As an enthusiast of this aircraft, I derive great joy from this film and have done since I was about 7 years old. It nurtured me enough to join the Mosquito Aircraft Assoc. of Australia. It might not be the best film ever made but as a young lad, I was inspired. That is a lot more than can be said for most films period.
36 Reviews
Action-packed airplanes movie with little budget and spectacular bombing raid final
ma-cortes15 May 2007
This standard warfare movie concerns a Mosquito squadron assigned to destroy a stronghold castle where are making V3 , V4 rocket-bombs . The Mosquito Squadron of this movie's title refers to a World War II squadron of Mosquito airplanes which are more specifically described as RAF (Royal Air Force) de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber aircraft . As the squadron leader (David McCallum : Cipol agent , Jag , Navy CSI) falls in love with the wife of a recently deceased pilot . The Air vice-commander (Charles Gray : You only live twice , Night of Generals , The Devil rides out) orders to leader along with his squadron on a dangerous and nearly impossible mission into French territory occupied by Nazis . The Mosquito squadron to save England must sacrifice themselves and eliminate vital points guarded by heavy anti-airplane defenses and guns positions considered bomb-proof . Besides , RAF pilots are being held prisoners and used as human shields , though they are helped by the French Resistance . This difficult mission is further complicated by the German guns , Nazi air raids and impenetrable fortress where are manufacturing the destructive bombs .
It's a fictionalized recounting of the Mosquitos squadron with a sustained and predictable story , although partially based on true deeds . The movie utilizes an often-used plot line of the war movie genre which has two brave soldiers in love with the same woman , such as : ¨Day-D the sixth of June¨(1956) by Henry Koster and ¨Kings go forth¨(1958) by Delmer Daves . ¨Mosquito Squadron¨ was reminiscent of other wartime films like ¨The dam busters¨, ¨Operation Crossbow¨ (Michael Anderson) and especially ¨633 Squadron¨ (Walter Grauman) with a similar storyline and aerial scenes ; being similar title in both films , this movie is not a sequel to the same studio's 633 Squadron (1964) . This was not the first movie to feature "bouncing bombs" , they were firstly seen in the earlier British war movie , ¨The Dam Busters¨ (1955) and subsequently ¨The thousand plane raid¨ in which thousand allied Bombers to destroy a specific target producing German fighter planes , among others . The movie actually comes to life by excellently realized action shots , they were fairly well-staged ; however , it also contains some stock-shot footage .
Splendid , spectacular aerial cinematography by photographer Paul Beeson , he's Walt Disney's usual cameraman (In search castaways , Kidnapped , Disneyland , Moon-spinners) . Most of the aerial flying scenes were filmed at the airfield at Royal Bovington Royal Air Force (RAF) Station in Hertfordshire , UK . Rousing and memorable score by Frank Cordell (Khartoum , Cromwell , Flight from Ashiya). The motion picture was professionally directed by Boris Sagal, a television series expert (Rich man, poor man , Ike , Columbo , Diary of Anne Frank , Masada) . The film was produced by Oakmont production , a company exclusively dedicated to warfare films (Hell boats , Submarine X1, Thousand plane raid , Last escape). The picture isn't a classic by any means , but not a turkey either . It's a passable film in limited budget and it will appeal to British warlike enthusiasts , being a pretty cool time-waster for the airplane lovers .
It's a fictionalized recounting of the Mosquitos squadron with a sustained and predictable story , although partially based on true deeds . The movie utilizes an often-used plot line of the war movie genre which has two brave soldiers in love with the same woman , such as : ¨Day-D the sixth of June¨(1956) by Henry Koster and ¨Kings go forth¨(1958) by Delmer Daves . ¨Mosquito Squadron¨ was reminiscent of other wartime films like ¨The dam busters¨, ¨Operation Crossbow¨ (Michael Anderson) and especially ¨633 Squadron¨ (Walter Grauman) with a similar storyline and aerial scenes ; being similar title in both films , this movie is not a sequel to the same studio's 633 Squadron (1964) . This was not the first movie to feature "bouncing bombs" , they were firstly seen in the earlier British war movie , ¨The Dam Busters¨ (1955) and subsequently ¨The thousand plane raid¨ in which thousand allied Bombers to destroy a specific target producing German fighter planes , among others . The movie actually comes to life by excellently realized action shots , they were fairly well-staged ; however , it also contains some stock-shot footage .
Splendid , spectacular aerial cinematography by photographer Paul Beeson , he's Walt Disney's usual cameraman (In search castaways , Kidnapped , Disneyland , Moon-spinners) . Most of the aerial flying scenes were filmed at the airfield at Royal Bovington Royal Air Force (RAF) Station in Hertfordshire , UK . Rousing and memorable score by Frank Cordell (Khartoum , Cromwell , Flight from Ashiya). The motion picture was professionally directed by Boris Sagal, a television series expert (Rich man, poor man , Ike , Columbo , Diary of Anne Frank , Masada) . The film was produced by Oakmont production , a company exclusively dedicated to warfare films (Hell boats , Submarine X1, Thousand plane raid , Last escape). The picture isn't a classic by any means , but not a turkey either . It's a passable film in limited budget and it will appeal to British warlike enthusiasts , being a pretty cool time-waster for the airplane lovers .
Familiar Story With Familiar Scenes
Theo Robertson15 February 2008
Sometimes when you're watching an obscure late night movie on cable that stars Treat Williams you may notice scenes from another much more famous film edited into the scenario . If I remember correctly CRITICAL MASS and a couple of other movies do this and I'd previously thought this was a recent concept . Apparently not since I remembered a couple of scenes from 633 SQUADRON which has been edited into this film . Not only that but there is at least one other scene that has been edited from OPERATION CROSSBOW . I guess I should be consistent here and say that if you can't make your own movie then don't bother
Let's not get too self righteous because when MOSQUITO SQUADRON was produced they'd be double features in cinema chains and this is a B movie which was made to be shown before the main feature and contains a lot of aspects you'd expect from this type of production . There's a few familiar faces but no major stars while many of the production team have the majority of their resumes in television . The story itself is hardly groundbreaking with stiff upper lipped Brits and feisty freedom fighters from occupied territories doing their best to defeat those goose stepping Nazis who all speak English with a strange accent . If you like adventure stories or war films then you'll find this a nice enough time waster , though the dilemmas involving people carrying out a wartime mission is slightly under developed
Let's not get too self righteous because when MOSQUITO SQUADRON was produced they'd be double features in cinema chains and this is a B movie which was made to be shown before the main feature and contains a lot of aspects you'd expect from this type of production . There's a few familiar faces but no major stars while many of the production team have the majority of their resumes in television . The story itself is hardly groundbreaking with stiff upper lipped Brits and feisty freedom fighters from occupied territories doing their best to defeat those goose stepping Nazis who all speak English with a strange accent . If you like adventure stories or war films then you'll find this a nice enough time waster , though the dilemmas involving people carrying out a wartime mission is slightly under developed
Real Messerschmitts
jasta20027 April 2008
The claim by the movie makers to be using real Messerschmitts is valid, as they are ME 108's. ME 108'S were often seen in War movies: Darryl F Zanuck's D Day being one prime example. ME 108's were a two seater trainer version capable of carrying weapons.
The fighter version ME109's seen exploding in the movie Mosquito Squadron are models. Real ME 109's being far too valuable not to mention non existent as there were NO German ME 109's airworthy back then, only Spanish versions. The Spanish versions had a slightly different nose due to different engine plant. The Spanish Messerschmitts 109's were used in the making of the movie The Battle of Britain.
The fighter version ME109's seen exploding in the movie Mosquito Squadron are models. Real ME 109's being far too valuable not to mention non existent as there were NO German ME 109's airworthy back then, only Spanish versions. The Spanish versions had a slightly different nose due to different engine plant. The Spanish Messerschmitts 109's were used in the making of the movie The Battle of Britain.
