Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6239 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-06-07
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Anamorphic
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 276 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
This 1976 adventure story set in World War II concerns a Nazi plot to kidnap Churchill from his retreat--or murder him if need be. The Eagle Has Landed has a large, great cast and a director, John Sturges, who's been down this road of ensemble action before (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape) make this project exciting if not as memorable as Sturges's more famous works. The weak ending doesn't help. -- Tom Keogh

Amazon.co.uk Review
This 1976 adventure story set in World War II concerns a Nazi plot to kidnap Churchill from his retreat--or murder him if need be. The large, great cast and a director, John Sturges, who's been down this road of ensemble action before (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape) make this project exciting if not as memorable as Sturges' more famous works. The weak ending doesn't help. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

Synopsis
John Sturges's adaptation of Jack Higgins's best-selling suspense novel stars Michael Caine as Nazi Col. Kurt Steiner. When the Nazi high command learns in late 1943 that Winston Churchill will be spending time at a country estate in Norfolk, it hatches an audacious scheme to kidnap the prime minister and spirit him to Germany for enforced negotiations with Der Fuhrer. Heinrich Himmler (Donald Pleasence) assigns Col. Max Radl (Robert Duvall) to mastermind the operaton. He enlists the aid of Steiner, who has been imprisoned for subordination and is awaiting sentence, by offering him a chance to save his life. Liam Devlin (Donald Sutherland), an IRA lifer who hates the British, also signs on for the mission. Steiner and his commando team parachute into the small village of Sudley disguised as Polish soldiers and appear to the populace to be paratroopers running through exercises. As they await the arrival of Churchill, one of the commandos rescues a boy from drowning in a nearby river, inadvertently revealing his Nazi colours in the process. Steiner realises that some changes will have to made in his timetable. THE EAGLE HAS LANDED is an enjoyable Alistair MacLean-like mission impossible, ably served by Sturges and a stellar cast.

Customer Reviews

Good memories - but inexplicable cuts
One of my favourite Higgins books, and good memories of the film. So I enjoyed watching it again on DVD. Sadly, I am sure it has been cut - with both the 'current day' opening and ending totally removed, and various scenes that appear 'incomplete' including one where the German organist starts playing during part of the grand finale. For a budget DVD it is adequate quality, but a shame that they did not retain the wide screen format that the credits are shown in. I feel sure that it is an edited for TV version that has been put straight to DVD.

The Eagle has Fallen!
I agree with the last reviewer. I was bitterly disappointed with the quality of this DVD. It is clearly a direct transfer from the 'pan and scan' television version, and the quality in places leaves something to be desired. I would have willingly paid more for a better copy!

Much improved - the issuers have listened
Buying this seemed the least I could after my (and others') comments on the previous Carlton (video) edition. The restored picture print is an big improvement, although the yellow transit van still appears. Some deleted scenes are restored, although they were clearly cut from the theatrical version for good reason. The on location interviews included on the discs are interesting, but mainly for enthusiasts.