken Takakura as Japanese officer . Thrilling and suspenseful musical score by musician Gerard Fried, Stanley Kubrik's usual . Nice cinematography by Joseph Biroc reflecting appropriately the lush jungle . Tense and brilliant direction by Robert Aldrich , a warlike (Dirty Dozen,Attack) and Western (Ulzana's raid , Apache , Veracruz) expert . It's a must see and a standout in its genre .

This is a sort of clone of Aaldrich's earlier Dirty Dozen, with the action transplanted to the Philippines but focusing largely on a British unit of misfits into whose ranks reluctant Yank soldier Cliff Robertson is dragooned. It works OK as an action movie, although its sometimes cynical dialogue is at odds with its pacifist reputation. Robertson can be seen as representing the States as a whole, reluctantly dragged into a war in which they initially wanted to play no part, to aid the British. The ragtag unit of Brits is a typical collection of English and Scots mostly, all of them lacking in the kind of stiff upper lip and ramrod straight backbone with which all ranks of British soldiers had been portrayed for fifteen years after the end of WWII (until the release of The Long, the Short and the Tall, probably). Michael Caine is the disaffected cockney squaddie who, beneath the jaded exterior, comes closest to typifying the derring-do of the fighting man. Ronald Fraser is the cowardly opportunist who comes a cropper, Ian Bannen the slightly bonkers Scots soldier with whom he falls out. The most interesting character is probably that of the English officer portrayed by Denholm Elliott, a typical English gentleman who is not without bravery but who veers dangerously between ineffectuality and incompetence, and who struggles to win any kind of respect from his men. The relatively civilised portrayal of the Japanese officer playing cat and mouse with the dwindling band of heroes is probably worth mentioning, if only because he is so at odds with the stereotypical image of all the other Japs. Worth a look.

While I didn't watch this in the most congenial of conditions (due to lethargy on my part caused by the excessive Summer heat!), it still emerged as something of a disappointment given the enormous talent at hand!! Perhaps its greatest fault is that the film is distinctly unmemorable, despite a fairly engaging plot of British troops and one American (Cliff Robertson) stranded on a Pacific island at the mercy of the Japanese.

The largely British cast looks impressive on paper - Michael Caine, Ian Bannen, Harry Andrews, Denholm Elliott - but few really get a chance to shine: Caine, for instance, seems content most of the time to take a back seat to Robertson. As for Henry Fonda's cameo at the start, he might as well have phoned in his performance! For all that, the film generates some genuine tension during the second half with its cat-and-mouse game between Robertson and Caine on one side and the Japanese major on the other.

This is no jingoistic fare, however, a fact which is borne by the script (co-written by Aldrich) and, for this reason, Joseph Biroc's cinematography is deliberately murky - which also means that Gerald Fried's rousing score is actually an ironic comment on the glorification of war!

Curiously enough, the film appears to have a different survivor at the end depending on which version (British or American) one happens to catch: since I watched it via the R2 DVD, it's Caine who makes it; I wonder if the R1 Anchor Bay disc (now out-of-print) and the more recent MGM edition are indeed different...

Film Makers in Hollywood weren`t allowed to make anti-vietnam war films in the late 60`s , early 70`s so they decided to make allegories instead. Famous examples are MASH and SOLDIER BLUE. What strikes me is that no one ever refers to this great war film as the definitive Hollywood proxy Nam statement.

The story is simple : Soldiers carry out dangerous mission. But these soldiers are badly led and totally reluctant to carry out their duty. They`d rather " frag " their commander and go home than earn medals . And war isn`t shown as a glorious thing , it`s brutal , dehumanising and most of all terrifying. Also watch out for the very humane portrayal of the enemy officer. Is it sympathy for the Japanese or the Vietnamese that he`s shown this way ?

I could point out all the things I love about this film but it`d take too long. The only two things I disliked about TOO LATE THE HERO was a couple of plot holes. First one`s the fact that the Japanese are good at stopping the enemy from escaping the jungle but are totally hopeless at letting them enter it in the first place ! A major strategic mistake I`d have thought. Secondly Lawson decides he wants to carry out his mission after all which turns him into a bit of a cliche. But don`t let that put you off. TOO LATE THE HERO is compelling , bloody and intelligent.