MOSQUITO SQUADRON (Boris Sagal, 1969) **1/2
Bunuel197619 June 2008
At a time when many a star-studded and big-budgeted WWII actioner emerged, this modest effort seemed definitely like second-tier material – offering customary but efficient thrills and decent spectacle, somewhat in the vein of 633 SQUADRON (1964)…with which it shares much of the plot and action footage!
In this respect, the film also owes its German secret weapon to OPERATION CROSSBOW (1965) and its bouncing bombs to THE DAM BUSTERS (1955); no wonder, then, that the end result feels awfully contrived (particularly at the climax, when successive to a couple of failed attempts, it has a wounded pilot wilfully crash smack into the warehouse where the rockets are manufactured!). Besides, the narrative tends too often towards romantic/sentimental complications: the relationship between the two leads being obstructed, for one thing, by the hero having been the best friend of the woman’s husband and, later, by the knowledge he shares with her maimed brother that the man had survived an air crash but is being kept prisoner in a château marked for obliteration during an Allied air raid led by the hero himself!
The credentials are strictly below-par (the score, typically an asset in this type of flick, attempts to be rousing but succeeds only in being bland) and the casting a mix of TV actors (THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.’s David McCallum – who delivers a brooding performance – and Suzanne Neve from U.F.O.) and colorful character performers (Charles Gray as the pompous yet stern Air Commodore and Vladek Sheybal as the erudite but fishy Nazi officer in charge of the prison/plant fortress). Mind you, while being no great shakes (and probably instantly forgettable), the film proves mildly engaging – to say nothing of eminently watchable – along the way; when all is said and done, there are certainly far worse titles to spend 90 minutes of your life on…
In this respect, the film also owes its German secret weapon to OPERATION CROSSBOW (1965) and its bouncing bombs to THE DAM BUSTERS (1955); no wonder, then, that the end result feels awfully contrived (particularly at the climax, when successive to a couple of failed attempts, it has a wounded pilot wilfully crash smack into the warehouse where the rockets are manufactured!). Besides, the narrative tends too often towards romantic/sentimental complications: the relationship between the two leads being obstructed, for one thing, by the hero having been the best friend of the woman’s husband and, later, by the knowledge he shares with her maimed brother that the man had survived an air crash but is being kept prisoner in a château marked for obliteration during an Allied air raid led by the hero himself!
The credentials are strictly below-par (the score, typically an asset in this type of flick, attempts to be rousing but succeeds only in being bland) and the casting a mix of TV actors (THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.’s David McCallum – who delivers a brooding performance – and Suzanne Neve from U.F.O.) and colorful character performers (Charles Gray as the pompous yet stern Air Commodore and Vladek Sheybal as the erudite but fishy Nazi officer in charge of the prison/plant fortress). Mind you, while being no great shakes (and probably instantly forgettable), the film proves mildly engaging – to say nothing of eminently watchable – along the way; when all is said and done, there are certainly far worse titles to spend 90 minutes of your life on…
Fair...
planktonrules14 September 2011
I must tell you up front that I have a prejudice towards this film, as I love airplane movies--particularly WWII air films. So, when I saw this on the queue for Netflix, I thought I had to see it--especially since I am familiar with the famed fighter-bomber, the Mosquito. It was an amazingly able and agile plane--one of the best of the war, though it's seldom talked about today.
David McCallum stars in this film. If the name isn't familiar, he was one of the stars of the 1960s show "The Man From UNCLE". Unfortunately, he really wasn't given a personality in the film--he was there, but not much more.
The story is about a Mosquito squadron. Their job will now be to bomb a rocket production facility. However, it will take absolute precision bombing using very odd bouncing bombs--much like smaller versions of the ones used to blow up the dams in the Ruhr Valley (for more on that, see the excellent film "Dam Busters"). But there's a hitch---the Germans are anticipating it and have moved all the shot down Mosquito crews to this location--daring the Brits to carry out this raid and kill their own men.
The action is generally good, but due to a lack of availability, the German fighters are actually slow-moving transport/observation planes. At times, some of these planes are models and move in impossible ways.
And, considering how much better the flying sequences were in "The Battle of Britain" (also 1969), I could see how this film might have been overshadowed. There also is a bit of predictability towards the end--with a few clichés among the escaped prisoners. Overall, a decent movie that's worth watching but also one that is far from a must-see.
David McCallum stars in this film. If the name isn't familiar, he was one of the stars of the 1960s show "The Man From UNCLE". Unfortunately, he really wasn't given a personality in the film--he was there, but not much more.
The story is about a Mosquito squadron. Their job will now be to bomb a rocket production facility. However, it will take absolute precision bombing using very odd bouncing bombs--much like smaller versions of the ones used to blow up the dams in the Ruhr Valley (for more on that, see the excellent film "Dam Busters"). But there's a hitch---the Germans are anticipating it and have moved all the shot down Mosquito crews to this location--daring the Brits to carry out this raid and kill their own men.
The action is generally good, but due to a lack of availability, the German fighters are actually slow-moving transport/observation planes. At times, some of these planes are models and move in impossible ways.
And, considering how much better the flying sequences were in "The Battle of Britain" (also 1969), I could see how this film might have been overshadowed. There also is a bit of predictability towards the end--with a few clichés among the escaped prisoners. Overall, a decent movie that's worth watching but also one that is far from a must-see.
Bad, bland little war movie
SgtSlaughter16 August 2003
The always-overrated David McCallum is one of the few good things in this low-budget World War II adventure piece, yet another quickie from Oakmont Films.
Sometime prior to D-Day probably early '44 or '43 a Mosquito Squadron is sent to bomb a V-1 rocket installation in France, when Squadron Leader Scott (David Buck) is shot down and presumed dead. His second-in-command, Quint Munroe (who just happens to be like a life-long brother to him) has to return to England and tell his beautiful blonde wife (Suzanne Neve) the sad news. As one would expect, Munroe and Mrs. Scott slowly fall in love. But when Munroe is chosen to lead a mission to bomb a new V-3 development center, things will chance quite a bit because Scott is a prisoner held at the target fortress!
From start to finish, "Mosquito Squadron" is a total hack-job literally. The story is filled with enough contrivances and clichés to drive any mildly serious critic mad. Let us take a brief look at a 1964 film entitled "633 Squadron". In said film, a squadron commander has a best friend shot down over Norway, and falls in love with his sister. Later on, he is assigned to bomb the fortress where his friend is being held. Sound familiar? And that's not all our title film steals! Virtually all of the aerial battle footage is directly lifted from "633 Squadron", while the new footage is comprised almost entirely of horrible-looking miniatures hanging from far-too-visible wires.
The writers have also directly copied another classic war film, "The Dam Busters". The feasibility of Munroe's mission revolves around a bouncing bomb, which will skip along the ground and roll into an open tunnel leading to the V-3 rockets. (I won't even mention how convenient it was to leave a big open tunnel to drop a bomb into). The real bouncing bomb (made famous in 1954's "The Dam Busters") was designed to skip on water to destroy Nazi dams not the ground as is seen here! The idea of dropping a bouncing bomb on the ground is, simply, ludicrous and impossible. Introduction of this concept kills the storyline immediately.
The low budget shows up in every action sequence: the French resistance force is comprised of a half-dozen men in berets carrying Sten guns, and only a handful of German guards enforce security at the "fortress". The forests are obviously cheaply furnished soundstages, and a face-off with an imitation German "tank" is ludicrously shot. We never really see much of the German-held Château, and when we do it never looks as though we're inside some high-tech development center a la "Operation Crossbow". The scenes set in England fare somewhat better, with some excellent scenes set at airfields and a rather rowdy officer's club.
