Rating: 
Summary: Captures the essence of a WWII jungle patrol
Review: A great film of a small unit patrol going deep into the jungle without anyone but itself to rely on. The scene where their ambush is poorly executed from both sides of the trail resulting in a friendly casualty shows how indeed the "small things" do matter. Its interesting that it shows the dilemma of a deep patrol in regards to its wounded---leave them to their own end or carry them and slow the whole patrol down and risk its survival? A tough question and one yet to be addressed in our military by employing simple mobility devices like backpacks that convert to carts, using all-terrain bikes etc. In contrast today we just want sensors to do it, but as the film shows they can't see through overhead jungle vegetation, so bombing-from-the-air-is-not-the-answer-to-everything.The ending where the 2 men criss-cross running across and open field shows how marksmanship and weapons ranges are important, what's troubling is the base camp didn't have a reaction force ready to maneuver back in to extract the patrol survivors out, choosing to just support-by-fire at a safe distance. GOOD leadership will risk itself to save the men.
Rating:
Summary: WAR IN THE PACIFIC WITH THE BRITISH ARMY....
Review: Cliff Robertson portrays a U.S. Naval lieutenant sent from his cushy rear position to work with a British patrol on a Japanese-held island. War is hell and Robertson is reluctant to participate. Michael Caine is impressive as one of the British soldiers who questions both the leader of the patrol and the mission. A must for you WW2 film buffs!
Rating: 
Summary: Great acting with a muddled ending
Review: Great acting in an essentially, gritty anti-war movie, that starts off very promising, but ends in a confusing muddled mess.
"To Late the Hero" was released in 1970 at the peak of the Vietnam War era in America. The movie is set during World War II in the Pacific on the islands around Borneo. The movie's subtle theme through out is a sideways approach at making an anti-war statement. From the opening sequence of the movie our reluctant Hero Cliff Robertson is portrayed as a very laid back U.S. lieutenant, trying take the easiest path through his tour of duty. That is until drafted for a dangerous combat mission by his friend and commander Henry Fonda.
The mission places him in a platoon of misfit British soldiers, also drafted for this suicide mission. The Platoon being led by an affable, but stiff-upper lipped and incompetent British Officer who clashes with Robertson and his men. Michael Caine plays a tough, cynical medic not afraid to stand up to the Officer.
The movie has assembled a great cast of actors that present very engaging performances and really sustains the movie for lengthy 2 hrs 14 mins. The young Michael Caine and mature Cliff Robertson by themselves make the movie worth seeing.
The movie takes great liberties in presenting military life and operations that are not real to life, but the common Hollywood version - with late 1960's interpretations. And despite a good start midway through the film it starts to get confusing and mired down by hammering at its anti-war theme in very abstract ways. The effect drags the movie plodding on towards it's life and death conclusion.
A decent movie with great acting, but low authenticity and a weak presentation of its theme have dragged the movie into obscurity.
Rating:
Summary: too late the hero
Review: I have seen this film hundreds of times, and I never tire of it. A must for any WWII fan. I only wish it would come out on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: HOMAGE TO AN IMPORTANT DIRECTOR
Review: I've always liked the movies of Robert Aldrich and I bought TOO LATE THE HERO as soon as it was released on the DVD standard. Anchor Bay presents unfortunately only a trailer as bonus feature but the copy is alright. Cliff Robertson is the Aldrichian hero by essence ; he is not a coward but he prefers to enjoy the Pacific beaches rather than to take part in combats. He's a pessimistic hero in a pessimistic movie. The initial credits set extremely well the tone of the film with these at first flamboyant american, british and japanese flags that become little by little less colourful, less arrogant until they finally fade into the dusty reality. A DVD zone Big Bob.
Rating:
Summary: Superbly Acted, Action Movie about Courage and Survival...
Review: It is Spring 1942 and the Japanese are at the Zenith of their expansion of their territories in Asia. A seemingly cowardly American Navy Lieutenant (Cliff Robertson)in the South Pacific is ordered to the New Hebrides to support a British combat mission. On arrival there he realizes that the patrol lead by an idealistic British Captain (Denholm Elliot) to destroy a Japanese radio transmitter is a near suicidal one. Robertson and the patrol's medic (Michael Caine) become reluctant partners in staying alive, although in the end for different reasons. The movie is hard-boiled, realistic and suspenseful right through the very end. Robertson won an Oscar for his role in "Charly" the year before this movie was made. Others in the cast include Henry Fonda and Harry Andrews.
