633 Squadron (1964) User Reviews

Fall in for the blood pumping joy of De Havilland's Mosquitoes.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 4 March 2008]

A WW2 squadron of Mosquito bombers are training for a perilous mission to bomb a cliff face in Norway; with the aim to bring the cliff tumbling down on the German arms factory below it.

633 Squadron may not be a film for the War enthusiast purists? But the work done here to make this film a winner should never be understated. In this day and age it's often forgotten how these type of film's relied on good aerial photography, deft model work, and a stirring score. All of which this picture contains, thus making 633 Squadron more than a wet day crowd pleaser. Sure the intermittent scenes between the training sequences and the actual mission are mere filler, and the subplots obviously halt the flow of the movie (hello romance, hello sacrifice clichés); but what they do do is give a sort of added feel to the proceedings come the mission at the end. We do after all have to have some sort of affinity with the characters putting their lives at risk, and we get that here courtesy of a well written first half. Also boasting (in my opinion naturally) one of the greatest scores used in a War movie, courtesy of Ron Goodwin, the film triumphs because the ending is all that you hope for. In truth it's never in doubt given the build up we are given (and being the normality for many genre pieces), but with little dashes of poignancy and slivers of adrenalin rushes, the impact is akin to a jingoistic chest thudding.

Besides which, if you can't get a tingle on your neck watching the Mosquitoes fly over the Norwegian fjord? Well you got no blood in your body say I. 7/10

Flawed classic with a brilliant score

[hylinski · 6/10 · 10 December 2005]

I saw this when it first came out I was eight years old, and lived close to a WWII airfield south of London, so I was captivated by a film which gave me a wealth of fantasy to enjoy while I walked the then deserted runways of Kenley.

I have just watched the DVD. I still enjoyed the movie despite its many shortcomings. Probably the score has a lot to do with this. Ron Goodwin is a most under-rated composer. Only a master could base music on machine gun fire and end up with something so thoroughly uplifting.

Though this film does not bear excessive scrutiny, I have to applaud the hard-nosed portrayal of the fliers. It is my understanding that grieving is often a luxury in war, and one combatants did not allow themselves.

The parallel with Star Wars is valid. but the finale is something Lucas could not have contemplated without risking his box office takings!! You'll have to see it to figure out why. Oh and turn the volume up for the music.

Cliff Robertson!

[Crimpo2 · 7/10 · 5 November 2005]

I have a feeling this isn't the only time that Cliff Robertson played the trans-Atlantic star beefing up a late British war movie for the US market. However, Cliff is NOT playing a British squadron leader! There were a large number of Canadian and Australian flyers in British squadrons during WWII. We also have the fleeting appearance in the movie of an Indian pilot. I suspect Cliff is representing a Canadian - though there were also a few US volunteers flying in the RAF in WWII (as late as 1944 and in a bomber I'm not so sure about - but its not totally impossible!) The real casting problem is George Chakiris. Very Greek/Italian and not at all Norwegian in appearance or accent! Also he lacks the screen presence or acting ability of Robertson. Considering his sister's looks I can only assume that there was a Greek milkman in that Norwegian town in the 1930s! Maria Perschy looks suitably Norwegian (and stunning) and doesn't try too hard for an accent otherwise than educated English - which considering she was Austrian may well have been a very good thing! Oh but the film has real flying scenes of Mosquitos and a flying score to match the Dambusters March so its a film worth watching. The lack of CGI is a huge bonus (though it does present us with some very dodgy models in action and the memory they destroyed a few real Mosquitos making the film). It also has one of the most stirring old-fashioned closing lines in film history delivered as only Harry Andrews could.

So I'd recommend watching it with critical facilities on 'mute' - enjoy what's there to be enjoyed and ignore the rest of it!!!

An Aviation Classic

[colin-barron · 10 August 2005]

I am a great fan of "633 Squadron" and have read a few articles about the making of the film so I can correct a few errors in previous postings.

In the original 1956 novel the central character was Wing- Commander Roy Grenville. This was changed to Wing - Commander Roy Grant for the film. The script did make it clear that Grant was an ex - Eagle Squadron pilot. A number of Americans did fly for the RAF during WW2. After Pearl Harbour the Eagle Squadrons were eventually transferred to the USAAF but some Americans stayed in the RAF so it is not totally implausible to have an American leading an RAF squadron.

