Hell Commandos (1969) Poster

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4/10
Below average Paella/Macaroni combate co-produced by Spain/Italy full of noisy action , crossfire and plot twists
ma-cortes12 June 2020
An American major trains a group of elite soldiers for a dangerous covert mission and brought together behind enemy lines during WW2. It is set during World War II, after the D-Day invasion . Guy Madison assumes the character of commando leader in this ordinary wartime movie regularly directed by José Luis Merino and shot in Madrid surrounding. The commando is parachuted to go behind enemy lines and stop a scientist (Alfredo Mayo) from creating a vaccine for a deadly germ the Nazi's want to use in battle. Unfortunately, as they're dressed in German uniforms, all of them are shot -but the captain (Guy Madison- in their sleep by another allied platoon (Stelvio Rosi as Stan Cooper , Manuel Zarzo ,Carlos Quiney ,Enrique Ávila). Along the way they take the scientist's daughter (Rafaella Carra) and contend a nasty Gestapo officer , Col. Kreuzfeld (Piero Lulli) .The relentless action is submitted to strong sufferings , risked adventures and hazardous feats .The merciless Major with only one desire : to go out of beyond of enemy lines to execute his assignment

As the Major Guy Madison leads a group of soldiers lost behind enemy lines on a risked as well as strange mission . There are the following ones : Manuel Zarzo , Enrique Ávila , Carlos Quiney , Stelvio Rossi , nicknamed as Stan Cooper , most of them also intervened in ¨Consigna matar al comandante en jefe¨ by Jose Luis Merino and starred by Craig Hill . This moving film belongs to a peculiar genre who developed during the 60s and early 70s calle Macaroni Combate , this one being co-produced by Italy/Spain packing uni-dimensional characters , frantic thrills , perilous adventures , relentless feats , and buck-loads of explosive action , violence with reminiscent of Spaghetti Western . The noisy action is uniformly badly-made , especially deserving of mention the rip-roaring final scenes in which the motley , wayward squadron is really besieged , including some briefly spectacular shootouts and bombing . The fights scenes are actually very similar to a gundown on the streets of the traditional Western town between the good guys and bad guys . The first half of the film allows the colorful cast of character actors to have their fun as they get their tails whipped into shape and developing a particular love/hateful relationship with their leader . The final part is all action , as the German regiment pursuing the Allied soldiers and then run for their lives . The film is filled with feats , suspense , battles , excitement , thrills and turns . However , there are a number of unaccuracies and goofs , as the American troops are armed with Cetme assault rifles that were the ordinary weapons of the Spanish army which also delivered the inappropriate tanks , but actually manufactured in the Fifties . And , in addition , some American soldiers of the U.S. Army are wearing German paratrooper helmets. Good-tempered American actor Guy Madison appeared in 'tough' western and drama roles under contract to 20th Century Fox and other Hollywood companies, such as : Bullwhip , Savage wilderness , Jet over Atlantic , Drums in the deep South , Since you went away, Till the end of time . After that , he moved to Italy during the 60's to star in spaghetti westerns , adventure , sword and sandal epics Then had a solid run as the second lead of several Italian low-budget, cult WWII , Spaghetti and adventure films in the 1960's such as : Special forces , Bang bang kid , Superargo , Five giants of Texas , Cold steel for Tortuga , Place in hell , Apache's last battle , The conquestor and the empress , Executioner of Venice . Here Guy Madson is the brave leader of the motley pack together thwart the enemy schemes , and he gives a so-so acting Along with a lot of familiar faces , mostly Spanish , who played a lot of Spaghetti/Paella Western , Warlike or other subgenres such as :Manuel Zarzo , Enrique Ávila , Carlos Quiney , Charly Bravo ,Luis Induni , Fernando Bilbao , José Marco, Gloria Osuna ,Alfredo Mayo and Antonio Mayans usual collaborator and actor of Jesus Franco's films .

