Greenes Please don't spend money on this.

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

dannyvbow Michael J. Pollard made this movie fun. For me this was his best role. A very interesting take on the second world war. From start to finish it held my interest. Lots of action and a little drama and romance thrown in. I haven't seen many movies with Oliver Reed, but I will be keeping eye out for other films he was involved in. He did a good job in this movie. I can recommend this movie for WW2 movie buffs. You will enjoy it.

screenman Oliver Reed gives one of his usually visceral turns in this wartime comedy thriller by - of all people - Michael Winner.A British soldier captured by the Germans; he is put to work at the zoo where he soon develops a bond with Lucy the solitary female elephant. During an air-raid, the zoo is destroyed, and he is tasked with the animal's evacuation supervised by two German soldiers. One is inevitably harsh and mean-spirited, the other bookish and kindly. At a crisis, the kindly one kills the other and is persuaded to help Brooks take the animal to Switzerland. Along the way, they have adventures.At the same time, a German officer played by Wolfgang Preiss, with a venal dislike and sneaking respect for Brooks, endeavours to procure his recapture.Also at the same time, a group of partisans led by fellow escapees (leader played by Pollard) are busily engaged in sundry sabotage.The emphasis is more upon humour than war or tragedy, resembling that other great wartime comedy 'Kelly's Heroes'. But what makes this movie so compelling is the emphasis upon cultural collateral. No other movie (so far as I'm aware) spares a thought for the plight of the other species we lock up in prisons, or the loss of cultural assets. They're almost exclusively centred upon humans and human suffering.Reed, Pollard, Preiss, Lohner et al, each give creditable performances, as indeed does the elephant itself. Filming - quite evidently on location - is expansive with quite wonderful vistas of alpine landscape, allowing personalities to expand alike. I am reminded of the professor picking flowers in the equally vintaged 'Italian Job' - 'Pity people aren't more like flowers.' War-effects are solidly recreated and grim. There are plenty of good humorous moments. Most are predictable, but fun all the same. A pleasant, romantic theme music matches the elephant's languid pace. Those who criticise and down-score this movie because of its almost perfect ending are completely missing the point. It's a feelgood movie set in the war - and what's wrong with that? Would you have the elephant killed for greater authenticity? Maybe deprive Kelly and his heroes of their bullion? Perhaps the Von Trapp family should have been machine-gunned on the threshold of escape. Near miracles do happen in wars; I see no reason why a movie shouldn't depict one.This is a 'complete' work. Everything meshes. It's one of the few genuinely creative efforts from Michael Winner. Although it reflects its age in every way that's no criticism. Let the warmongers and realists soak up the blood and guts of 'Private Ryan's' beach-landing. Those who prefer a little light relief sometimes should enjoy 'Hannibal Brooks' immensely.

kat_94 How can you not love this film? I have grown up watching this film, and grown up using the phrase 'we're here' instead of elephant! lots of laughs are involved in watching this film, except from went he zoo is bombed :( all good films from this decade end with a happy ending, like this one! Just wish i could find it on DVD so i could watch it an endless amount of times. You can't get bored of a film this brilliantly bizarre! I love it! You should too! This film is the film that made me want a zoo when i was little, and to have lots of 'we're here's! Before i watched this film i didn't know quite how useful and elephant could be at freeing prisoners from wars, i'll remember this if i ever join the army!

tone-12 .... "And they all lived happily after..." claims the closing caption. Apart from the eighty seven people who were shot, blown up, fell from great heights or were crushed by falling logs, of course.This World War II POW and elephant escape adventure is a bit on the ridiculous side, although it is beautifully filmed, with some great shots of the Bavarian countryside.For me, the light hearted, sentimental story of the elephant's escape doesn't quite jell with the violence and mayhem dealt out to a large number of Germans; but that's the way they seemed to like their war movies in the sixties.Oliver Reed is OK as the hero. As for Michael J. Pollard- seeing him in this movie you can understand why his film career never really took off after his popular success in "Bonnie and Clyde". What were originally novel and engaging mannerisms rapidly became tedious and irritating as he repeated them in a variety of roles over the following years.A pity the main female human character got shot- it was only half a dozen guys and an elephant who got to live happily ever after!