David McCallum and the cast of little-known English actors do a fair job, even though the no-frills script doesn't give them much to do. McCallum is a fair actor, nowhere near as great as his fans hail him to be, though. He was better suited for television than cinema, and that comes out in every scene. He often looks uncomfortable and awkward, but delivers his often banal dialog convincingly and with conviction. His scenes with Neve are often touching, even though audiences have seen this dozens of times before. There aren't any other actors worth mention among the ensemble, besides perhaps Charles Gray who would go on to play Blofeld in the James Bond film "Diamonds are Forever" a few years later.
Oakmont Productions financed a number of cheap British war films in the late 1960s and early 1970s: "Attack on the Iron Coast", "Hell Boats", "The Last Escape", "The One Thousand Plane Raid" among them. These quickies were best suited for TV viewing instead of theatrical release, but United Artists picked them all up and put them on the big screen. Anyone expecting a classic here or in any of the aforementioned pieces for that matter is in for a big disappointment. Check out "633 Squadron" instead.
Sometime prior to D-Day probably early '44 or '43 a Mosquito Squadron is sent to bomb a V-1 rocket installation in France, when Squadron Leader Scott (David Buck) is shot down and presumed dead. His second-in-command, Quint Munroe (who just happens to be like a life-long brother to him) has to return to England and tell his beautiful blonde wife (Suzanne Neve) the sad news. As one would expect, Munroe and Mrs. Scott slowly fall in love. But when Munroe is chosen to lead a mission to bomb a new V-3 development center, things will chance quite a bit because Scott is a prisoner held at the target fortress!
From start to finish, "Mosquito Squadron" is a total hack-job literally. The story is filled with enough contrivances and clichés to drive any mildly serious critic mad. Let us take a brief look at a 1964 film entitled "633 Squadron". In said film, a squadron commander has a best friend shot down over Norway, and falls in love with his sister. Later on, he is assigned to bomb the fortress where his friend is being held. Sound familiar? And that's not all our title film steals! Virtually all of the aerial battle footage is directly lifted from "633 Squadron", while the new footage is comprised almost entirely of horrible-looking miniatures hanging from far-too-visible wires.
The writers have also directly copied another classic war film, "The Dam Busters". The feasibility of Munroe's mission revolves around a bouncing bomb, which will skip along the ground and roll into an open tunnel leading to the V-3 rockets. (I won't even mention how convenient it was to leave a big open tunnel to drop a bomb into). The real bouncing bomb (made famous in 1954's "The Dam Busters") was designed to skip on water to destroy Nazi dams not the ground as is seen here! The idea of dropping a bouncing bomb on the ground is, simply, ludicrous and impossible. Introduction of this concept kills the storyline immediately.
The low budget shows up in every action sequence: the French resistance force is comprised of a half-dozen men in berets carrying Sten guns, and only a handful of German guards enforce security at the "fortress". The forests are obviously cheaply furnished soundstages, and a face-off with an imitation German "tank" is ludicrously shot. We never really see much of the German-held Château, and when we do it never looks as though we're inside some high-tech development center a la "Operation Crossbow". The scenes set in England fare somewhat better, with some excellent scenes set at airfields and a rather rowdy officer's club.
David McCallum and the cast of little-known English actors do a fair job, even though the no-frills script doesn't give them much to do. McCallum is a fair actor, nowhere near as great as his fans hail him to be, though. He was better suited for television than cinema, and that comes out in every scene. He often looks uncomfortable and awkward, but delivers his often banal dialog convincingly and with conviction. His scenes with Neve are often touching, even though audiences have seen this dozens of times before. There aren't any other actors worth mention among the ensemble, besides perhaps Charles Gray who would go on to play Blofeld in the James Bond film "Diamonds are Forever" a few years later.
Oakmont Productions financed a number of cheap British war films in the late 1960s and early 1970s: "Attack on the Iron Coast", "Hell Boats", "The Last Escape", "The One Thousand Plane Raid" among them. These quickies were best suited for TV viewing instead of theatrical release, but United Artists picked them all up and put them on the big screen. Anyone expecting a classic here or in any of the aforementioned pieces for that matter is in for a big disappointment. Check out "633 Squadron" instead.
Switch off your brain and enjoy a bit of adventure
mraubenheimer23 May 2010
This is the sort of film which belongs in the same category as old-fashioned boys war comics like Commando etc. Sure, its weak on characterisation, clichéd in its plot, with wooden acting and stereotype Germans but you don't watch a B-movie for characterisation, intricate plotting, great dialogue and so on. Rather, you just watch it for escapism and a bit of boys-own adventure fun. Viewed on those terms Mosquito Squadron holds its own. What lover of this comic style adventure genre can resist Charles Grey saying: "That's where they're hatching their new bird. What we want you to do is chuck a bomb in there, and addle their eggs for 'em." It is a little distracting sitting through the film and spotting all the shots lifted from 633 squadron, but nonetheless its a bit of fun for a quiet Sunday afternoon. Who can resist the sight of those glorious Mosquitos flying around.
It's so bad it's good...
petermillett25 August 2005
Mosquito Sqaudron is a pleasant surprise. An unashamedly low-budget WWII flick with some classically cheesy comedic scenes. The script for Mosuito Sqaudron closely resembles the Mosquitos themselves wooden and full of holes. Hey, but that doesn't really matter. Nothing quite puts a smile on your face like watching David McCallum and his co-star driving through the English countryside without a brush of wind disturbing their hair (in near perfect studio-bound silence). Another giggle is the RAF pilot who is missing his right arm, but has an alarmingly large bulge concealed under his shirt (on the upper right hand side). However, my personal favourite is the ultra-camp photo of Qunit and Scotty in their tennis whites. This chummy photo appears throughout the film, including Scotty's parents house, and on Scotty's work desk (in place of his wedding photo.) Anyway, asides from these cherry 60's subtleties, there is a pulsing love triangle to follow, and some impressive weaponry to be dazzled by:
Our man Quint is torn by his brooding love for Beth (his best buddy's wife), and guilt-ridden by the knowledge that he may have to drop a giant bouncing India-rubber ball on Scotty's POW camp (that may flatten his best tennis buddy for once and for all). So who will win out at the end of the day? Will Quint score his best buddy's wife as his new trophy? Or will Scotty serve his last ace in the POW camp?
Will anyone care? Probably not.
The action in the movie reminds me a little of a Ben Stiller Owen Wilson action flick. Maybe it's the 'Zoolander' type head band that Scotty wears. The fighting is definitely as camp and clumsy, and the tomato sauce is definitely overdone.
Thankfully, the real Battle of Britain was not entrusted to these bumbling few or else we'd all be speaking German by now.
Anyone for tennis?
Our man Quint is torn by his brooding love for Beth (his best buddy's wife), and guilt-ridden by the knowledge that he may have to drop a giant bouncing India-rubber ball on Scotty's POW camp (that may flatten his best tennis buddy for once and for all). So who will win out at the end of the day? Will Quint score his best buddy's wife as his new trophy? Or will Scotty serve his last ace in the POW camp?
Will anyone care? Probably not.
The action in the movie reminds me a little of a Ben Stiller Owen Wilson action flick. Maybe it's the 'Zoolander' type head band that Scotty wears. The fighting is definitely as camp and clumsy, and the tomato sauce is definitely overdone.
Thankfully, the real Battle of Britain was not entrusted to these bumbling few or else we'd all be speaking German by now.
Anyone for tennis?
Not the best air movie but still worth watching
colin-barron30 August 2005
I like this movie even though it is not the best air movie made.
Contrary to what Sgt Slaughter has said the "Highball" bouncing bomb depicted in the movie did actually exist and was capable of being used against tunnels though its primary role was anti-shipping. The monochrome footage of the Mosquito test dropping a "Highball" on land ,which is used in the film ,is genuine footage from WW2.