I agree that the Greek American actor George Chakiris does not look very Norwegian! However the casting of these two American actors (Robertson and Chakiris) was done to ensure the success of the film at the American box office. British war films with all- British casts tend to bomb at the American box office. The 1969 film "Battle of Britain" was the most successful film at the UK box office when it came out but it was a financial disaster in most other countries. That was why the American role in "Operation Market Garden" was prominently featured in the 1977 film "A Bridge Too Far".

I agree that the ending was ambiguous. In Frederick E Smith's 1976 sequel "Operation Rhine Maiden" it was made clear that Wing Cdr Grant had survived the crash and become a POW - in the film it is not clear whether he had died or just lost consciousness.

All the Mosquitoes used in the film were obtained from No 35 Civilian Anti Aircraft Cooperation Unit in Exeter which retired its last Mosquitoes only a few weeks before filming began. These civilian - piloted Mosquitoes were the last in service anywhere in the world.

A total off 11 Mosquitoes were used in the filming though only four were airworthy . Three Mosquitoes were destroyed during filming.

A few of the Mosquitoes used in the film still exist though none are currently airworthy. The B-25 Mitchell used as the camera plane still exists albeit in a derelict condition at North Weald Airfield in England.

Rather cliched, but with definite high points.

[KEVMC · 6/10 · 26 October 2003]

In the spring of 1944 an RAF Mosquito Squadron are ordered to attack a German rocket fuel plant in Norway. The mission involves flying up a heavily defended fjord and bombing a cliff overhang in an attempt to bury the factory, which is built into the rock.

I bought this on DVD in a '3 for £20' offer, as I had fond memories of it from childhood, and it had been around 20 years since I last remember seeing it. I have to say that it's not nearly as good as I remembered it to be. The plot is full of cliches and there's the inevitable love interest for the lead. That said, there are points to recommend it. Cliff Robertson gives another reliable performance as the Wing Commander in charge of the squadron, and there are equally dependable turns from Harry Andrews and Donald Houston. The numerous flying sequences with the Mosquito Bombers are expertly filmed, and it's a real bonus to finally see the film in its correct 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The special effects aren't bad for 1964, and Ron Goodwin's famous score underpins the whole venture.

The main problem that I have with the film is that it borrows heavily from 'The Dam Busters' in terms of plot, without ever scaling the heights (no pun intended) of that classic. It may have lush Panavision photography, better effects etc., but lacks the nail biting tension and expertly constructed drama of its predecessor. However, it's perfectly acceptable entertainment, if somewhat abrupt at the end.

Not the best special effects but a definite winner!

[rocket-15 · 7/10 · 26 January 1999]

I remember 1964 quite well and "633 Squadron" was one of those highlights. I first saw "633" during its initial release. I was 8 years old at the time and infatuated with just about any plane that flew especially WWII aircraft. My dad, being in the Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC) at the time, knew that "633 Squadron" was for me.

Yes, I have read some comments on this movie about the use of less than realistic props (airplane models) but let's not forget this was shot back in the early 60's. I think it was done well for the special effects technology available at the time.

Just the sight of the actual Mosquito flying scenes (don't forget there weren't very many restored Mosquitos around to fly) did it for me not to mention the opening scene flying through the clouds as the opening score played on. It really gets my blood pumping to this day!

No, I haven't said a lot about the plot or the characters because the movie went beyond that for an 8 year old boy "flying" with the Squadron. Now at 42 I have re-lived those great memories by seeing this movie a second and third time. I recommend this movie for just about everyone.

Sometimes we must look thru the leaves to see the tree.

Wow...a very similar film was done only five years after this one.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 14 September 2011]

The timing for me watching this is fortuitous, as just this morning I finished watching "Mosquito Squadron" (1969)--a very, very similar movie. Both films featured the de Havilland Mosquito (an amazingly fast and capable British fighter-bomber) and both were concerned with an Allied attempt to knock out a German rocket factory. This factory was set in Norway, the other film had it set in France. So which is the better film? Read on if you'd like my opinion.

Cliff Robertson plays the American leader of a squadron of British planes. While this is odd, it might have occurred, as there were American pilots who joined the Brits after WWII broke out and before the US went to war. He is told that his squadron will have a new assignment. They are to fly into Norway and bomb an overhand in the rocks in a fjord in order to seal in a German rocket factory. This naturally will require precision low-level bombing--at which their Mosquitoes were best suited. To practice for the raid, they go to Scotland to fly among the cliffs. It's not Norway--nor is Norway, actually, as they used this same locale as a stand-in for Norway later in the film when the actual raid takes place.