Rating:
Summary: Michael is COOL, But Cliff is DA MAN!
Review: Seldom have I seen eye-to-eye with Robert Aldrich. His films just usually go places I'm not interested. But as a Michael Caine fan in the Sixties, this was a must-see movie for me. I've seen this movie as a teen and as a middle-aged man, so I feel I have to give it two reviews if you'll bear with me. At fourteen, I went to see this movie at least twice at the theater. Remember, in those primitive days there was nowhere to rent a movie and most films played only a week or two with very little advance hype. If you were lucky, they might hit the drive-in as a double feature with some questionably linked movie. So there was little to give you any idea if a show was your cup of tea beyond the lobby poster. When you think about it, things were kind of lame and idyllic at the same time. Overall, it was the STAR that was relied on to sell the film. Having Michael Caine sold me on the movie. His cockney character, Hearne made a great anti-hero. The story has a weird twist to it with the "wired" jungle and the Japanese are ruthless, but not caricatures. Another unusual situation is the 1000 or so yards of no-mans-land they have to cross as walking targets out of the base and back into it. At this age, I was mostly interested in whether Hearne/Caine was an irredeemable cad or realist rising to the occasion. The ending left me uncertain and somewhat empty. However, since Michael Caine was sooo cool, I went back to see it at least once again before it shuffled off to 35mm purgatory. Living in the future now, who would have foreseen that we could buy the friggin' movie and BS about it to the whole livin' world?
Now, as I have watched the movie again in the 21st century, via home theater, DVD, remote control, my own microwave popcorn, and beer fridge I HAVE SEEN SO MUCH MORE. From the grinding down a man endures through the decades, I appreciate each of Cliff Robertson's looks as the SNAFU sets in on him. Just to see the situation register on his face from the time his mission is first explained to him to the bitter end is worth TEN Sean Penn tirades. Cliff, you are a mighty actor! When Robertson/Lawson finally takes over the team-after that nail-biting faceoff with the doomed Hornsby-you see that he is the title character and that combat is all about bloody damn survival. Even the nihilist Hearne is impressed. Aldrich probably owes the stature of this film to the terrific work of his two stars. At near fifty, I still think Mr. Caine is cool, but Cliff Robertson transcends acting here and makes like it's the real f'n deal. The "Patton Syndrome" applies here: if you don't like war movies, you'll like this one; and if you love war movies (especially WWII) what are you waiting for pukebag?! Buy this movie! And now a spoiler...so don't read if you haven't seen TLTH: It would seem that Lawson does not survive the final deathrun, but pay close attention. Hearne makes it back to safety while Lawson has fallen. After catching his breath and praising his comrade to high heaven, he starts back after him. This is the final shot.
OK, I know we're supposed to assume Lawson is dead, but is he? Just because a man goes down doesn't mean he's mortally wounded. Maybe, just maybe Hearne finds him still breathing. Hey, a guy can hope can't he?
Rating: 
Summary: rent it
Review: This film is worth renting if you can find it at the local vid store, but it's not worth the purchase price. I bought it and gave it away. The dialogue and acting are dated. Robertson's portrayal of the disaffected, reluctant hero probably was something new when the movie was made, but we've seen it done many times -- and more effectively -- in subsequent films.
Rating:
Summary: rent it
Review: This film is worth renting if you can find it at the local vid store, but it's not worth the purchase price. I bought it and gave it away. The dialogue and acting are dated. Robertson's portrayal of the disaffected, reluctant hero probably was something new when the movie was made, but we've seen it done many times -- and more effectively -- in subsequent films.
Rating:
Summary: Quirky World War II Film from Robert Aldrich
Review: This is an oddball film to say the very least. The character studies and plot developments are a strange mix but it all seems to work thanks to Robert Aldrich's direction. Cliff Robertson is an American Navy Lieutenant sent on a mission in the New Hebrides in 1942 to destroy a Japanese radio site. Henry Fonda plays Captain Nolan who devices the mission and sends Robertson, fluent in Japanese, on his way to meet up with a British infantry patrol to execute the plan. Events go awry out in the jungle and Robertson finds himself at odds with a private played by Michael Caine. I don't think they could have chosen two lead actors more diametrically opposed as Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson. Who do they dislike more, the Japanese or each other? This choice of actors was a stroke of genius and increases the suspense of the film's finale. The film also features Ian Bannen, Denholm Elliott, Ken Takakura and Harry Andrews.
| 