In 1942 the Brits have a base at the southern tip of a Jap-held island in the Philippines; a unit is sent on a mission with an American Lieutenant (Cliff Robertson) to take down the radio at the northern end of the isle. Michael Caine plays a troublesome private while Denholm Elliott is on hand as the leader of the patrol.

In tone and story, "Too Late the Hero" (1970) is similar to "Ambush Bay" (1966); other comparable flicks include "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) and "Beach Red" (1967). Of course "Kwai" is superior, but "Too Late" ain't no slouch.

I had a bad attitude during the first half because of some unrealistic scenes. I'm no veteran of jungle warfare, but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be blithely singing songs or loudly talking while traversing jungle trails in enemy territory, especially when it has already been established that Japs could be anywhere. Also, if you're going to take a nap, wouldn't it be hidden in the forest undergrowth rather than in a wide open meadow near a trail? Also, am I the only one to find the Jap loudspeaker unit a little unlikely?

If you can get past these kinds of eye-rolling flaws, "Too Late the Hero" becomes a gripping and suspenseful Pacific War movie with quality characterizations about a small group of reluctant heroes sweating it out in the jungle and fighting amongst themselves. Even the Jap commander is interesting and unpredictable. The ending is memorable, even iconic; and you don't know who survives until the final moments.

The film runs 2 hours, 13 minutes and was shot in Malay, Aklan, Philippines.

GRADE: B-

This film is in many other ways a bit of a mess and didn't need to be. Not only is the film anachronistic, but it isn't very well thought out or logical as well. After all, an American (Cliff Robertson) is chosen to lead a secret mission of British soldiers because of his knowledge of the Japanese language (which makes sense) but through the course of the film, the soldiers sneaking into the Japanese sector of a contested island CONSTANTLY talk, yell and even sing!!! What part of SECRET is all this?! You would assume that with their lives at stake that they'd SHUT UP!! You'd also assume they wouldn't pick some of the worst soldiers in the history of films to be in this elite group...but one is practically a Japanese agent due to his CONSTANT disloyalty, bickering, stealing from the dead and MUCH worse. So you have an important mission and only send a few men and you make several of them totally evil and selfish. What sense does any of this make?!

This film, like "Kelly's Heroes", is a revisionist picture. While the movie is supposedly set during WWII, it clearly is meant as a metaphor for the Vietnam war as well as shows the spirit of the 60s. Because of this, it's a lousy history lesson. Plus, combined with bad writing, it's really not a very good picture. And, at over two hours, it's a long ride.

So if there anything I liked about the film? Well, I liked how they showed the Japanese soldiers and Michael Caine and Robertson weren't bad. They weren't exactly good, either. The ending was also pretty exciting. Other than that, it's a big-budgeted film that really isn't all that good.

Too Late the Hero is a cynical war adventure with a set of rather unsavoury, antagonistic characters caught in an unforgiving, hot environment where they risk being embushed at any time by Japanese soldiers. It manages to stay interesting for two hours until building up into a fabulous, exciting finale. Not a big soldiers action film like The Dirty Dozen or Platoon, Too Late the Hero is nevertheless my favourite of the genre, although it took a couple of watchings to appreciate the simple, yet original, intelligent plot development, the realistic, yet interesting and even at times amusing dialogue and characters (for instance, Caine telling Robertson in his cockney accent: "now what's got you jumping about like a frog with a bullet up his ass..") and the suspenseful and well-made action sequences. It is not always easy for this kind of film to retain a kind of unsentimental realism and be entertaining at the same time. Yet, Too Late the Hero does it. While they are not particularly sympathetic characters (there are none in the film, except maybe for the Japanese major), Cliff Robertson and Michael Caine manage to become likeable anti-heroes in their own way, each giving excellent performances; American Robertson wondering what the hell he is doing among a rough bunch of Brits fighting the Japanese on a Pacific island until he decides to find his destiny as a hero, and Caine as a brash, cynical, rude, insubordinate and altogether hilarious cockney, mainly concerned about saving his skin. Too Late the Hero does not dwell into making an elaborate anti-war statement. It takes for granted that war is hell and any sane man would just worry about surviving like Caine, Robertson or most of the other soldiers on an increasingly suicidal mission - not as the leader of the group, brilliantly played by Denholm Elliott, who appears suspect and foolish for trying to maintain traditional combat values and discipline. The interactions between Robertson and his unfriendly British companions add to the interest and credibility of the film, while the unusual chase through the jungle and its exciting conclusion contribute to its originality. Not the best war film ever, but a unique one.

