MOSQUITO SQUADRON is an average little war film about the British efforts to blow up a German base in France which is responsible for developing the technology used to bomb London and other British cities. It's a film that's pretty derivative of other movies which have come before such as THE DAM BUSTERS and it's also a rather uneven viewing experience, although there's much that's worthwhile here too.
The cast is somewhat unremarkable aside from lead actor David McCallum. McCallum is fresh off his success in America in THE MAN FROM UNCLE here and he delivers a good performance as the dedicated young pilot who feels that he needs to win out no matter what. His allies are all well cast and there's a priggish turn from the ever-imposing Charles Gray as the commodore, but too much of the screen time is taken up with McCallum's love for Suzanne Neve as the wife of a dead co-pilot. I appreciate the tragedy in such a situation but it really slows the film down at times when it should be flying along.
Footage of the planes at work and dropping their bouncing bomb payloads are the best part of the movie. The climactic action sequences are well handled and readily exciting and the dated nature of some of the effects, in particular the back projection, is easy to forgive. With a little more drive in the flagging midsection, MOSQUITO SQUADRON could have been something great; as it stands it's an average little film.
The cast is somewhat unremarkable aside from lead actor David McCallum. McCallum is fresh off his success in America in THE MAN FROM UNCLE here and he delivers a good performance as the dedicated young pilot who feels that he needs to win out no matter what. His allies are all well cast and there's a priggish turn from the ever-imposing Charles Gray as the commodore, but too much of the screen time is taken up with McCallum's love for Suzanne Neve as the wife of a dead co-pilot. I appreciate the tragedy in such a situation but it really slows the film down at times when it should be flying along.
Footage of the planes at work and dropping their bouncing bomb payloads are the best part of the movie. The climactic action sequences are well handled and readily exciting and the dated nature of some of the effects, in particular the back projection, is easy to forgive. With a little more drive in the flagging midsection, MOSQUITO SQUADRON could have been something great; as it stands it's an average little film.