However the "Highball" could only be fitted to bomber versions of the Mosquito. The Mosquitoes used in the film were supposed to be FBVI fighter - bomber versions with nose guns and short bomb bays which could not be fitted with Highball. Also ,fitting of Highball necessitated removal of the bomb bay doors and the film Mosquitoes supposedly carry Highball inside their bomb bays.
The worst feature of the film,as pointed out by other reviewers , was the excessive use of footage from "633 Squadron". Despite this,four genuine airworthy Mosquitoes were used in the production. A fifth Mosquito which was in a damaged,non-airworthy condition,was used in the crash scene at th end. This particular Mosquito can now be seen at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. Three of the four airworthy Mosquitoes used in the film still exist while the fourth Mosquito T3 RR299,which was the last airworthy Mosquito in the World,was destroyed in a flying accident in 1996.
The credit sequences of the film feature four Mosquitoes flying in formation. This was the last time that four Mosquitoes flew together.
I am always amused by the scene where David McCallum's character comments on the apparently large amount of flak defending a château when in fact it is one 20mm Oerlikon Twin mount and a single light machine gun.
Contrary to what Sgt Slaughter has said the "Highball" bouncing bomb depicted in the movie did actually exist and was capable of being used against tunnels though its primary role was anti-shipping. The monochrome footage of the Mosquito test dropping a "Highball" on land ,which is used in the film ,is genuine footage from WW2.
However the "Highball" could only be fitted to bomber versions of the Mosquito. The Mosquitoes used in the film were supposed to be FBVI fighter - bomber versions with nose guns and short bomb bays which could not be fitted with Highball. Also ,fitting of Highball necessitated removal of the bomb bay doors and the film Mosquitoes supposedly carry Highball inside their bomb bays.
The worst feature of the film,as pointed out by other reviewers , was the excessive use of footage from "633 Squadron". Despite this,four genuine airworthy Mosquitoes were used in the production. A fifth Mosquito which was in a damaged,non-airworthy condition,was used in the crash scene at th end. This particular Mosquito can now be seen at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. Three of the four airworthy Mosquitoes used in the film still exist while the fourth Mosquito T3 RR299,which was the last airworthy Mosquito in the World,was destroyed in a flying accident in 1996.
The credit sequences of the film feature four Mosquitoes flying in formation. This was the last time that four Mosquitoes flew together.
I am always amused by the scene where David McCallum's character comments on the apparently large amount of flak defending a château when in fact it is one 20mm Oerlikon Twin mount and a single light machine gun.
Poorly made, with tremendous missed opportunity
kenstallings-653464 November 2022
The movie borrowed very heavily from scenes lifted unedited from the movie 633 Squadron, which was produced five years prior to this film. While those who had never seen the earlier movie would not have noticed, for anyone who did, the way those scenes were lifted were lazy, and entirely needless.
The story was a mixed bag. Some aspects of the storyline were quite excellent, based somewhat on an actual, and quite famous Mosquito mission. In hindsight, the producers should have simply centered the mission plot entirely and faithfully on that actual mission, vice take from it a central theme but warp it into something else.
While not wishing to divulge basic plot spoilers, the way in which the story was written was simply over the top in terms of portraying RAF senior commanders as heartless, to the point of being draconian. The idea that an RAF Air Vice-Marshall would show such utter disregard for the lives of their aircrew was a great disservice to those actual commanders.
By the year 1969, when this movie was made, it was no longer in vogue to portray nearly all German officers as monsters, and yet this movie did exactly that. One can also quibble with the portrayal of SS officers commanding RAF POW's, when it was a strict rule, even within Nazi Germany, that the Luftwaffe ran POW camps with Allied airmen as prisoners.
For a movie that got this reality entirely correct, compare The Great Escape to this movie, and one will appreciate the great difference.
Again, an entirely faithful telling of the actual Mosquito bombing mission, named Operation Jericho, which this movie was strongly based upon, would have actually fit the movie's plot much better. It seems the producers were compelled to introduce another moral play into the film, and in doing so, the film lost its way. Ironically, nearly the same sort of special mission was flown by actual RAF Mosquito crews in Denmark at the end of the war. That mission would have also been an excellent plot focus for this film. But, sadly, the producers went a different way, and in doing so, harmed the movie greatly.
The special effects and aerial scenes were well produced and were the highpoint of the movie. Had the scenes from the previous 633 Squadron not been clumsily spliced in, the overall effort for the flight segments would have been top notch.
The story was a mixed bag. Some aspects of the storyline were quite excellent, based somewhat on an actual, and quite famous Mosquito mission. In hindsight, the producers should have simply centered the mission plot entirely and faithfully on that actual mission, vice take from it a central theme but warp it into something else.
While not wishing to divulge basic plot spoilers, the way in which the story was written was simply over the top in terms of portraying RAF senior commanders as heartless, to the point of being draconian. The idea that an RAF Air Vice-Marshall would show such utter disregard for the lives of their aircrew was a great disservice to those actual commanders.
By the year 1969, when this movie was made, it was no longer in vogue to portray nearly all German officers as monsters, and yet this movie did exactly that. One can also quibble with the portrayal of SS officers commanding RAF POW's, when it was a strict rule, even within Nazi Germany, that the Luftwaffe ran POW camps with Allied airmen as prisoners.
For a movie that got this reality entirely correct, compare The Great Escape to this movie, and one will appreciate the great difference.
Again, an entirely faithful telling of the actual Mosquito bombing mission, named Operation Jericho, which this movie was strongly based upon, would have actually fit the movie's plot much better. It seems the producers were compelled to introduce another moral play into the film, and in doing so, the film lost its way. Ironically, nearly the same sort of special mission was flown by actual RAF Mosquito crews in Denmark at the end of the war. That mission would have also been an excellent plot focus for this film. But, sadly, the producers went a different way, and in doing so, harmed the movie greatly.
The special effects and aerial scenes were well produced and were the highpoint of the movie. Had the scenes from the previous 633 Squadron not been clumsily spliced in, the overall effort for the flight segments would have been top notch.
Tell The Critics To Buzz Off!
ShadeGrenade28 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
1944; the Nazis are sending V-2's ( flying bombs ) to London. These have an unnerving tendency to fall silent just before they hit, meaning that no-one in the capital can be sure exactly where they will next strike. This is an impressive opening indeed, and would have been even more so had it not been lifted wholesale from the middle section of 'Operation Crossbow', made by M.G.M. four years before.
Those gallant lads of the R.A.F. 'Mosquito Squadron' swing into action. Headed by the wonderfully-named Squadron Leader Quint Monroe ( David McCallum ) they bomb the launching pads. But a surprise Messerschmitt attack results in Monroe losing his best friend 'Scotty' ( David Buck ).
The Squadron Leader is given the duty of imparting the bad news to Scotty's widow Beth ( Suzanne Neve ). Not only is she beautiful but apparently telepathic - as soon as Quint approaches she bursts into tears and runs from the room, and he has not said a word! She recovers and then both are are going for long drives in the country in his sporty red M.G.
Though the V-2 launching pads are now gone, the crisis is not yet over as the Nazis are busy developing V-3 and V-4 rockets, using Chavron Château in France as a headquarters, and the Mosquitoes are given the job of bombing the place. Obviously those fellers at The War Office are huge 'Star Wars' fans because their favoured method involves dropping a bouncing bomb ( based on an idea by Barnes Wallis ) down a narrow tunnel.
With only nine days to go, Monroe and co. begin training. They are not very good though ( The Force is never around when you need it ). Just as they get the hang of things, disaster strikes. German planes attack an airfield, dropping a box that turns out to contain a roll of film ( someone says 'its a roll of film!' which is helpful to those of us who have no idea what a roll of film looks like ). On it is footage of British P.O.W.'s, some from the Squadron itself. The Nazis have placed the men in close proximity to Chavron, hoping to use them as human shields. Particularly worrying for Monroe is the fact that Scotty is among them...