TOO LATE THE HERO is a top notch war film about a british unit plus one american who must destroy a japanese communications station on a island. The mission for all purposes is impossible. TOO LATE THE HERO is long in a few spots, yet the film overcomes this flaw and the pace flows smoothly again. The film has a gritty realism to it which is aided by the deep jungle locations the film was shot at. Fans of FARWELL TO THE KING will enjoy this film as well, as it is up the same alley as that Nick Nolte film. OOne thing I enjoyed about this film were the casualty levels on the japanese and allied sides; these were were very realistic.

This is certainly an imbalanced production, as despite having a good cast and a skilled director, it results in a rather routine movie where nothing stands out for its quality. The actors, the storytelling, the dialogues, the soundtrack-all are decent, but they only manage to achieve a fair pass, as nothing truly stands out.

Undoubtedly, one of the main issues is the excessive length of the film; as we know, overly diluted soup ends up watery. Fortunately, the close-ups of actors like Michael Caine manage to scrape the film through with a narrow pass mark.

Moreover, there are too many redundant sequences, and halfway through the movie, an unexpected twist shifts the focus from the actual attack on the Japanese base to more about how one returns from it.

The only narrative aspect worth highlighting is the psychological game through the unrealistic tactic of the scattered speakers in the jungle, which the Japanese commander intends to use to pressure the surrender of the British mission members. It's a shame that this tactic, which could have been an entire cinematic experience on its own if executed and directed well, turns out to be somewhat dull and unconvincing.

On the other hand, the photography, despite capturing landscapes, also feels flat and somewhat routine, adhering too much to the technical clichés of that era. While this isn't something to heavily criticize, here it's notably evident.

With this photography, at times, there's a sensation that the movie feels more like it's set in the Vietnam War than in World War II. Some dialogues also contribute to this feeling, blending the two conflicts.

Cliff Robertson is "Lawson", an American soldier drafted in to lead a squad of war-weary British soldiers on a jungle mission to destroy a Japanese radio transmitter. It isn't that his men are in any way cowardly, but with Michael Caine's "Tosh" foremost amongst them, they are disillusioned at the relentlessness of it all. What do they do that ever makes a difference? The film comes alive as the troop must try to evade their pursuing enemy - and all of their dastardly mantraps and psychological warfare - to return to safety of their outpost. The acting from the two leading men, along with some gritty and plausible contributions from stalwarts Ian Bannen and Ronald Fraser amongst others; some angry but focussed dialogue and the claustrophobic nature of their surroundings all lend well to this solidly paced and characterful war story that shows just what can be achieved when a team pull together - in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

How do I put this. Here we have a film where Abe Lincoln sends John F. Kennedy to meet Alfie and then attack a Japanese base with a squad of English character actors. All I have to ask is where the heck was Sean Connery and Marlon Brando.

As a war movie it is all right but those funky scenes of British troops watching the poor suckers who had to go out on this and other patrols run through a gauntlet of enemy fire to get in and out of the base are just too much. Are the troops bored? Not as much as you will be. I wonder what they did when they found some dog crap somewhere?

Then you have the "war is hell" attitude of the squad, the endless suspense of waiting for someone to do some acting before they get killed by the Japs, and then trying to figure out who installed the Public Address system in the jungle. Attention K Mart shoppers!

The only other thing I remember about the making of this film is that PT 109 Robertson got stuck working in the hot and miserable Phillipines on this rather standard war flick the night he won the Oscar for "Charley!" How often do you win an Oscar and get to be on national TV and then party all night? Although I think that film "Charley" sucks, apparently he missed the highlight night of his career over a movie that resembles an episode of "Combat!"

Note: Later in his career Cliff uncovers an embezzlement by his boss (Begalman or something) and never gets a good part again until the movie "Spiderman!" if you call that a good part! Please note that Michael Caine never gets a good part again but it didn't make a difference cause all those films sucked no matter who was in them and the people who went to see them didn't have any taste anyhow. Henry Fonda would save the uniform from this film and use it and his acting talent in the movie "Midway" later in the decade.

I can recommend this for a viewing but I wish you to know I bought it a video store that was going out of business for a buck. It is worth a watch but it will drive you crazy! Oh the horror! The horror! Opps, thats another film made in the Philipines!

