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The Desert Rats

The Desert Rats

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good to see once in a while....
Review: It gets great grades for it's cast and the mostly good screenplay, but the editing and the production standards take it down a bit. Not one of the better WW II pictures and gave rise to a sub-standard TV show in the 1950's which was rather medicore.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Desert Heroes
Review: If you enjoy WWII movies you certainly want to catch this one with Richard Burton and James Mason. The cast, sets, and music are great. It is true classic WWII movie. Even if you aren't a war movie fan if you enjoy documentaries about the war you will enjoy this well told story of the battle for Tobruk. I was never a big fan of Burton's but I think he did a good job in this movie and "Where Eagles Dare".

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Widescreen or Full Format?
Review: It's a fine film and certainly a good one for those of us who like exciting war films. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Mason's Rommel is every bit as good as his Rommel in the earlier superb Desert Fox. But, you should know the information on the back of the case has conflicting information about the film's DVD format. In the orange box listing features it clearly notes it's Full Frame at 1.33:1. But in the small white print at the bottom it says Widescreen Version. The 1.33:1 (full screen) is the same as The Desert Fox and many other BW films of the same general time. Considering the action and character exchanges fit nicely into the full screen format, my guess is that the film was filmed in this format and the widescreen note is a typo on the case.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Timeless
Review: Plenty of action. One of Burton's finest performances in a war drama. A must see for anyone who likes war pictures. Very convincing. James Mason also portrays a fine role as "The Desertfox" once again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: burton's best
Review: Plenty of action. One of Burton's finest performances in a war drama. A must see for anyone who likes war pictures. Very convincing. James Mason also portrays a fine role as "The Desertfox" once again.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An excellent war drama, with timely elements
Review: Richard Burton stars in this excellent war drama, directed by Robert Wise. James Mason reprises his role as Rommel, from "The Desert Fox."
I have to admit, I watched this in the hopes that I might gain some additional insight into the desert fighting in Iraq.
And I did. Even though this is a 50-year old movie, the desert scenes...the horrible reality of a "war in a desert"...gives this film another subtext for the viewer, and makes it all the more gripping.
Yes, there are the standard war-movie subplots, but for the most part, there's a lot of uncommonly good elements to this movie. The Aussie aspect, the procedural details to the raids and attacks. It's constantly involving...
Consider this a safe bet for war film fans, and an equally safe bet for those who simply enjoy a good story well told.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An excellent war drama, with timely elements
Review: Richard Burton stars in this excellent war drama, directed by Robert Wise. James Mason reprises his role as Rommel, from "The Desert Fox."
I have to admit, I watched this in the hopes that I might gain some additional insight into the desert fighting in Iraq.
And I did. Even though this is a 50-year old movie, the desert scenes...the horrible reality of a "war in a desert"...gives this film another subtext for the viewer, and makes it all the more gripping.
Yes, there are the standard war-movie subplots, but for the most part, there's a lot of uncommonly good elements to this movie. The Aussie aspect, the procedural details to the raids and attacks. It's constantly involving...
Consider this a safe bet for war film fans, and an equally safe bet for those who simply enjoy a good story well told.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Poor production values
Review: Richard Burton turns in a very strong performance, as usual, but the low-budget production values in this picture take it down a couple of notches. There is nothing even approaching original German equipment. In fact, the uniforms and equipment would have been unacceptable poor in a TV episode of the "Rat Patrol" made 15 years later. The whole point of Afrika Korps desert warfare is that the uniforms and equipment have to be cool looking.

Frankly, this is not a film you'd ever need to see twice, much less own on DVD.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Poor production values
Review: Richard Burton turns in a very strong performance, as usual, but the low-budget production values in this picture take it down a couple of notches. There is nothing even approaching original German equipment. In fact, the uniforms and equipment would have been unacceptable poor in a TV episode of the "Rat Patrol" made 15 years later. The whole point of Afrika Korps desert warfare is that the uniforms and equipment have to be cool looking.

Frankly, this is not a film you'd ever need to see twice, much less own on DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This is a good WWII Movie
Review: This is a very good WWII movie set in North Africa. Richard Burton is very good in his role. It seems that he put a lot more depth into his characters in his earlier pictures as you can see here. As for Mason, he is one of a handful of actors that are always good no matter what role they play. Robert Wise also demonstrates why he is such a gifted director turning in a film with both a good story and character development. This is a notch above many other war movies.


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