Rating: 
Summary: "Do not delude yourselves"
Review: Don't expect this to be the movie you hope it to be, or you'll be greatly dissapointed. Not that what you get to see isn't impressive, but the film seriously lacks an interesting script, which, given the producers' credentials, is totally unforgivable. I mean, if you did make James Bond movies for a living and you couldn't cough up an exciting story about the most exciting episode in all World War II, then this certainly wasn't your finest hour!They did try, though. The movie features an all-star cast (badly misused), a top notch accurate production, great aerial cinematography and lots of spectacular special effects, even by today's standards. World War II movie buffs should worship this film for its vintage aircraft and eye for down-to-the-last detail. In that respect, the movie is an outstanding time capsule. But if you like your war movies to be more than mere visual museums, find your amusement elsewhere. This one's Madame Tussaud's!
Rating: 
Summary: Definately worth a look
Review: Perhaps you're wondering why I say this is a film worth seeing but only give it 3 stars. (then again, maybe you're not) I say it's worth seeing because of the vintage aircraft used in the making of the film and the ariel photography. Both are great - both really make this movie. If you enjoy air combat the way it might have been during one of the keystone battles of World War II, then this is the film for you. I've seen it several times and always enjoy viewing it. The flick falls flat on story line, however. Yes, it's Britain's struggle for survival against the German war machine in the years prior to America entering the war -- that much is apparent. But the story itself leaves gaps and has me asking, "What's going on just now? Why is this or that happening?" The movie begins to tell the tale of several individual officers and pilots, then just seems to stop. Some were KIA's - what impact does that have on the strategic fight (not being callous here, but if you're going to follow a particular pilot and then kill him off, you should have some sort of reasoning or impact behind it). Character development is almost nil. It gives me the impression that 'BoB' should have been a four hour movie, but the producer's budget forced it into a two hour running time. Much of the movie has aspects of a newsreel (a good one, but still a newsreel). Also somewhat confusing was the scene in Berlin where (Allied?) bombs begin to drop - shortly thereafter causing Hitler to declare England's cities (particularly London) fair game. This sequence (Berlin's bombing) seemed to come out of the blue. What was going on? How were the British able to lauch a bomber attack across the channel and into the heart of Germany when they were so hard pressed to defend their own shores at the time? Why would they bomb an enemy's city when it was the German aircraft which were their main concern. Don't recall that being addressed in the story at all - it just sort of happens. Well, if you overlook the story-line shortcomings, you'll find this is a good movie to watch. If you're an aviation affectionato, you'll enjoy it even more. Many of the flight scenes are truly breath taking. But watch it for the authentic aircraft and the ariel scenes - not for any great or coherent plot. ~P~
Rating:
Summary: Stirring, if slightly corny homage to an epic struggle
Review: I have seen this movie numerous times, and the sound of those Merlins growling along with a stirring musical score is thrilling! The air to air shots are excellent by any standard, and the dance of the Spitfires and Hurricanes as they rip into their Luftwaffe prey is superbly choreographed-once again accompanied by an excellent musical score. What the film fails to capture is the gruelling desperation with which the RAF somehow fought off the Nazi onslaught, or the fact that many of their native pilots were schoolboys of 19 or 20 who had joined peacetime flying clubs, probably never expecting to die in a burning fighter plane, or how very close the British came to losing simply out of exhaustion and horrible attrition. I don't think Air Marshall Dowding was given the credit he deserved by the film, although the quiet, unassuming man was richly portrayed by Sir Laurence Olivier. Robert Shaw is excellent as a hard-bitten, no nonsense Squadron leader, and Micheal Caine does his best to keep a British stiff upper lip. Like all films, it is slightly flawed but should not be missed by any history or aviation enthusiast.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh, To Have Been A Pilot On This Movie!
Review: I just viewed the "Battle of Britain" again and I never get tired of seeing it. If you love vintage airplanes, war movies, and the distinctive sound of a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, then this is the movie for you! The slower parts of the film are more than compensated for by the aerial combat sequences. Watching the Hurricanes and Spitfires flying circles around the lumbering German bombers is the main pleasure of this movie. Using real Stuka's would have capped off the enjoyment, but the model work was fairly convincing and some odd 'flying' scenes are easily gotten through. It was also interesting to see Ian McShane (Lovejoy) in one of his early movie roles. I highly recommend this movie for both WW II and aviation buffs.