'Mosquito Squadron' was originally conceived as a sequel to the popular '633 Squadron' ( 1964 ) starring Cliff Robertson. Presumably this was changed out of reluctance on the part of Oakmont Productions to pay Frederick E.Smith royalties. Like that movie, it has a paper-thin plot, one-dimensional characters, repetitive battle scenes, and good music. Some of the shots in the film ( those not from 'Operation Crossbow' ) came from that earlier picture.
McCallum was a hot property then thanks to 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.', but somehow his popularity never translated into bums on cinema seats. The director, the late Boris Sagal, directed several 'U.N.C.L.E.' episodes.
Not being an expert on W.W.2, I cannot say with absolute certainty that this is embarrassingly inaccurate, but we do not see David McCallum sending text messages to The War Office, and that's enough for me.
What it has going for it are a refreshing lack of forced jingoism, and the absence of an American star in the lead. I note that some of the sniffy reviews to be found here are by Americans. I presume they are unused to watching a war movie in which one of their countrymen does not save the day.
You can summarise the plot thus; Blighty is in peril, only the Mosquitoes can save us, and, after a long struggle, they do. That's about it. Characterisation is virtually non-existent, and the Nazis are treated basically as machine gun fodder. But it affords the same pleasure as an old 'Hotspur' Annual.
Some great British actors decorate this epic - Charles Gray, Robert Urquhart, Dinsdale Landen, McCallum himself, Nicky Henson, and there's a fleeting glimpse of future 'Doctor In The House' star George Layton!
If all you want from a war movie is entertainment, and aren't too bothered by whether it sticks to the facts, give this one a whirl. I would sooner watch it than sit through all three bum-numbing hours of 'Saving Private Spielberg' ( or whatever its called ) again.
Those gallant lads of the R.A.F. 'Mosquito Squadron' swing into action. Headed by the wonderfully-named Squadron Leader Quint Monroe ( David McCallum ) they bomb the launching pads. But a surprise Messerschmitt attack results in Monroe losing his best friend 'Scotty' ( David Buck ).
The Squadron Leader is given the duty of imparting the bad news to Scotty's widow Beth ( Suzanne Neve ). Not only is she beautiful but apparently telepathic - as soon as Quint approaches she bursts into tears and runs from the room, and he has not said a word! She recovers and then both are are going for long drives in the country in his sporty red M.G.
Though the V-2 launching pads are now gone, the crisis is not yet over as the Nazis are busy developing V-3 and V-4 rockets, using Chavron Château in France as a headquarters, and the Mosquitoes are given the job of bombing the place. Obviously those fellers at The War Office are huge 'Star Wars' fans because their favoured method involves dropping a bouncing bomb ( based on an idea by Barnes Wallis ) down a narrow tunnel.
With only nine days to go, Monroe and co. begin training. They are not very good though ( The Force is never around when you need it ). Just as they get the hang of things, disaster strikes. German planes attack an airfield, dropping a box that turns out to contain a roll of film ( someone says 'its a roll of film!' which is helpful to those of us who have no idea what a roll of film looks like ). On it is footage of British P.O.W.'s, some from the Squadron itself. The Nazis have placed the men in close proximity to Chavron, hoping to use them as human shields. Particularly worrying for Monroe is the fact that Scotty is among them...
'Mosquito Squadron' was originally conceived as a sequel to the popular '633 Squadron' ( 1964 ) starring Cliff Robertson. Presumably this was changed out of reluctance on the part of Oakmont Productions to pay Frederick E.Smith royalties. Like that movie, it has a paper-thin plot, one-dimensional characters, repetitive battle scenes, and good music. Some of the shots in the film ( those not from 'Operation Crossbow' ) came from that earlier picture.
McCallum was a hot property then thanks to 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.', but somehow his popularity never translated into bums on cinema seats. The director, the late Boris Sagal, directed several 'U.N.C.L.E.' episodes.
Not being an expert on W.W.2, I cannot say with absolute certainty that this is embarrassingly inaccurate, but we do not see David McCallum sending text messages to The War Office, and that's enough for me.
What it has going for it are a refreshing lack of forced jingoism, and the absence of an American star in the lead. I note that some of the sniffy reviews to be found here are by Americans. I presume they are unused to watching a war movie in which one of their countrymen does not save the day.
You can summarise the plot thus; Blighty is in peril, only the Mosquitoes can save us, and, after a long struggle, they do. That's about it. Characterisation is virtually non-existent, and the Nazis are treated basically as machine gun fodder. But it affords the same pleasure as an old 'Hotspur' Annual.
Some great British actors decorate this epic - Charles Gray, Robert Urquhart, Dinsdale Landen, McCallum himself, Nicky Henson, and there's a fleeting glimpse of future 'Doctor In The House' star George Layton!
If all you want from a war movie is entertainment, and aren't too bothered by whether it sticks to the facts, give this one a whirl. I would sooner watch it than sit through all three bum-numbing hours of 'Saving Private Spielberg' ( or whatever its called ) again.
Mosquito Aircraft
ebiros220 December 2012
I watched this movie because of my personal interest in de Havilland Mosquito airplane. When this movie was made I guess there were enough operational Mosquitos to form a squadron for this movie. I've never seen this plane in color and up so close.
The movie holds together surprisingly well for a war time movie. The highlight of the movie is when the Mosquitoes appear on the screen. I'm glad that they made this movie that catches this plane in all its colorful glory. Until I saw this movie I didn't know that the Mosquito had a bomb bay.
If you're a war time movie or a de Haviland Mosquito fan, this movie is worth keeping in your collection.
The movie holds together surprisingly well for a war time movie. The highlight of the movie is when the Mosquitoes appear on the screen. I'm glad that they made this movie that catches this plane in all its colorful glory. Until I saw this movie I didn't know that the Mosquito had a bomb bay.
If you're a war time movie or a de Haviland Mosquito fan, this movie is worth keeping in your collection.
Wretched
screenman3 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Actually, this comment is unlikely to contain spoilers for the simple reason that there is nothing to spoil.
I have seen some wretched movies in my time but this one is surely dancing on the edge of disaster canyon.
There is another movie that most wartime adventure fans will have seen, called '633 Squadron'. It's a well-paced action drama with just enough of the characters' personal lives to give them an interesting depth. Nothing fancy, just predictable. There's a Dam-Busters/Guns of Navarone do-or-die mission to fulfil at all costs, and so on. A competent cast is led by Cliff Robertson, George Chakiris and other stalwarts. And of course, there's that unforgettable stirring theme music, arguably the real star of the show.
Well, after this movie was cut and canned, and the studios closed for the day. Someone sneaked into the cutting-room and rummaged through the bins. They found all of the takes no director in his right mind would touch with a barge-pole and hurried back to their little bedsits. Then they came up with a story so preposterous that only a lobotomised hamster could take it seriously, and looked around for a schmuck - I mean star.
The best they could come up with was David McCallum. He alone led a bunch of nobodies through a montage of hastily-pasted '633 Squadron' out-takes in an attack upon yet another secret Nazi base, using bouncing bombs - this time bouncing along the ground would you believe?
No; I didn't either.
It is not very often that I actually squirm with embarrassment. But this was one such occasion.
If you haven't already seen it, save yourselves. My DVD is serving as a coaster.
I have seen some wretched movies in my time but this one is surely dancing on the edge of disaster canyon.
There is another movie that most wartime adventure fans will have seen, called '633 Squadron'. It's a well-paced action drama with just enough of the characters' personal lives to give them an interesting depth. Nothing fancy, just predictable. There's a Dam-Busters/Guns of Navarone do-or-die mission to fulfil at all costs, and so on. A competent cast is led by Cliff Robertson, George Chakiris and other stalwarts. And of course, there's that unforgettable stirring theme music, arguably the real star of the show.