It packs a moving and thrilling musical score by prolific Angelo Francesco Lavagnino . As well as atmospheric cinematography by Emanuele Di Cola . Filmed on location in Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, Hoyo de Manzanares, Madrid Manzanares del Real , Colmemenar Viejo , La Pedriza , Madrid, where in the sixties and seventies had been shot several Chorizo/Pasta westerns . The motion picture was middling and professionally directed by Jose Luis Merino , though resulted to be average and it contains several flaws and gaps . He was a skill and successfully craftsman . Merino often used same actors , such as Stelvio Rossi , Peter Lee Lawrence , George Hilton and Charles Quiney . He has written/directed numerous films of all kinds of genres such as Terror : Ivanna , The hanging woman ; Euro-spy : Colpo Sensazionale al Servicio Del Sifar ; Chorizo/Spaghetti Western : More Dollars for the MacGregors , Frontera Sur , Réquiem for the gringo , Gatling gun , Seven ride to death , ; Wartime : Last Panzer battle , Hell commandos , A Bullet for Rommel , When heroes die ; Musical : Europa Canta , Aquellos Tiempos Del Cuple , and his most successful films are the fresh and diverting adventures : Tarzan and King Salomon's mines , Robin Hood , Rebelion De Bucaneros , El Zorro knight of Justice , El Zorro De Monterrey , and Last adventure of Zorro . Rating . 4.5/10 . So-so but passable and acceptable Paella/Spaghetti warfare movie .
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4/10
The film asks you to believe too many impossible things
dbborroughs29 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The best allied commandos are brought together to go behind enemy lines and stop a Dutch scientist from creating a vaccine for a deadly germ the Nazi's want to use in battle. Dropped behind enemy lines dressed as Nazi's all are killed but the commander by another squad of men who has to press them into service to complete his mission.

I don't know if its the dubbing or the actual script but this film often plays as a rather bizarre comedy for all the wrong reasons (the lusty American soldiers are a bit much).I don't know who to blame but the film just never came together for me. The trouble begins with the opening which is done in such away that its not crystal clear that the the whole film is a flashback to events from after the war. It looks like the film takes place after the end of the war. After that the film seems to take these huge leaps of faith that put strains on the credulity of the whole affair as plot twist after plot twist push you as far as you can go and keep watching (though you are laughing). I didn't hate the film but it wasn't something I need see again. If you're like me and you get this as part of a multi-film set give it a shot, but as a stand alone spend your money elsewhere.
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4/10
Small scale Italian war flick
Leofwine_draca9 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
HELL COMMANDOS is another dull DIRTY DOZEN rip-off made in Italy and shot in Spain. Genre regular Guy Madison is the only actor of note in this one. The story sees Madison and his troops going behind enemy lines to take out an enemy, but the fact that they're disguised as German soldiers means that most of them get accidentally killed, so Madison has to join up with some American soldiers to complete the job. This one has a lot of lacklustre action in it, but the lack of budget means that the sets are tight and the drama too small scale.
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3/10
Average Euro- war film of the seventies.
Sorsimus12 April 2004
A typically unimpressive euro- war film of the seventies.

American major trains a group of elite soldiers for a dangerous covert commando mission behind the lines. Unfortunately, as they're dressed in German uniforms, all but the major are killed in their sleep by another allied platoon lost behind enemy lines. The major has no alternative but to continue the mission with his new platoon.

Familiar face Guy Madison stars in this very very average example of European war cinema. Everything is done with a very tight budget, hence no major effects and lots of cardboardy studio interiors. And as far as themes and message are considered, it's safe to say, that Hellcommandos if far from groundbreaking. Some unintentional comedy can be found, though.

Released on video in Finland in the early eighties.
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1/10
It's Just Bad
ETO_Buff1 September 2019
I've seen a lot of very bad films of this genre in my quest to watch each film on my list of 1300+ that portray the ETO, but this one without a doubt, must absolutely be the very worst of all. It would be a complete waste of my time to list everything that's wrong with this one. Even the eight utterly comedic final minutes were not worth the 90 minutes of my life wasted watching this film.
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3/10
Mediocre!
RodrigAndrisan11 June 2021
That is, neither very good nor very bad, but more towards the bad. I wanted to see the movie thanks to Raffaella Carrà. And I was surprised to find that, from an acting point of view, she is the best. And Piero Lulli as Col. Kreuzfeld is good. The others, like the movie, leave much to be desired. It's very similar to "Five for Hell" Original title: 5 per l'inferno made in the same year 1969.
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