My biggest complaint about this film was the casting of George Chikiris. No, it's not because I have anything against him personally (I am sure he's a swell guy) but he was cast as a Norwegian!! He sounds about as Norwegian as Bill Cosby! And, while there are of course dark-haired Norwegians, why not hire an actor who at least looks Norwegian?! I don't blame Chikiris--after all, he was probably happy to have a job. But I am sure this must have nagged him as well, as the role just wasn't suited for him--he deserved better.

While it's a bit obvious some of the planes are models on strings and the German fighter planes are simple transport/observation planes (Me-108s) and the film technically is not nearly as good as "The Battle of Britain", it's still a decent film. It has a rousing score, decent battle scenes and ends strongly. Overall, I'd give this one a 7 and say it is just a bit better than "Mosquito Squadron"--mostly because although Robertson mostly plays a grumpus, at least he has a personality--a problem with the other film, where the leading man was pretty flat, as he was given little in the way of personality.

A Dangerous Mission

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 6 October 2006]

The Men of the 633 Squadron of the Royal Air Force have one nasty mission to perform. The Nazis have built a factory deep within a cliff with an overhang on a Norwegian fjord that is making a special fuel for rockets they're developing.

The RAF encountered a similar problem in The Guns of Navarone where an overhang protected two large pieces of artillery that was wreaking havoc on allied shipping. They gave up bombing there, but the Norwegian resistance brought in a geological consultant who says if they come in low and hit a certain spot with a fissure the whole thing will collapse and bury the factory under tons of rock.

The RAF mission, come in low and drop bombs enough to crack that fissure. It's a nasty mission for Cliff Robertson and his men even with aid from a ground attack planned by George Chakiris with the Norwegian resistance.

What's best about 633 Squadron are the special effects where they used vintage Mosquito fighter planes from World War II. It's really done quite well and is exciting.

As usual an American actor is brought in via the RAF Eagle Squadron for foreign pilots who enlisted before Pearl Harbor. In this case it's Cliff Robertson although he's a fine actor, isn't exactly box office. Maybe the producers thought he would be as he was just coming off playing John F. Kennedy in PT 109.

I'm also not quite sure why the Nazis would locate a fuel for rockets that were to be used in defending the western Europe beach from the invasion in Norway. Maybe they were listening on Winston Churchill who was constantly advocating a Norwegian invasion though American military and his own military told him that wasn't feasible. If it was for a cross channel invasion defense, that would have presented a transportation logistics problem for the Germans.

In any event it's nice war film with great special effects.

Not too bad!

[leonidas021182 · 9/10 · 22 August 2001]

I think the reason so many of the viewers have voted low is due to the lack of Americans saving the day in a mysterious twist of history once again! Personally I find the film quite good and the soundtrack is awesome!Unfortunately as I said before the majority of viewers are from the states so little praise would be given to a film where the Brits do something alone (as they actually did on many occasions!)

Exciting War Adventure.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 9 November 2009]

I saw this on its release and remembered only a few of its features. Let's see. I remembered Ron Goodwin's stirring martial score, Maria Perschy's slightly unorthodox beauty, George Chakiris's Hollywood hair do and no-can-do performance, and, most of all, the sleek and noisy power of the half-dozen or so De Havilland Mosquitoes sailing through the fossate Fjords of Norway to bomb hell out of the plant making fuel for Nazi V-1 rockets.

Cliff Robertson is the squadron CO and gives a professional performance. Most of the other faces are familiar from British films of the times, as is the make up of the squadron itself. Robertson is an American, and there are New Zealanders, Australians, Norwegians, and a bearded and beturbaned Sikh.

Chakiris is the Norwegian liaison officer with the squadron. Perschy is his sister. When Chakiris returns to Norway to organize a resistance effort against the German flak guns surrounding the fuel plant, he's captured and tortured by the Gestapo. Robertson puts an end to his pain by demolishing Gestapo headquarters and Chakiris along with it.

This mission -- along with the final suicide run against the plant -- are likely to strike some viewers as coming directly from a comic book, yet Mosquitoes were used more than once for just such precision bombing. They were queer airplanes. There was nothing quite like them. Rather than metal, they were built of plywood and fabric and on many missions went unarmed because their top speed was enough for them to outfly most pursuers.