Well, after this movie was cut and canned, and the studios closed for the day. Someone sneaked into the cutting-room and rummaged through the bins. They found all of the takes no director in his right mind would touch with a barge-pole and hurried back to their little bedsits. Then they came up with a story so preposterous that only a lobotomised hamster could take it seriously, and looked around for a schmuck - I mean star.
The best they could come up with was David McCallum. He alone led a bunch of nobodies through a montage of hastily-pasted '633 Squadron' out-takes in an attack upon yet another secret Nazi base, using bouncing bombs - this time bouncing along the ground would you believe?
No; I didn't either.
It is not very often that I actually squirm with embarrassment. But this was one such occasion.
If you haven't already seen it, save yourselves. My DVD is serving as a coaster.
War movie buffs will want to see this one.
rich-9331 May 2001
This is not a quality film as far as directing, dialogue, or acting. However, it does have a decent plot-line and a lot of fine footage of the twin-engined British DeHavilland Mosquito light bomber in action. It is rare to see this aircraft in a war film and I therefore recommend that war movie buffs tape this one and keep it in their collection. The plot involves the precision bombing of a French chateau and underground German "V" rocket lab. David McCallum is, as usual, a very like-able character.
Action-packed late 60's war drama maybe not a classic, but worth seeing.
mark.waltz14 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The war had been over nearly 25 years by the time this film was made, and it is one of many world war films released during the 1960's, followed by more into the next decade. David McCallum was a hot TV star at the time making frequent films as well, and he's good as the hero of this film who witnesses the death of friend David Buck during a mission. Or so he thinks his friend is dead. Videos from the Germans show otherwise, and McCallum has already broken the news to Buck's girlfriend, Suzanne Neve. Now McCallum has to go behind enemy lines for another mission and hopefully rescue Buck in the process.
While there are better World War II movies from this era of an epic scope, there are also a lot worse ones. This is action pack from start to finish but has a good supporting story of human interest that guides the film from start to finish. The German attack on a church is quite brutal and shocking, and there are several scenes involving obvious suicide bombings that are quite graphic as well. A romance is insinuated between McCallum and Neve, but not really developed beyond the early stages. The film is not overly long so the viewer does not get lost in any drabness between the action sequences. Not a classic of this genre, but definitely worth watching when it pops up for airing.
While there are better World War II movies from this era of an epic scope, there are also a lot worse ones. This is action pack from start to finish but has a good supporting story of human interest that guides the film from start to finish. The German attack on a church is quite brutal and shocking, and there are several scenes involving obvious suicide bombings that are quite graphic as well. A romance is insinuated between McCallum and Neve, but not really developed beyond the early stages. The film is not overly long so the viewer does not get lost in any drabness between the action sequences. Not a classic of this genre, but definitely worth watching when it pops up for airing.
Dam and bust those Germans.
hitchcockthelegend30 September 2008
Squadron Leader Quint Munroe is struggling to come to terms with the probable death of his friend and comrade, Sq. Leader David Scott. After choosing to leave the squadron, Quint is approached to take part in a crucial mission to bomb a château in occupied France that houses a deadly German flying bomb factory. The top secret mission will involve using a new land bouncing bomb that needs to be delivered with the ultimate precision, which is why they want the respected Quint to lead the assault. To further complicate matters, Quint starts to fall in love with David's widow, Beth. Will Quint take up the task? can he succeed? and just why have the Germans dropped a parcel on the base containing a roll of film?
It's not very good, that's really all there is to it, Mosquito Squadron is a collage of far better films put together to make one complete whole. David McCallum, bless him, 6 years after he was integral to The Great Escape's success, he is found sadly lacking as a lead actor asked to carry a film. Charles Gray proves that Blofeld really was a career high and the rest of the cast cover themselves in mud. Director Boris Sagal shows that he should have stayed doing TV work, whilst the writers I hope were embarrassed to have been paid for their work on this one.
So why after all my moaning do i give it a generous 3/10? Well the model work is half decent and Frank Cordell's score is deserving of a far better film, whilst editor John S. Smith should be applauded for his cheek. But really this is one to avoid, the sort of film that was shown prior to the main event in a double feature. Rent The Dam Busters and 633 Squadron instead to see just why this film falls some way short of being entertaining. 3/10
It's not very good, that's really all there is to it, Mosquito Squadron is a collage of far better films put together to make one complete whole. David McCallum, bless him, 6 years after he was integral to The Great Escape's success, he is found sadly lacking as a lead actor asked to carry a film. Charles Gray proves that Blofeld really was a career high and the rest of the cast cover themselves in mud. Director Boris Sagal shows that he should have stayed doing TV work, whilst the writers I hope were embarrassed to have been paid for their work on this one.
So why after all my moaning do i give it a generous 3/10? Well the model work is half decent and Frank Cordell's score is deserving of a far better film, whilst editor John S. Smith should be applauded for his cheek. But really this is one to avoid, the sort of film that was shown prior to the main event in a double feature. Rent The Dam Busters and 633 Squadron instead to see just why this film falls some way short of being entertaining. 3/10
Predictable and boring
Paularoc5 June 2012
Never a fan of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I do much enjoy NCIS – especially the McCallum character. Since I'm also interested in World War II history, I took a flier (excuse the expression) on this movie. I was disappointed, for the plot was predictable, the characters uninteresting, and the production values too low. McCallum's performance was okay -although he sure did need a haircut. Except for Charles Gray, all the other actors were unknown to me. This isn't a bad thing but their performances were just average. I am not an aviation enthusiast as many of the reviewers are, so after reading their reviews I read a couple of articles about the Mosquito. It was indeed an amazing plane and I can understand other reviewer's interest in this movie because of this and agree that aviation or World War II buffs would enjoy this movie. However, evidently they might be better served by the 633 Squadron.
Pretty dire actually, but a fair plot-line ** Spoilers **
naseby21 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Watchable for the famous DH Mosquito but nothing else to hold it of any merit, sadly. As others have mentioned, poor acting, sixties-style hairdressing rather than a brylcreem-and-bright-red-lipstick timeline, the film is particularly bad and lacking. Also, as mentioned, stealing far too many aerial scenes from the superior '633 Squadron' make this a dim, Sunday afternoon type of low-budget flick. Interesting plot, actually, however maybe badly executed, mention of 'Highball', not quite the normal 'bouncing bomb', but a device developed mainly for the navy, to bounce against enemy warships. The plan is thus, to 'bounce' them into the mouth of a tunnel to destroy a 'V3' rocket facility. Added to this Munroe's (McCallum) quandary of his adopted 'brother' and superior Officer 'Scotty' (David Buck), missing presumed dead, but actually among the POWS, with an amnesiac bump on his head/unaware of whom HE is.The Nazis are going to use Scotty AND the POWs as a 'Human shield', once they have got wind of the coming RAF attack. Complicating things further of course, is the fact Quint is in love now with Scotty's 'alleged' widow. It's all meant to be hush- hush, especially more so, (David Dundas - he of the 'Blue Jeans' song, years ago and featured on a Levi's advert) blabs to everyone about the POWs plight after being told NOT to - leading to a so-called bonus operation with 'Highball' and the assistance of the French Resistance to bomb the POWs compound to free them ONLY when the V3 facility is destroyed FIRST (any Highball bombs 'left over' are only THEN to be allocated to free the prisoners).This has deliberate echoes of the 'Operation Jericho mission' also executed by DH Mosquitoes. Character actor George Layton (he of the famous British 'Doctor'comedy TV series) mentions this was his first film role. Nice to see the pretty Suzanne Neve as Scotty's 'widow', Beth, but not a lot to remember this for, EXCEPT as I've said, its stealing of 633 Squadron's scenes!
