Yes, the film has just about every stereotype you have ever seen in WW 2 films, and also has almost every hackneyed phrase you ever heard in most WW 2 films, but despite these drawbacks, the film is engrossing. Gene Kelly doesnt sing or dance in this film; he acts. Similar to the role that Frank Sinatra had in From Here to Eternity several years later, this film established Kelly as a fine dramatic actor; allowing him to do more than musicals. The man people love to hate, Peter Lorre, is wonderful in this film as a slimy nazi. A fine ensemble cast, including the model for Colonel Klink on a later TV show is also very good. Hume Cronyn is especially good in his role as a nazi collaborator. He was great at weasel roles, such as the warden in Brute Force years later. Yes, the film is over the top and the French resistance is greatly exaggerated, (in reality, the Vichy collaborators controlled 90% of all the French towns) but it is still a solid WW2 French Resisitance film. Don't miss it.