Rating:
Summary: BREATHTAKING FILM OF THE AIR WAR IN WW2
Review: I can't overemphasize how much I enjoyed this film. The beautifully choreographed scenes of the major air battles, particulary that of the last big daylight attack on London on 15 September 1940 with the accompanying dramatic musical score makes you almost feel that you are there in the cockpit with the young, frightened pilots. I have read a number of books on the Battle of Britain and appreciate how much the producers tried to be faithful to the historical record and the technical details. For example, Herman Goering's private train is shown correctly with a special car carrying anti-aircraft guns and we also see his extra-large Reichsmarsall's baton. The British air defense system and sector control is shown as well as the dispute between Air Vice-Marshals Keith Park and Trafford Leigh-Mallory over the 'big wing' tactics. The special effects (made in the pre-virtual reality era) showing aircraft exploding or breaking up in mid-air are frighteningly realistic. Although the stories about how the battle affected the pilots are very sketchy, we see clearly how when the battle began, the pilots on both sides were spoiling for a fight, whereas by the time it ended, those who had survived seemed to be almost broken men exemplified by the RAF pilot on stand-by for scamble becoming physically ill just by hearing the telephone ring with the person on the other end of the line announcing tea-time had arrived. This movie is a fitting tribute to the "few" who saved the Britain and the world at its most critical moment.
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars for the Vintage Aircraft
Review: Two-hour film about the courageous air battle over Britain when England stood alone against the Nazis in 1940. The movie follows history accurately and the actors do a grand job portraying the pilots, soldiers and civilians involved. The real attraction of the movie is the aircraft. There is no other film that has such a large assembly of vintage WWII aircraft as the "The Battle of Britain." The aerial scenes are gorgeous with large formations of authentic Spitfires and Hurricanes mixing it up with Spanish-built Heinkel and Messerschmitt aircraft, flying in acrobatic manuevers and replicating what it must have been like in the skies over Britain in 1940. A "must see" for vintage aircraft enthusiasts.
Rating:
Summary: A great reminder of what happened in 1940.
Review: A very very good film. Well acted, Well produced and definately very interesting. It's a shame so many of the spit's have been destroyed. Long may the people who fought in the "Battle of Britain" be remember as the people who saved England.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: England in all its glory, A brilliant film and fitting tribute to those who fought in this epic air battle, which if lost would have definitely seen a different outcome of the War
Rating:
Summary: Superb recreation of the most important battle of WWII
Review: I was there, a kid who lived through the Blitz and my father volunteered for the RAF and served in the Far East - I guess that makes me biased. Much attention is given by Hollywood to D-Day. What people like Leonard Maltin forget, in his snide comment ("another 'spot the star' WW2 epic") in his Movie & Video Guide, is that if the June 6 invasion had failed another one could have been launched within months; but if the Battle of Britain had been lost ("on the outcome of this battle depends the future of ... civilization" - W. Churchill) there would have been no D-Day because there would have been nowhere to launch it from. Maltin's problem, like so many American critics of foreign films, is probably that there were no American stars performing mythical heroics - no James Garner or Steve McQueen with spurious roles as in "The Great Escape." The film faithfully portrayed the events and characters: Robert Shaw's "Skipper" character is a great representation of Squadron Leader "Sailor" Malan; Laurence Olivier spent countless hours studying archival films of Air Chief Marshall Dowding so as to portray him accurately, to the extent that people who knew "Stuffy" Dowding said it was like turning the clock back 30 years. The importance of radar was detailed, as was the hopeless leadership of Goering (wonderfully played by vaudeville artist Hein Riess). No mock heroics, just scared young men doing their best against impossible odds. Did you spot the realistic touch made by including an actual horribly burned airman? Once more, consider the consequences of Britain losing this battle: with no Western front to guard and the British laying down their arms in North Africa, Hitler would have been able to use his entire army, probably led by Rommel, and an undiminished air force, to quickly overpower Russia. After joining Japan, and with all of Europe and Asia under their control, with all the resources, raw materials, armament factories and the British Fleet, the last act would have been a 2-coast attack on, and defeat of, the USA. "The whole world, including the United States, cast into a new Dark Age" (Churchill). In summary: an exciting, technically-correct episodic docudrama of how less than 1,000 young men saved the world.
Rating:
Summary: Pitty they didnt make a "making of the film" documentary
Review: The last chance to see ME109s, Heinkels and Spits. I just dug the book of the film out of the archives, (by Leonard Mosley) it tells the tale of the film's making.. Adolph Galand was contracted to view the German scenes and keep them on track (see if you spot the vignete)and stopped it being another caracature. Goering was well played (agree with the other reviewer). Leigh Mallory and Keith Park were rivals correctly portrayed in the film - but together saved Britain under Dowding . One got recognition after the war , the other was underapperciated which should be remedied. Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie (DSO,DFC, AFC and bar)found the planes. The air scenes are unsurpassed, Harry Slatzman's triumph filmed from John Hawke's B52 Mitchell painted psychedelic red and green. If you like drama, there are better films although Suzanna York's scene after reviewing dead WAFs was felt rather than acted. Thank you to Benjamin Fisz for the film and a prayer for the spanish pilot killed in his ME in the making of this epic.............. Nowhere on color film will you see so many MEs, Heinkels, Hurricanes and Spits... and you'll never see it again. Finally thanks to RR for the Merlin which still sounds the best in a Spit (even the yanks had to concede that and put it in a Mustang!)
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