Yet the flight scenes, which should be exhilarating, are flawed because of the obvious model work. When an airplane explodes, it pops into fragments that look like cardboard. And the scenes in the cockpit showing the pilot and navigator are static and give a distinct impression that we're looking at a mock up. Oh, it's not Plan Nine From Outer Space, but it's noticeable and tends to spoil our involvement in events.

The director is Walter Grauman. The screenplay is by Howard Koch and James Clavell, both famous names. No one would argue that the plot is logically worked out. The bombing of Gestapo headquarters is from "13 Rue Madeleine." The pilots drinking beer and carousing in the Black Swan is spavined. Robertson and Perschy fall into each other's arms on the first date. We never discover how the Germans learned that the Norwegian resistance planned to attack the anti-aircraft gun emplacements at a particular time. Every one of the Mosquitoes is lost on the final mission and the best the Wing Commander, Harry Andrews, can come up with is, "You can't kill a squadron." (Oh, no?)

On the whole it resembles a cross between "The Dam Busters" and "The Guns of Navarone" without the gloss of either. Still, there are few dull moments and the thing zips along with plenty of zest. And those Mosquitoes -- stunning airplanes for their time, versatile and with a maximum speed of more than 370 miles per hour. Admirable in every way except for that nugatory romance.

Cliff Robertson's sleeve

[danvers · 5/10 · 12 February 2005]

633 Squadron was on TV this afternoon's, I haven't seen it for years. It is a passable WW2 flying movie. The best parts are the flying scenes with real Mosquitos, no CGI. The music is rousing but becomes tedious by the end. My comment is in reference to previous posters who complain about Cliff Robertson playing an RAF Wing Commander. If you look at his uniform sleeve you will observe a badge which only he wears. It contains an American eagle and signifies that he is an American volunteer in the British forces. Many American citizens volunteered to fight against the Nazis long before the American government belatedly came into the war.

Watch it for the planes and the music

[jsa1307 · 8/10 · 4 October 2000]

This is not the Bridge on the River Kwai, but the air footage of the Mosquitos-DeHavilland's "Wooden Wonders"-and Mr. Goodwin's soaring score makes it worth a look. Goodwin also did the scoring for "Battle of Britain" and 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" as well as "Where Eagles Dare" and several other adventure genre films.

A One Time Firm Favourite That Doesn't Hold Together When Viewed Today

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 5 November 2005]

I used to love this movie . When I was a child in the 1970s this movie would be shown at least once a year on television and I would always go out of my way to watch it and no matter how many times I saw it I would always enjoy it . It's an exciting war movie involving brave noble men in the RAF and Norwegian resistance giving those cruel Nazis what for . Jolly good show chaps

I hadn't seen this movie for years until today but was still interested in seeing it again and was slightly disappointed . Yes it might be exciting to a ten year old child in the 1970s but as an adult my critical faculties was instantly able to notice what's wrong with this movie

The screenplay feels rather disjointed as it jumps about from location to location and it almost feels like a storyboard rather than a completed script since the scenes seem to finish and start in an unnatural manner . This might actually be the fault of the editing rather than the screenplay because things might be spliced together in the wrong order . Take for example the scene where the airfield is attacked by the Germans ( The Luftwaffe could launch attacks on English airfields in 1944 ? Highly unlikely ) which then cuts to the bar later that day where everyone is drinking and singing and laughing and where no one refers to the attack . It's as if the previous scene had never happened and is undoubtedly a blunder by the film makers

It's by no means unique to this movie but another noticeable aspect when viewed today as an adult is how poor and dated the FX are . Cut to a Mosquito aircraft in mid flight then cut to the interior of the cockpit which is obviously a studio set with some painfully obvious back screen projection and of course there's the very obvious model aircraft which is a common flaw with airborne war movies from this period

All this makes a long cherished movie like 633 SQUADRON rather disappointing when viewed today but it's by no means a terrible movie . Ron Goodwin's score still remains impressive and some of the scenes were reworked into a little known film from 1977 called STAR WARS so it can't be all bad . If people are complaining that one of the Norwegians looks Greek then they must try getting out a bit more

Enjoy the flight sequences and the music, fast forward through the rest

[michaelobolensky · 5/10 · 6 October 2022]

The two redeeming qualities of this picture are (1) seeing the most amazing aircraft of ww2 in flight and (2) the stirring theme music. Otherwise, the picture is riddled with plot holes, miscasting and other absurdities.

