The original The Dirty Dozen had Lee Marvin and his jail house crew on a mission that took place inside occupied France days before the D-Day invasion at Normandy. The mission this second trained dozen performs is a few months later.
A few months in World War II time, but unfortunately 18 years for the returning cast members from the original cast, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, and Richard Jaeckel. They've all aged considerably and sad to say it shows. Especially on Marvin. Due to health problems, Lee Marvin's cinema appearances were cut down considerably during the Eighties.
Still Marvin's the same maverick Major Reisman as before. Not too much time is devoted to the training as in the original because that's where we got to know some of the dozen as individuals.
The new group is a rather faceless and personalityless lot. None of them stand out in the way that John Cassavetes, Clint Walker, Donald Sutherland, or Telly Savalas did. Of course they were all killed so we couldn't bring them back. Just as well for the producers because those salaries in 1985 would have busted the budget.
Still this talented group of players put over an extremely preposterous story back in 1967. This story is more preposterous and it doesn't have the talent to back it up and put it over.
Would you believe that the army wants to assassinate S.S. General Sepp Dietrich because they think he might be looking to assassinate Hitler? I didn't think anyone would, I sure didn't.
I'd really stick with the original here.
A few months in World War II time, but unfortunately 18 years for the returning cast members from the original cast, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, and Richard Jaeckel. They've all aged considerably and sad to say it shows. Especially on Marvin. Due to health problems, Lee Marvin's cinema appearances were cut down considerably during the Eighties.
Still Marvin's the same maverick Major Reisman as before. Not too much time is devoted to the training as in the original because that's where we got to know some of the dozen as individuals.
The new group is a rather faceless and personalityless lot. None of them stand out in the way that John Cassavetes, Clint Walker, Donald Sutherland, or Telly Savalas did. Of course they were all killed so we couldn't bring them back. Just as well for the producers because those salaries in 1985 would have busted the budget.
Still this talented group of players put over an extremely preposterous story back in 1967. This story is more preposterous and it doesn't have the talent to back it up and put it over.
Would you believe that the army wants to assassinate S.S. General Sepp Dietrich because they think he might be looking to assassinate Hitler? I didn't think anyone would, I sure didn't.
I'd really stick with the original here.