There are worse ways to spend an afternoon!
rjun6729 January 2014
Mosquito Squadron gets a very bad press, and most of it is deserved, but to be fair, if you watch it when you chip off early from work on a mid day afternoon, it delivers on quite a few levels. It is not too long so you don't get bogged down too much and its got a reasonable plot (as long as you don't compare it with Operation Crossbow and 633 Squadron - which are not only similar plot wise, but were shamelessly looted for much of their footage by this film). The romantic stuff is a total drag and some of the acting is pretty bad, also you would have to watch this alone or at best with a drunk mate, because the special effects are awful, and I hate it when my wife laughs at me because of stuff I watch! But I can forgive the acting, because it's a rare war film that gives us 'Bridge on the River Kwai' dialogue, and beside's MS is far superior in this sense to the dreadful acting in 'The Alamo' or 'Tora Tora Tora', which both had huge budgets to waste. MS is a B-Movie, lets not forget that, and much of the unfair criticism comes from people who compare the film with other late 60's war films, or boring plane spotters, when it should be watched and enjoyed as nothing more than a boy's own type adventure. But if you are willing to overlook the 1968 look of the film and the pointless tank battle at the end, you will be rewarded. Give me this film and a 4-pack of Stella on a wet afternoon, and i'll be happy!
Would have been a bad TV movie too.....
mark2-129 August 2005
Some other reviewers comment here are that it is not one of the best British films of it's time - well, the director (father of Katey Sagal from Married with Children and 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter) was a real American TV series director and that is why this film has the look and feel of an American TV film from the period.
This is a very bad movie. It's only saving graces are the presence of some real Mosquito aircraft and some good footage lifted from another slightly earlier film about a Mosquito Squadron - 633 Squadron.
633 Squadron is also not one of the best WW2 aircraft films, but it is still far better than this one.
For some odd reason "our hero" has a Canada patch on his uniform, although he is supposed to have grown up with his best friend, another pilot, who lives nearby (in Britain). Very odd. I suspect someone else with a more American accent (like Cliff Robertson in 633 Squadron) was supposed to have had the role and David McCallum was a last minute replacement.
There is a scene where David McCallum actually crawl out of a wrecked and burning Mosquito - which at first I thought was also a scene lifted from the other Mosquito film. I do hope they didn't also wreck a Mosquito for this film, as they did in the other film. What a waste!
The film begins with scenes lifted from Operation Crossbow.
Note: There was actually a real, and quite well known, Mosquito raid in 1944 on Amiens prison in France to liberate important French resistance prisoners, where they breached the wall as they did in this film - though not with Barnes-Wallace bombs. This must have inspired this part of the film.
This is a very bad movie. It's only saving graces are the presence of some real Mosquito aircraft and some good footage lifted from another slightly earlier film about a Mosquito Squadron - 633 Squadron.
633 Squadron is also not one of the best WW2 aircraft films, but it is still far better than this one.
For some odd reason "our hero" has a Canada patch on his uniform, although he is supposed to have grown up with his best friend, another pilot, who lives nearby (in Britain). Very odd. I suspect someone else with a more American accent (like Cliff Robertson in 633 Squadron) was supposed to have had the role and David McCallum was a last minute replacement.
There is a scene where David McCallum actually crawl out of a wrecked and burning Mosquito - which at first I thought was also a scene lifted from the other Mosquito film. I do hope they didn't also wreck a Mosquito for this film, as they did in the other film. What a waste!
The film begins with scenes lifted from Operation Crossbow.
Note: There was actually a real, and quite well known, Mosquito raid in 1944 on Amiens prison in France to liberate important French resistance prisoners, where they breached the wall as they did in this film - though not with Barnes-Wallace bombs. This must have inspired this part of the film.
Much Maligned Movie!
Linda Lee19 September 2003
I have watched this several times, purely because I had such a crush on David McCallum in the 1960s! It is his 70th birthday today (19 September 2003) and I suddenly feel very very old!!
I agree with other reviewers - some of the acting is dire, the script is poor, and the clothing and hairstyles are very 60s. Despite all that, I still find it quite watchable! Suzanne Neve is very sweet as Beth Scott, and David McCallum - well, I always liked Illya Kuryakin! For British viewers there are lots of familiar faces to spot among the cast - and isn't that half the fun of watching old movies on a wet weekend afternoon?!
Can't comment on the flying sequences or the planes, I'm afraid, because I don't know anything about them. I do think that if reviewers are going to criticise a film, though, they should at least get the names and facts right (yes, kilroy138, I'm talking about you!).
Not the best of WWII films, admittedly, but I don't think it deserves some of the other comments on this site. If it's on again on a quiet afternoon, curl up in front of the TV and give it a chance!
I agree with other reviewers - some of the acting is dire, the script is poor, and the clothing and hairstyles are very 60s. Despite all that, I still find it quite watchable! Suzanne Neve is very sweet as Beth Scott, and David McCallum - well, I always liked Illya Kuryakin! For British viewers there are lots of familiar faces to spot among the cast - and isn't that half the fun of watching old movies on a wet weekend afternoon?!
Can't comment on the flying sequences or the planes, I'm afraid, because I don't know anything about them. I do think that if reviewers are going to criticise a film, though, they should at least get the names and facts right (yes, kilroy138, I'm talking about you!).
Not the best of WWII films, admittedly, but I don't think it deserves some of the other comments on this site. If it's on again on a quiet afternoon, curl up in front of the TV and give it a chance!
not great but mildly entertaining
face-782-65620124 August 2010
Mosquito pilots must destroy a big house where the Germans are meant to be developing the v3 rocket ( wonder what that would have looked like ) and considering how effective the v1 and v2 rockets are the v3 must not reach production so the squadron use bouncing bombs to destroy the house. Sounds quite imaginative if not a tad bit stupid but it comes off as a big pile of junk with unconvincing dog fights and action with the exception of the last part of the film. There are Ed Wood style goofs like a planes shadow on the backdrop and planes wobbling in the air as they fly but it does have a good feel to it just try not to take it to seriously watch Dam Busters or 633 Squadron instead.
An Uninspired Rehash of "633 Squadron" Without the Heroics
zardoz-131 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
"633 Squadron" producer Lewis J. Rachmil let "Girl Happy" director Boris Sagal recycle exciting aerial combat footage from "633 Squadron" for his generic World War II thriller "Mosquito Squadron," starring David McCallum and Charles Gray. This lackluster epic combines elements of 1964's "633 Squadron," principally the plywood built De Havilland Mosquito fighter-bombers, with 1954's "The Dam Busters," with a bouncing bomb designed to destroy a top secret German weapons facility. The Germans are developing the V-3 rocket, and British Intelligence has located the site in the French countryside at the Château de Charlon. Air Commodore Hufford (Charles Gray of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show") assigns Squadron Leader Quint Munro (David McCallum of "The Great Escape") to bomb it with special ordinance. This low-budget melodrama set in England and France has very little to recommend it. Again, 90 percent of the shots of Mosquitoes winging their way over enemy country were appropriated from Walter E. Grauman's classic "633 Squadron." The prefabricated screenplay by Donald S. Sanford and Joyce Perry antes up one surprise, but everything else is formula served up without verve.
Our British heroes are streaking toward their target, a V-2 rocket launching pad, on the French coast as "Mosquito Squadron" opens, using footage from Michael Anderson's "Operation: Crossbow." Incidentally, Anderson directed "The Dam Busters," too. The British destroy the missile launching ramp, but a flight of Messerschmidts blow Squadron Leader David 'Scotty' Scott (David Buck of "The Mummy's Shroud") out of the sky. Quint Munro spots no parachute and assumes 'Scotty' is kaput. Scotty's death elevates Quint to Squadron Leader. Worse, our protagonist has lost a friend who was as close to him as a brother. Scotty and Quint grew up together because Quint's parents died and Scotty's parents raised him. Quint even handed off one of his former girlfriends, Beth (Suzanne Neve of "Bunny Lake Is Missing"), who wound up marrying Scotty. After a reasonable period of mourning, Beth and Quint take long bicycle rides in the country.
