Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

talisencrw Basically 'Errol Flynn vs. the Nazis, Round 1' Battleground: GermanyThis experience was hampered for me by a freak situation in which either my flatscreen TV or my blu player, for the first time, didn't have any audio, so, nonplussed yet equally dauntless, I just said 'what the hell', put on the subtitles and watched the film with no audio. (Later, I discovered that I could have just unplugged both for ten minutes and everything would have been normal. You live, you learn. It taught me to pay more attention to what was happening on the screen, so it wasn't an entirely wasted endeavor.)Here, the weakness, as always, was Ronald Reagan, who makes Keanu Reeves look like a great actor. Still, he wasn't bad (it was a war film, after all, with a role he was born to play), and he and Flynn were assisted by great supporting players, such as Raymond Massey and Alan Hale, who are always 'cash money' for me IMHO. As well, you have one of the greatest American directors of the period in Raoul Walsh, so it's basically win, win, win--except if you're a Nazi.

John T. Ryan WITH the United States' entrance into World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor by Imperial Japanese forces, December 7, 1941; the gloves were off in Hollywood. No more would they have to tap dance around the War issues, make up any generic names for any agents of some "unnamed" European power nor feign neutrality with regards to their own sympathies, nor our Nation's. From then on, it was strictly double-barreled, full speed ahead and take no prisoners! WE'RE fairly certain that even though this had a September 1942 release, it had been planned and done most of its shooting before the entry of the U.S. into the conflict; as the storyline involved a bomber crew in the RAF (that's the Royal Air Force, Schultz!). The Flight Commander, Lt. Terry Forbes (Errol Flynn) was an Australian (or was it New Zealand-oh, hell, it was "Down Under" in any case!). Flying Officer Jed Forrest (Arthur Kennedy) was a Canadian, the others including Flight Sgt. Kirk Edwards (Alan Hale) were all Brits of basically the Working Class. Flying Officer Johnny Hammond (Dutch, himself, Ronald Reagan) was a wise cracking, go-getter of a Yank. (God, they talk about Politically Incorrect Stereotypes today!) AS a whole, the crew represented a World, not simply a Nation, which wouldn't and couldn't have any true peace and freedom as long as such evil as the Axis Powers were loose and undefeated. The others were all Brits or at least members of nations which were formerly part of the British Empire, now called the British Commonwealth of Nations; except for Johnny Hammond (Dutch). As an American, a "Yank", his character as well as his cocky, self-assured and unpretentious attitudes were very important and symbolic in the story. In short, Studio Honcho, Mr. Jack Warner was asking America just how could we remain neutral in the Global Conflict? OUR STORY………………Following an air raid over a German industrial city, the RAF Bomber of the Flynn & Company's Crew is shot down. Not to be sold short, this band of Anglo-American RAF Airmen travels across Germany from the East to the Western part, traveling by night, masquerading in Nazi Uniforms and pulling off many guerrilla missions of behind the lines sabotage.OH sure, they ere captured by the Nazis and interrogated by Major Otto Baumeister (Raymond Massey); but no matter, they managed an escape due to Hammond's (President Reagan) expertise in double talk , as well as a great left hook. And once free and impersonating the 'Krauts' in uniform, they manage to stow away on board a train. But, do they get into just any passenger train car? No, of course they don't. They wind up traveling in the private car of Deputy Fuehrer Herman Goering; being explained as being out of commission and sort of "dry-docked" for repairs and refurbishing.ONLY three of the crew get out of the Third Reich safely and alive. Messers Flynn, Reagan and Kennedy were the successful ones who lived to tell about it, though all of the crewmen were heroic and highly successful.TRAGEDY such as the loss of friend or family member is handled in the standard method of the day. In short a death is announced and, whatever the circumstance , it is dealt with quickly and the other characters move on; just as we have to do during such trying times.THE overall effect of the film and the style of the story is very similar to that of a superhero comic book. And what's more, we have always felt there was a strong resemblance of DESPERATE JOURNEY to the Blackhawk Comic Book Feature; which had its origin in Wartime England with a special group of multi nationals made up their own squadron. The leader, an American, was known as Blackhawk and had a right hand man, Chuck; also a Yankee.IT has always seemed that, perhaps, DESPERATE JOURNEY provided inspiration for comic book creators Will Eisner, Reed Crandall, Lou Fine and company in creating the Military and War based feature. But, Blackhawk bowed in Quality Comics' MILITARY COMICS No 1, dated August, 1941. This was over a year before the release of DESPERATE JOURNEY; ergo, the film could not have been a factor in the story. But, could it have been the other way around? Was Blackhawk an inspiration for this film? IT is food for thought.THIS surely must rank as one of Hollywood's top Wartime Home Front Propaganda movie. The plot line has enough romanticized action scenes to generate excitement with the younger crowd; but never goes overboard as to render the film down to the level of "B" Movie or relegating it to the Saturday Afternoon Matinée. There is plenty of counter-balancing and sobering occurrences chronicled to remind us that the War is truly H-E- DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS. (That's HELL, Schultz!)

arieliondotcom Okay, so it's a fantasy. Maybe this was one of the first movies of the Indiana Jones or Die Hard variety where the hero surmounts insurmountable odds. More of a comic book than a commentary on real life. But it was made in 1942, when folks needed some encouragement. From some of the historical allusions (the invasion of Normandy not having happened yet but being planned) it was aimed at the hearts of Americans, encouraging them that we could fight and win against the Nazis, and the "Japs", at the same time.There is some great humor and very likable acting. Ironically, Ronald Reagan of all people has some of the best lines. Perhaps he really believed that right makes might no matter the odds, as he said to his 2 buddies as they were about to attack another pack of Nazis who had them outnumbered, "We might as well do it now, there's only 12 of them!" Too bad Americans don't have that kind of confidence in their country against those who would destroy it today and are destroying it themselves with their disloyalty and capitulation. The people of this era knew what evil was, and sought to fight it, rather than sell out to it.At any rate, it's a fun fighting film. A must see for all fans of Erroll Flynn and Ronald Reagan or any WWII adventure fans. Fantasy? Yes. But there are plenty of true life heroes who have been recognized for their valiant fight against tremendous odds, and some are still fighting today. So maybe it's not such a far-flung fantasy at that, for patriots willing to believe and fight.

MartinHafer Okay, this script was obviously NOT written by great intellects and will never be known as one of Errol Flynn's best films. This much is very obvious very soon into the movie. Yet despite a pretty stupid script, stupid dialog and a jingoism that is practically unmatched by any other film, it IS worth seeing because of the almost non-stop action and suspense--almost like a movie serial condensed into full-length movie form. That's because the four escaped prisoners (Flynn, Ronald Reagan, Alan Hale and Arthur Kennedy) make a monkey out of the entire German war machine and outwit millions of Nazis and they do it in a very fun and light-hearted way. Sure, it isn't deep and it's all a lot of twaddle, but you can't help but suspend disbelief and just enjoy the hokeyness of the whole thing. Plus, it's a good chance to see Reagan actually play in a watchable film! My advice is see it and don't think. Watch it and enjoy it on a totally brainless level or you're bound to be disappointed.