Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #771 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-01
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 137 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Kelly's Heroes reunited Clint Eastwood with his Where Eagles Dare director Brian G Hutton, then added The Dirty Dozen star Telly Savalas in MGM's quest to turn WWII movie celluloid into box office gold three times running. The result, a sprawling adventure about a group of soldiers led by Kelly (Eastwood) on a private mission behind enemy lines to recover a cache of Nazi treasure, echoed its predecessors but wasn't as successful. While Where Eagle's Dare was somewhat tongue in cheek, Kelly's Heroes went for a cynical comic amorality with many plot parallels to 1969's The Italian Job, written by screenwriter Troy Kennedy-Martin the year before. Donald Sutherland, who also starred in the big-screen M*A*S*H (1970), plays a hippie tank commander decades before his time, and it's hard not to see both movies as more commentaries on Vietnam than on the wars in which they were ostensibly set. Though it is intermittently very funny, and despite some expertly staged action, Kelly's Heroes never really convinces as satire or adventure.

On the DVD: Kelly's Heroes is presented on disc in a 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer which is immaculate and taken from a virtually perfect master. The images are so clean and sharp they look brand new, outclassing many current theatrical prints. The three-channel sound concentrates most of the action to the centre speaker but does an excellent job of capturing the often turbulent soundtrack. The only real extra is the original trailer, presented anamorphically at 1.77:1.--Gary S Dalkin

Special Features
2.35 Wide Screen
DVD 9
French\German
English\German
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English\Mono French German
Dolby Digital 5.1
Mono
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Trailer
Danish\Dutch\English\French\German\Norwegian\Spanish\Swedish

Synopsis
KELLY's HEROES combines comedy with wartime adventure as the laid-back members of an eccentric American army platoon plan an unusual expedition--to rob a bank located behind enemy lines. The ensemble cast includes Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, Don Rickles, Telly Savalas, Carroll O'Connor, and Gavin MacLeod.

Customer Reviews

Simply classic
This is one of those movies that you must watch time and again. It is, quite simply, a classic of its time. With Clint Eastwood as the square-jawed GI with an eye for the big-time, Telly Savalas as the battle-hardened Sergeant and Donald Sutherland as the commander of a tank which fires paint, this movie is the pinnacle of satire. The soundtrack accompanies the action perfectly and some of the one-liners will be remembered for all time. Do NOT miss this!

War movie? Comedy? Satire? Take your pick.
No way this movie can be watched as a pure war movie, the humour, the characters, hell, even the music, everything is so completely off the mark of objectiveness we can only take it as a satirical piece using WWII to comment on modern times (that is, the Vietnam era).

Anyway, using the famed German gold as the object of desire, Clint Eastwood convinces his platoon sergeant, played by Telly Savalas, to go 30 miles deep into enemy lines to get 16 million dollars in solid gold bars... But for that they are going to need more than good will and a few men...

What about some tanks? Enter Donald Sutherland, tank commander, hippie (in the 40's!), and all around crazy, with his squad of Shermans, properly disguised, and carrying several unauthorized "special" weapons.

And support? Enter Don Rickles, con-man, always looking out for a deal, and with a soft spot in his heart, whenever he isn't grumbling about something.

Then there is the rest of the whole Army, from the graves registration office up to the General, including a band! Everyone wants to get in on the act. Even the Germans, once they know what's in that bank, and after a showdown suitable to a western, completely out of place in a war flick...

The whole movie goes around with small jokes and satirical characters, but when it tries to get serious it becomes serious (in one small scene on a mined field).

A parade of gags around a serious theme, well worth seeing it!

Say something righteous for a change!
What an early Eastwood gem! Eastwood as Rowdy Yates rode off into sunset of Spaghetti Westerns in the 60's, but came back to start is long career in Hollywood movies with several quirky, oddball movies Two Mules for Sister Sara and Kelly's Heroes. This is a totally funny movie, with strong acting from an all star cast. HOWEVER - I really wish since we have DVD and can add so much, that they would put out the FULL LENGTH version of this movie. I have seen the longer version and it's so good. So many of the funny stuff was whacked out for length! WHY they did not do the longer version is beyond me!

The heroes are not Kelly's, they actually belong to Big Joe (Telly Savalas) - well actually to Maitland, their absentee Capt. - and they are not heroes. You quickly learn from Oddball (Donald Sutherland in his pre-Hawkeye rebel role), that a hero is nothing but a sandwich to most of these guys. Maitland is the general's nephew who is more interested in looting the countryside, so he leaves the weary misfits under Big Joe's capable care. Only, Kelly (Eastwood) discovered there is a bank behind enemy lines with millions of dollars in gold bars. Kelly quickly decides a bank job that isn't a bank job is much better than just getting shot by Germans.

Along for the ride is Sutherland's tank team - with Gavin Macleod as his second in command. Some of Sutherland's and Macleod's "making with them negative waves" banter is just so perfect! Then there is Cowboy (Jeff Morrsi and Willard (Harry Dean Statton, who actually gets to sing!) "Damn right!", Gene Collins' Pvt. Babra "Stop calling me Barbara!" and Don Rickles as Crapgame.

Toss in scenes that are witty, a parody of Eastwood Spaghetti showdown, this is just brilliantly directed, paced, acted and written from beginning to end. Don't miss Sutherland and his dog imitations, the exploding shells of paint or Crapgame's encounter with the outhouse!