Germany was full of brilliant engineers and architects, so why would they build a vital factory under a mountain that was a landslide waiting to happen? How were the Mosquito pilots able the achieve pinpoint bombing accuracy by picking out their target by eye while flying at 290 mph? How were those Luftwaffe fighters in 1944 able to fly hundreds of miles through British radar and fighter squadrons to shoot up the airfield?

Cliff Robertson was a fine actor but he was too old to be playing a ww2 RAF pilot. A 40 year old RAF officer would be flying a desk, not one of the fastest aircraft then on the planet. Maybe he thought he could get away with it after playing a 26 year old JFK the year before. George Chakiris is hardly credible as a Norwegian. And Angus Lennie, as Scottish as haggis, playing a Cockney?

While Harold Russell in The Best Years of Our Lives showed what a man who lost his hands could do, I seriously doubt the RAF would allow a man with a hook to fly in combat at that stage of the war (yes I know all about Douglas Bader, he was one of my childhood heroes). And couldn't the hairstylist at least give everybody a '40s look?

Bottom line, I loved watching the magnificent Mossie doing its thing, but the rest of the picture was a bust.

A bit cheesy, but magnificent!

[ericjg623 · 5 October 2001]

I saw this movie as an American kid growing up in England in the early 1970's. It absolutely captivated me, as it did my 9 year old English schoolmates. The musical score still resonates to this day, as do the magnificent scenes of those twin Merlin powered Mosquitos. As a movie, its got its share of flaws, but as a piece of aviation memorabilia, let it live forever! Along with "The Battle of Britain", this movie will captivate audiences for generations to come who will wonder what it was like when a few brave airmen stood between barbarism and civilization. The movie may have its cheesy moments (like many WW2 flicks) but the emotions were real. A lot of those guys never came back from their missions. This film, quite simply, shows both the glory and the sacrifice of war. The De Havilland Mosquito was a remarkable aircraft, and this movie really is a tribute to all the men who designed, built, and flew it in combat.

Sensational pyrotechnics,exciting ending and rousing score are the main assets of this spectacular film

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 9 May 2007]

This action-packed airplanes film deals about a Mosquito squadron is assigned to bomb an installation in Norway.The squadron commander(Clift Robertson) has a best friend(George Chakiris)and Resistance leader involved and he falls in love with his sister(Maria Perschy).Later ,he's assigned for bombing the stronghold where his friend is being held.The Air vice-Marshal(Harry Andrews) orders to leader along with his squadron(Michael Goodlife among others) on a mission into the fjords in search of V2 Nazi fuel plant is guarded by heavy anti-airplane defenses and is deemed bomb-proof.The Mosquito squadron to save England must to sacrifice everything they love and destroy vital points and gun positions in a dangerous and secret mission.This nearly impossibly mission is further complicated by the German guns, Nazi air raid and the impenetrable fortress.

It's a fictionalized account of the Mosquitos feats ,though based partially on real events.Well-served by a clever screenplay(James Clavell,Howard Koch)but the writers have also directly copied another classic war movie titled¨The dam busters¨ and takes part from ¨Operation Crossbow¨(Michael Anderson).The movie actually comes to life with the excellently realised and well-staged air battle scenes and ingenious flying machines.They have been made by maquette and scale model and someone is an authentic aircraft.Spectacular ,fantastic aerial photograph with an exciting bombing raid at the end and accompanied with a memorable score by Ron Goodwin.Colorful cinematography by cameraman Edward Scaife.Well done warlike film by experienced director Walter Grauman turns a good job,he's an usual television movies director.The film even got a spin off,titled ¨The Mosquito squadron¨(Boris Sagal)with David McCallum and with the majority of footage is lifted from this one, besides is known that inspired the ending ¨Star Wars¨.

Entertaining

[grantss · 7/10 · 8 June 2019]

633 Squadron of the RAF is tasked with an operation that is vital to the Allied invasion of France. They need to destroy a German base in Norway that is producing fuel for German rockets. It is an incredibly dangerous mission: due to where it is situated, getting to the base will require daring and precise flying and then there's the hordes of anti-aircraft batteries. The Norwegian Resistance are tasked with taking out the AA guns but if anything goes wrong with the plan it will be a suicide mission.