Air Commodore Hufford sends Quint off on a reconnaissance mission to photograph the Château de Charlon where the British believe the Germans are developing a V-3. V-2 rockets are falling on London and wrecking havoc. Hufford shows Quint some film footage of a bomb that bounces on any terrain, no mean feat. In real life, the bomb was the genuine article and was called a 'Highball' and had been designed to use on battlewagons like the Tirpitz. Meanwhile, now that the Germans know the British are interested in Château, they drop a canister of film which shows that they have gathered British POWs as hostages against any bombing runs. The revelation that Scotty is among those prisoners shocks Quint. Security prevents him from telling Beth about it. Initially, nobody wants to give the Germans a propaganda coup by killing their own men. Quint devises a way to kill two birds with one stone. Not only will they destroy the laboratory tucked into an underground facility with the 'Highball' bomb, but also they will breach the wall at the Château so the French Resistance can storm the Château. The closest thing to a villain in "Mosquito Squadron" is a German Lieutenant named Schack (Vladek Sheybal of "From Russia with Love") who suspects that the Allies prisoners are plotting something when they all turn out for mass on a Sunday, especially when some of them aren't Catholic. The suspicious Sheybal shows his villainy when shoots a Catholic priest with a machine gun. The POWs overpower their guards and fortify themselves in the chapel as the Mosquitoes appear to bomb the premises.
Quint and his Mosquito Squadron destroy the underground facility, but our hero has to crash his plane. Once on the ground, Quint runs into Scotty, but Scotty cannot remember his own identity, and he sacrifices his life heroically by blowing up a German tank with a bazooka after several others have tried and failed. A wounded Quint makes it back to England and reunites with Beth. As it turns out, Beth never learned that her late husband survived the crash only to die in France as a casualty of a combined British & French Resistance operation. There is a subplot about Beth's younger brother who has to show the film that the Germans have dropped for the benefit of our heroes. When he threatens to spill the beans about Scotty, the authorities lock him up for the duration.
"Mosquito Squadron" qualifies as a hack attempt to cash in on "633 Squadron," "Operation Cross-Bow," and "The Dam Busters." Boris Sagal made a couple of memorable movies and television shows, but "Mosquito Squadron" isn't among them. Worse, "Mosquito Squadron" was cranked out by Oakmont Productions which ground out several cheapjack World War II thrillers, including another Sagal saga "The One-Thousand Plane Raid", "The Last Escape," "Hell Boats," and "Submarine X-1." These movies ranked as half-baked epics with neither a shred of atmosphere nor credibility. Sagal has to stage several shots on a studio set, principally the drive in the country that Quint and Beth take in his red roadster to see Scotty's bereaved parents has our stars seated in an automobile mock-up with scenery back projected behind them. Sagal generates neither suspense nor sense of urgency. The cast walk through their roles like automatons delivering uninspired dialogue written by Sanford who went on to write the equally lackluster "Midway" and Joyce Perry who wrote teleplays for juvenile television shows like "Land of the Lost." McCallum gets the best line in the movie when Hufford asks him about the odds of the mission succeeding: "About the same as spitting in an Air Commodore's eye from an express train, sir." In "Mosquito Squadron," Suzanne Neve and McCallum never generate any chemistry so it is difficult to believe that they love each other. Mind you, it is always a pleasure to watch David McCallum act, but "Mosquito Squadron" gives him very little to do.
Our British heroes are streaking toward their target, a V-2 rocket launching pad, on the French coast as "Mosquito Squadron" opens, using footage from Michael Anderson's "Operation: Crossbow." Incidentally, Anderson directed "The Dam Busters," too. The British destroy the missile launching ramp, but a flight of Messerschmidts blow Squadron Leader David 'Scotty' Scott (David Buck of "The Mummy's Shroud") out of the sky. Quint Munro spots no parachute and assumes 'Scotty' is kaput. Scotty's death elevates Quint to Squadron Leader. Worse, our protagonist has lost a friend who was as close to him as a brother. Scotty and Quint grew up together because Quint's parents died and Scotty's parents raised him. Quint even handed off one of his former girlfriends, Beth (Suzanne Neve of "Bunny Lake Is Missing"), who wound up marrying Scotty. After a reasonable period of mourning, Beth and Quint take long bicycle rides in the country.
Air Commodore Hufford sends Quint off on a reconnaissance mission to photograph the Château de Charlon where the British believe the Germans are developing a V-3. V-2 rockets are falling on London and wrecking havoc. Hufford shows Quint some film footage of a bomb that bounces on any terrain, no mean feat. In real life, the bomb was the genuine article and was called a 'Highball' and had been designed to use on battlewagons like the Tirpitz. Meanwhile, now that the Germans know the British are interested in Château, they drop a canister of film which shows that they have gathered British POWs as hostages against any bombing runs. The revelation that Scotty is among those prisoners shocks Quint. Security prevents him from telling Beth about it. Initially, nobody wants to give the Germans a propaganda coup by killing their own men. Quint devises a way to kill two birds with one stone. Not only will they destroy the laboratory tucked into an underground facility with the 'Highball' bomb, but also they will breach the wall at the Château so the French Resistance can storm the Château. The closest thing to a villain in "Mosquito Squadron" is a German Lieutenant named Schack (Vladek Sheybal of "From Russia with Love") who suspects that the Allies prisoners are plotting something when they all turn out for mass on a Sunday, especially when some of them aren't Catholic. The suspicious Sheybal shows his villainy when shoots a Catholic priest with a machine gun. The POWs overpower their guards and fortify themselves in the chapel as the Mosquitoes appear to bomb the premises.
Quint and his Mosquito Squadron destroy the underground facility, but our hero has to crash his plane. Once on the ground, Quint runs into Scotty, but Scotty cannot remember his own identity, and he sacrifices his life heroically by blowing up a German tank with a bazooka after several others have tried and failed. A wounded Quint makes it back to England and reunites with Beth. As it turns out, Beth never learned that her late husband survived the crash only to die in France as a casualty of a combined British & French Resistance operation. There is a subplot about Beth's younger brother who has to show the film that the Germans have dropped for the benefit of our heroes. When he threatens to spill the beans about Scotty, the authorities lock him up for the duration.
"Mosquito Squadron" qualifies as a hack attempt to cash in on "633 Squadron," "Operation Cross-Bow," and "The Dam Busters." Boris Sagal made a couple of memorable movies and television shows, but "Mosquito Squadron" isn't among them. Worse, "Mosquito Squadron" was cranked out by Oakmont Productions which ground out several cheapjack World War II thrillers, including another Sagal saga "The One-Thousand Plane Raid", "The Last Escape," "Hell Boats," and "Submarine X-1." These movies ranked as half-baked epics with neither a shred of atmosphere nor credibility. Sagal has to stage several shots on a studio set, principally the drive in the country that Quint and Beth take in his red roadster to see Scotty's bereaved parents has our stars seated in an automobile mock-up with scenery back projected behind them. Sagal generates neither suspense nor sense of urgency. The cast walk through their roles like automatons delivering uninspired dialogue written by Sanford who went on to write the equally lackluster "Midway" and Joyce Perry who wrote teleplays for juvenile television shows like "Land of the Lost." McCallum gets the best line in the movie when Hufford asks him about the odds of the mission succeeding: "About the same as spitting in an Air Commodore's eye from an express train, sir." In "Mosquito Squadron," Suzanne Neve and McCallum never generate any chemistry so it is difficult to believe that they love each other. Mind you, it is always a pleasure to watch David McCallum act, but "Mosquito Squadron" gives him very little to do.
Derivative war movie with a slow midsection
Leofwine_draca1 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
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.
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