Robert Aldrich, who had done a fine job with other WWII films "The Flight Of The Phoenix" & "The Dirty Dozen" returns to the period with another success, the story of a American Soldier(played by Cliff Robertson) who is reluctantly transferred from a secure base, to a British unit, where they are sent to a Pacific Japanese held island, occupied by both allied and imperial forces. Their mission is to go into enemy territory to destroy a Japanese Radio outpost, but Robertson proves to be a most reluctant hero, much to the consternation of his unit, led by Michael Caine(fine performance once again) among other cast members including Ian Bannen & Harry Andrews.

Nicely realized film creates an authentic period feel, especially the claustrophobic danger from the jungle, where enemy soldiers lurk. Builds to a memorable and fitting end, where the surviving men find redemption and escape, in this well done war story.

A few war movies have been made in which the lead actors play characters who are reluctant to be in the military or to take on their assignments. Not only are they not heroes, but they seem almost unpatriotic. We viewers, including those of us who are veterans, can understand that no one in his right mind truly wants to be in combat. But that doesn't mean one is a coward. A healthy dose of fear is not only common but natural. Survival in war isn't a matter of patriotism or not. Most of the time, men in combat follow orders because they must. There aren't other good choices. So, it's not very common to see or hear outright backtalk by men in combat.

There also have been a few movies in which whole units or groups of combatants appear very lax and near to the point of insubordination. At that point, the ability of leaders to hold units together becomes precarious. Other than for comedies or spoofs of military life, most war films have not had such lax settings of troops. "Too Late the Hero" is an exception to both of these situations.

Cliff Robertson plays Lt. Sam Lawson, who, as a Japanese language specialist, enjoys a life of ease and insubordination well behind the front lines in the Pacific. He is sent on a mission to an island occupied both by British and Japanese forces. The two forces have a sort of demilitarized zone between them. The British camp is under Col. Thompson, played by Harry Andrews. It is a lax operation, but capable of springing into action at a notice. Lawson is the only Yank in this bunch and is assigned to a squad of men who are to knock out a Japanese radio station. There's a little more to it than that. But the squad consists of several wisecracking, in- fighting and unenthusiastic Brits. They are capable, but they don't like being there or going on missions.

Denholm Elliott plays Capt. Hornsby, who is in charge of the mission. Michael Caine is the co-star of the film and plays an enlisted medic, Pvt. Tosh Hearne. A host of good supporting actors makes up the rest of the members of the squad and some other Brits at the camp.

The plot and script of this film are very good. The antagonism among the men is very interesting. One wouldn't expect it among comrades during a precarious combat situation. To say more about the story as it unfolds would lessen its enjoyment for viewers. Although the bickering and insubordination seem unbelievable at times, this movie has some very good drama. And the action is very good. The filming location in remote areas of the Philippine Islands lends authenticity to the movie.

This film gives a decent portrayal of jungle combat which was a hallmark of the Pacific theater of operations during WW II. The other hallmark was the number and breadth of naval engagements, including aircraft. "Too Late the Hero" has the production quality, top acting and story that makes it a good film to have in any war movie library.

In case anyone who keeps saying this is a Vietnam tale grafted on to World War II, I would remind them that Too Late the Hero comes from the cynical hand of Robert Aldrich who was trying to create another Dirty Dozen for the Pacific Theater.

In a brief appearance at the beginning of the film Captain Henry Fonda sends Cliff Robertson for a little combat duty, not appreciated by a man who resolved to see no combat if possible. But his skills in the Japanese language are needed by our British allies who have retreated from Singapore to the New Hebrides Islands and this particular island they're sharing with the enemy.

These are the ones who barely got out ahead of the surrender and they're an undisciplined and surly lot as their commanding officer Harry Andrews discovers. But a dozen or so of them are picked to go on a hazardous mission to destroy a Japanese transmitter which is broadcasting the positions of the American Fleet.

Unlike The Dirty Dozen, the mission gets accomplished within the first half of the film. The real story is who survives the trip back and how. Robertson forms an alliance with cynical medic Michael Caine against the commander of the mission Denholm Elliott. They both for different reasons think Elliott is nuts. He is, but that's beside the point with these two.

Caine and Robertson make two fine leads and are well supported by the rest of the cast. For some reason though the story does not come to life in the same way The Dirty Dozen did. It's an average war film, nothing more.