Entertaining. Good action scenes, decent plot, wonderful footage of one of the most beautiful and impressive aircraft of WW2, the De Havilland Mosquito. The sub-plot involving the Norwegian Resistance was interesting too.

Not brilliant though. Some plot developments are not very plausible, the romantic sub-plot was half-baked and unnecessary, character development is token. More a gung ho, action-based war movie than a gritty, realistic one.

Still, very watchable and is never dull.

Boys' Own Style Flying Movie with Classic Theme Music

[thecutlers · 6/10 · 21 March 2016]

I used to love watching this movie when I was a kid. It is real Boys' Own stuff, just like those British booklet-sized war comics that Baby Boomers loved to read as boys. That's why it may not stand up well to audiences today: stereotypical stiff-upper-lipped characters not to mention pretty basic special effects. As other reviewers have said, it takes a few historical liberties. It doesn't pretend to be a docudrama like Dambusters. Despite all that, it's still good enough to keep you awake on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I don't think it deserves the really poor reviews given by some contributors and aviation purists.

I was crazy about flying way back when, and the sight of all those magnificent de Haviland Mosquitoes flying flat out in formation at tree top level dodging fjords etc was quite thrilling. The theme music was very exciting too, and still is. When I hear it, I still see those Mosquitoes roaring along. It's so evocative, full of movement and aerial daring-do. It remains a classic movie theme, just like the ones from The Magnificent Seven or A Big Country. Maybe a case of a movie theme that is much more memorable than the movie it was written for. At the very least, check it out on Youtube.

The lead actors do an uninspired but workmanlike job though the young "Norwegian" pilot looks about as Scandinavian as Victor Mature. He was more convincing as a Greek member of Gregory Peck's raiding party in The Guns of Navarone. If you're looking for deep characterization and Shakespearean insights, you'll be disappointed. And being made for the American market too, there's the obligatory romantic complication shoehorned into the plot.

The only really silly thing about the movie is the ending. Air Vice Marshal Davis, played by Harry Andrews, waits for 633 Squadron to return from its near suicidal mission. Waiting in his staff car at the airfield, one of his underlings announces the terrible truth, that the entire squadron has been shot down with all crews probably dead. (Incidentally, did this EVER happen to an RAF squadron anywhere?) He pontificates with, "You can't kill a squadron." The viewer is tempted to shout, "Well, they bloody well have!" Then he is chauffeured off, with exaggerated gravitas, presumably to attend a "please explain" meeting with his superiors that may end in early forced retirement. Or maybe he's wondering where the dickens he's going to find twelve new Mosquitoes and crews. Don't you know there's a war on, Air Vice Marshal!

If you've never seen this movie and you feel like a bit of uncomplicated, old-fashioned entertainment with some thrilling aerial photography and great theme music, you won't be disappointed. Just don't expect a winged Lukas or Spielberg production.

R.A.F. Squadron on a mythical suicide mission .....

[merklekranz · 6/10 · 16 July 2015]

This is one of my favorite WW2 movies. It pulls no punches, glorifies bravery, and is exciting to the finish. The non c.g.i. images are terrific, model planes crashing into studio rock walls are so much more impressive than a cartoon within a film. The acting is totally acceptable, and the story, while fictional, is unique. A thankfully brief attempt at romance even has a rather unpleasant conclusion, which flies against the usually mandatory happy ending. There is ample flying action, gorgeous mountain scenery, and of course the squadron of "Mosquitos'. If you are looking for an almost unknown war movie, this is one to watch. - MERK

One of the best musical scores of all time.

[rxist · 9/10 · 6 February 2002]

This movie has one of the best musical scores of all time. The music alone is worth watching this flick. I like this WW II flick and would recommend it to anyone who likes war movies...I still can't say enough about the music...just great!

Two Big Attractions

[JamesHitchcock · 7/10 · 11 December 2014]

"633 Squadron" has much in common with "The Dambusters" from around a decade earlier. Both films depict the exploits of a British bomber squadron during the Second World War. Both have as their climax a spectacular raid on a vital German target. In both cases the British airmen succeed in their objectives, but only at the cost of heavy losses. The main difference between the two films, however, apart from the fact that one is in black- and-white and the other in colour, is that whereas "The Dambusters" dramatises an actual wartime raid, the story told here is purely fictional; there never was a 633 Squadron in the wartime Royal Air Force and the events depicted never took place.

