Juggernaut (1974)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Richard Lester

Writers:

Alan Plater (additional dialogue)
Richard Alan Simmons (written by)

Release Date:

25 September 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Only one man to save 1200 lives! [Richard Harris]

Plot:

Some unknown maniac is threatening a navigation company to blow up one of its luxury transatlantics...

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | Sea | Water | Ship | Extortion

Cast

Richard Harris	...	Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Fallon
Omar Sharif	...	Captain Alex Brunel
David Hemmings	...	Charlie Braddock
Anthony Hopkins	...	Supt. John McCleod
Shirley Knight	...	Barbara Banister
Ian Holm	...	Nicholas Porter
Clifton James	...	Corrigan
Roy Kinnear	...	Social Director Curtain
Caroline Mortimer	...	Susan McCleod
Mark Burns	...	Hollingworth
John Stride	...	Hughes
Freddie Jones	...	Sidney Buckland
Julian Glover	...	Commander Marder
Jack Watson	...	Chief Engineer Malicent
Roshan Seth	...	Azad

Also Known As:

Terror on the Britannic (UK) (DVD title) (USA)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:12 (1975) | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

St. Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth, London, England, UK

Company:

David V. Picker Productions

Trivia:

The project was originally to be directed by Bryan Forbes. After his departure, Don Taylor was hired, but departed four weeks before shooting was to begin. Richard Lester then came on board. He rewrote the script with Alan Plater. Writer/Producer Richard Alan Simmons was unhappy with the changes and had his name taken off the film, choosing to be credited as "Richard de Koker".

Goofs:

Continuity: The children's mikado sticks.

Quotes:

Major O'Neill: Hello Johnny.
Supt. John McCleod: Major. Sit down.
Major O'Neill: Thanks. Well now, who's been blowing up what?
Supt. John McCleod: What makes you think anyone has?
Major O'Neill: Well now, it can't be friendship eh? Or you wouldn't be dragging me away from my bedtime cocoa like this would you?
Supt. John McCleod: Right. I want to know who's active on the scene.
Major O'Neill: Ah yes. Well now, I'm not a grass, I don't point fingers. You must be pretty desperate, eh?
Supt. John McCleod: Yes I am. Lives at stake.
Major O'Neill: Ah yes. Let's see, I've done three years, seven to go, seven to go with a little luck and a decent home secretary. I don't care Johnny, I really don't care who gets blown up. I might know a few things, might tell you lies, tantalize you a bit. But I really don't care that much. It's all up here. In my head. And that's where it's staying.
[tosses back pro-offered cigarettes]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "MacGyver: Countdown (#1.14)" (1986)

Well worth a watch!

Actually, not a bad film at all: the ever reliable Richard Harris (probably getting warmed up for his Rafer Janders role in WILDGEESE) steals the show playing the slightly cynical, cocky bomb disposal trouble shooter whose tired of life and doesn't know who the good guy's are anymore! He plays the part well and is supported by Anthony Hopkins, Ian Holm, Omar Sharif and a huge assortment of fine British character actors.

There is no nudity, profanity, endless gun battles nor a huge body count but a lot of dialog, so anybody under the age of the 35 will be bored stiff and consequently unable to follow the movie! In addition because it was made in 1974 there is no scenes with anybody tapping away on a computer or cell phones going off all the time and lastly no American squared-jawed tough guy to save the day. Fashions and hairstyles can all come back into favor I suppose but to me the most dated part of the film was when one of the support staff back at central command was drawing the bomb on a black board with chalk! That type of support would be utterly ludicrous today in the light of new technology. Never the less it's well paced, engrossing and a very under valued 70's thriller which I would certainly recommend!

The DVD has been restored to full grace and viewers can see at first hand the gray miserable weather that you can get around the British Isles, as well as the outrageous fashions and hairstyles way back then. It's well worth a rent for all of the above! (Note: in the 1980's TV series MACGUYVER there was an episode where they ripped off the plot from this movie.)