Rating: 
Summary: A curiosity
Review: Somewhere between 1964 and the 1975 release of "Jaws," Universal cut back on theatrical film production to concentrate on establishing their dominance in the lucrative TV series market. An occasional epic like "Airport" would keep their big-screen profile high, while low budget programmers were produced to run in theaters for a week and then turn up on network TV within a year. "Raid on Rommel" is an example of this type of project. Filmed at little expense, and using stock battle footage from the earlier "Tobruk," it is unusual only because of the casting of Richard Burton and the presence of Henry Hathaway behind the camera. Robert Stack was set to star, but he was given the heave-ho when Burton wanted in. Why did Burton want in? Was it the paycheck or did he see it as a lark? Whatever his motivation, "Raid on Rommel" premiered in theaters in early 1971, and was unspooling on NBC before the year was out. It has some value as a curiosity piece for Burton fans, but little else to recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A curiosity
Review: Somewhere between 1964 and the 1975 release of "Jaws," Universal cut back on theatrical film production to concentrate on establishing their dominance in the lucrative TV series market. An occasional epic like "Airport" would keep their big-screen profile high, while low budget programmers were produced to run in theaters for a week and then turn up on network TV within a year. "Raid on Rommel" is an example of this type of project. Filmed at little expense, and using stock battle footage from the earlier "Tobruk," it is unusual only because of the casting of Richard Burton and the presence of Henry Hathaway behind the camera. Robert Stack was set to star, but he was given the heave-ho when Burton wanted in. Why did Burton want in? Was it the paycheck or did he see it as a lark? Whatever his motivation, "Raid on Rommel" premiered in theaters in early 1971, and was unspooling on NBC before the year was out. It has some value as a curiosity piece for Burton fans, but little else to recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Even Richard Burton Cannot Salvage this one!
Review: This has to be one of the worst films I've ever seen. Despite the fact that it stars one of my all-time favourite actors, Richard Burton. Then again, if you glance down Burton's credits, he's starred in his fair shair of duds.
Rating: 
Summary: Avoid this movie!!!
Review: Wow. This movie is so amazingly bad. Bashed together with WW2 stock footage and scenes from Tobruk (A film which has the same plot), this sorry excuse for a movie is a waste of time. Richard Burton was tossed into this mess to help rake in more cash at the box office. Wolfgang Preiss is a good Rommel though. Nevertheless, AVOID THIS MESS!
Rating:
Summary: Desert Version of Where Eagles Dare
Review: Yet another motion picture vehicle for Richard Burton to play commando and destroy the Nazi war effort in North Africa. Burton's character is very similar to the part he played in WHERE EAGLES DARE, and later reprised in THE WILD GEESE. Burton goes behind enemy lines to destroy Italian coastal artillery on the Libyan coast. The mission goes awry. Burton is forced to come up with an alternative plan that includes the destruction of the Afrika Korps fuel reserves using an ad hoc group of POWs. The primary shortcoming with RAID ON ROMMEL is that about half of the aerial and special effects footage was lifted directly from 1966's TOBRUK more blatantly than scenes were ever repeated from TORA, TORA, TORA! As both TOBRUK and RAID ON ROMMEL are Universal Releases there were very few issues as far as the studio was concerned. I will have to give credit to director Henry Hathaway and the film editor for assembling this picture from two separate films. For the most part the 1971 film flows along with the original 1966 footage. The significant breaks in in continuity occur toward the latter part of the film where uniforms, weapons and action do not match the story that has already been established. Comparing the two films, TOBRUK is a well made film with with a flimsy plot -- but the special effects are spectacular. RAID ON ROMMEL is a poor film with an okay storyline. The action scenes in RAID ON ROMMEL are great, but they belong to TOBRUK. In order to match some of the original German vehicle convoy scenes the film crew raided the Universal vehicle boneyard and fielded pretty much the same military surplus trucks and half tracks. For this I give them kudos. As an aside, you could still see some of these surplus vehicles at Universal Studios, California in the late 1980s. In addition to Burton, John Calicos costars as one of the POWs-turned-commando. War film buffs will also recognize military film regulars Karl Otto Alberty (KELLY'S HEROES, WAR AND REMEMBERENCE) and the late Wolfgang Preiss (THE LONGEST DAY, ANZIO, BATTLE OF THE COMMANDOS, THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL)as German officers. Oh well. Whether or not you see this film as a remake of TOBRUK or 1969's PLAY DIRTY, it should probably make its way into your military film collection. By the way, the California desert scenes are breathtaking.
Rating:
Summary: Desert Version of Where Eagles Dare
Review: Yet another motion picture vehicle for Richard Burton to play commando and destroy the Nazi war effort in North Africa. Burton's character is very similar to the part he played in WHERE EAGLES DARE, and later reprised in THE WILD GEESE. Burton goes behind enemy lines to destroy Italian coastal artillery on the Libyan coast. The mission goes awry. Burton is forced to come up with an alternative plan that includes the destruction of the Afrika Korps fuel reserves using an ad hoc group of POWs. The primary shortcoming with RAID ON ROMMEL is that about half of the aerial and special effects footage was lifted directly from 1966's TOBRUK more blatantly than scenes were ever repeated from TORA, TORA, TORA! As both TOBRUK and RAID ON ROMMEL are Universal Releases there were very few issues as far as the studio was concerned. I will have to give credit to director Henry Hathaway and the film editor for assembling this picture from two separate films. For the most part the 1971 film flows along with the original 1966 footage. The significant breaks in in continuity occur toward the latter part of the film where uniforms, weapons and action do not match the story that has already been established. Comparing the two films, TOBRUK is a well made film with with a flimsy plot -- but the special effects are spectacular. RAID ON ROMMEL is a poor film with an okay storyline. The action scenes in RAID ON ROMMEL are great, but they belong to TOBRUK. In order to match some of the original German vehicle convoy scenes the film crew raided the Universal vehicle boneyard and fielded pretty much the same military surplus trucks and half tracks. For this I give them kudos. As an aside, you could still see some of these surplus vehicles at Universal Studios, California in the late 1980s. In addition to Burton, John Calicos costars as one of the POWs-turned-commando. War film buffs will also recognize military film regulars Karl Otto Alberty (KELLY'S HEROES, WAR AND REMEMBERENCE) and the late Wolfgang Preiss (THE LONGEST DAY, ANZIO, BATTLE OF THE COMMANDOS, THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL)as German officers. Oh well. Whether or not you see this film as a remake of TOBRUK or 1969's PLAY DIRTY, it should probably make its way into your military film collection. By the way, the California desert scenes are breathtaking.
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