The story is set in 1944. The RAF is informed by the Norwegian resistance that the factory producing fuel for the German V-2 rockets is located at the head of a Norwegian fjord. The factory itself is believed to be bombproof as it is protected by an overhanging cliff, but geologists have calculated that several bombs dropped in the right spot could cause the cliff itself to collapse on the factory. Because the fjord is long, narrow and winding, the only aircraft suitable for the job is the fast and manoeuvrable De Havilland Mosquito.

The task of destroying the factory is assigned to 633 Squadron. Like most wartime fighting units (at least in films), this one is composed of men from all parts of Britain and the Empire, including Australia and India. In the original novel on which the film was based the Squadron's commander, Roy Grant, was British, but here he becomes an American. The real reason for this, of course, was to provide a role for a Hollywood star (Cliff Robertson, himself a keen flyer), but it is not historically inaccurate. A number of American aviators, the "Eagle Squadron", had volunteered to serve in the RAF before America's entry into the war, and here Grant is one of these men.

"633 Squadron" is not really in the same class as "The Dambusters", largely because the acting is not of the same quality. The Greek- American George Chakiris, in particular, seems miscast as the Norwegian resistance fighter Erik Bergman. The film, however, does have two big attractions which helped to establish it as a favourite with the British public. The first is Ron Goodwin's famously stirring musical score which at one time almost rivalled Eric Coates's "Dambusters March" in popularity. The second is the final scene (said to have inspired the "trench run" sequence in "Star Wars") in which the Squadron fly up the fjord to attack the factory, running the gauntlet of the German anti- aircraft batteries- a thrilling sequence which has made the film beloved of all aviation enthusiasts and is the main attraction when it is shown on television today. 7/10

Air Vice Marshal Davis's Campaign Ribbons

[carlson-241-102274 · 5/10 · 17 December 2011]

Just watched this movie on The Military Channel.

The discussion by Lou Diamond Phillips and his guest made this movie much more interesting. The Mosquitoe aircraft were wonderful to see, even if much of the blue screening and model work were very obvious by today's standards.

Very strange to see a German three barreled AntiAircraft gun firing in many scenes with only the center barrel operating. Too bad it had to have the same action repeated so many times.

The campaign ribbons worn by Air Vice Marshal Davis were hilarious. All that I recognized were American - the most obvious was the WWII Victory Medal. Surprised no one else picked up on this.

Great movie...Great music

[rxist · 9/10 · 10 February 2002]

The music catches you right from the start...a great score by Goodwin. The intense action keeps you on the edge of your seat...and along with the back ground music your attention never strays...not even go for a drink and popcorn. I love this flick. Best Regards, rxist

Rare instance of a soundtrack making a movie

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 11 January 2017]

633 SQUADRON is yet another men-on-a-mission WW2 movie about a group of bomber pilots tasked with taking down a Nazi fuel plant. The film is stylistically similar to THE DAM BUSTERS and just as entertaining, although the cast isn't quite up there with that classic film's ensemble players. The script for this one was written by SHOGUN and KING RAT scribe James Clavell.

This film works very well as a whole and features some grand old-fashioned entertainment. Although many similar war flicks were made in the 1960s I always find them to be generally a lot of fun and eminently watchable too - they don't make them like this anymore. 633 SQUADRON also has the fortune to be blessed by a truly rousing orchestral score which makes the movie. The cast is a good mix of British and American players, all of whom do their jobs admirably, and the special effects are more than decent enough to bring the story to life. The ending is as dramatic, heroic, and tragic as you could wish for.

A rousing theme but unsubtle and weak on plot

[shakercoola · 5/10 · 26 May 2018]

A British war drama; A story about British airmen who embark on a daring mission to destroy a heavily fortified German rocket-fuel plant in Norway but the plan threatens to unravel. 633 Squadron imbues the indomitable spirit and bravery of the airman during World War II but the dialogue is banal and the characters are opaque. As a result it is a mile wide wide in stature and vista but only an inch thick on narrative. There is also the awkwardness of having an American in among a British operation. The bombastic musical theme is very memorable but plays out so many times to convey the airborne sequences it doesn't always work. The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito airplanes are the stars of the film. Even though the special effects are dated they are interesting for the aircraft in flight. As an aside, the real 617 RAF squadron, which carried out similar missions on which this story is based, used Avro Lancaster bombers.