In truth, any opportunity to see the film on the big screen is welcome.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Dialogue supervisor: Robert Sherman. Producer: Robert Aldrich. Associate producer: Walter Blake. (Available on an excellent Fremantle DVD). An Associates and Aldrich/Palomar Production. U.S. release through Cinerama: July 1970. U.K. release through C.I.R.O.: 18 October 1970. Sydney opening at the Paris. 16,135 feet. 144 minutes. Cut by the distributor to 133 minutes in the U.S.A.SYNOPSIS: Mixing the time-honored clichés of the war film with a fashionable dash of cynicism, "Too Late the Hero" has Robert Aldrich stamped all over it. — Nigel Andrews in Monthly Film Bulletin.COMMENT: The main impediment to a favorable review of Robert Aldrich's film is its length. It could be trimmed by at least 30 minutes to advantage. I would start in on Ronald Foster's part, then I'd eliminate some of the close-ups and needlessly repeated reaction shots in individual scenes and trim the long sequence of the microphone pursuit which, despite Aldrich's commendable use of the sound track, goes on for far too long. Fortunately, the film comes to an exciting climax with its obstacle race across the plain, and some of the photography here is absolutely breathtaking. In fact, most of the film was obviously lensed on location. There is not even a single frame of stock footage - which is a pleasant and most agreeable surprise. But on the debit side, the story is uncomfortably akin to an earlier Aldrich war movie, "The Dirty Dozen", which has a more entertaining script and higher production values than this one. Also that film's cast was far more interesting. Despite his prominence in the credits, Henry Fonda makes only a fleeting appearance, and neither Cliff Robertson nor Michael Caine have a strong enough screen presence to overcome some of the weaknesses in their material — although they both make a game try. Admittedly, reliable old Harry Andrews is back as the British C.O., and the rest of the players are competent, but unfortunately lack the sort of sparkle the film needs.

Given the cast, this should have been way better. But the plot, and, more so, basic logic fail in scene after scene of this clunker, and it seems the cast may have realized saving the movie was beyond their capabilities given the truck-sized holes in the logic, so they gave up, went through the motions, got it done, collected their lunch money, and went home.Numerous folks have pointed out the lack of regard for basic military tactics, and those in particular for jungle warfare. But the disdain for giving any of the characters even rudimentary military common sense is an insult to the characters, and will be exasperating to the viewer, especially anyone with any military background, or any common sense for that matter, and bears some spotlighting: Half the movie is the misfit commando squad sneaking up to the Jap base, then trying to escape back down to the Brit base. So, while they're AWAKE, they're sneaking along in the jungle and alert (never mind the incorrect patrol techniques, smoking every half hour, etc). But a half dozen times in the movie, they get tired and literally crap out in the open -- no, don't bother to hide behind some bushes, or in the jungle. Just go to sleep right in the open, on the flipping jungle TRAIL. Oh, and DON'T have ANYONE stay up and stand watch -- let EVERYONE go to sleep right in the trail, or in the open clearing at the jungle temple, for hours. Such idiocy in a combat environment would warrant all the little misfits having their throats slit in their sleep, or getting perforated by one awake enemy soldier with a rifle waltzing into their sleepover party -- but no worries, it doesn't happen, because credibility isn't important here. In THIS movie, all the Japanese pursuers, famed/notorious for their jungle fighting, silence, and infiltration skills, always ensure they manage to make enough noise in the distance, so the good guys wake up in time and scurry for cover. It got to the point I was rooting for the Jap pursuers to take out some of these lazy sods. As one other person wrote, this movie devolved into just a sort of long episode of the Combat! TV series, though that usually had more regard for common sense and military credibility.There are several other ridiculous plot elements -- the stupid gauntlet situation of the Brit camp, the need for the US convoy to travel past that point of the island at that point in time, the elaborate stage management of the Jap loudspeaker brigade, bracketing the Brit refugees every day to scare them into surrender (hey, maybe those loudspeaker guys could, you know, FIND the heroes, and KILL them instead, and save all that tree climbing), the lack of the possibility that hey, the Japs might have -- gasp -- TWO transmitters on the island, and maybe ONE more at their HIDDEN air base. Yes, the movie pays lip service to these with some lame explanations voiced by the players, but they're paper thin, and just occasions for additional viewer wincing and head scratching. Not worth the time or effort required, but if you want to watch it, check your brains at the door.

The Cliff Robertson & Michael Caine World War II epic "Too Late the Hero" qualifies as another searing indictment of warfare. Producer & director Robert Aldrich recaptures some of the flavor of "The Dirty Dozen." Each film takes place against the backdrop of World War II. "The Dirty Dozen" occurred in Nazi-occupied France, while "Too Late the Hero" happens in the Japanese controlled South Pacific in spring 1942. Each group of warriors performs a special mission. The American military convicts in "The Dirty Dozen" received pardon offers to participate in combat. The British soldiers in "Too Late the Hero" aren't exactly convicts, but they aren't elite troops. Although it never coined the millions that "The Dirty Dozen" grossed at the box office, "Too Late the Hero" has ten times the depth and irony in its story-line than "The Dirty Dozen." Conversely, "The Dirty Dozen" is far more entertaining on a visceral level, while "Too Late the Hero" becomes terribly depressing until the final run across open ground with mortar teams lobbing shells and snipers blasting away nonstop as the brave Allied souls struggle to cross it. The ending is this movie's chief surprise. While "The Dirty Dozen" destroyed a château crowded with high-ranking German officers, the men in "Too Late the Hero" only blow up a radio transmitter. Nevertheless, the performances are flawless, and the characters are genuinely interesting. You'll recognize several familiar British faces, such as lantern-jawed Harry Andrews, Percy Herbert, Denholm Elliot, Ian Bannen, and Ronald Fraser, from other World War II movies.Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson of "Charly" plays U.S. Navy Lieutenant (J.G.) Sam Lawson who has an easy job eavesdropping on Japanese radio chatter and interpreting it. Lawson is nowhere near combat, until his Commanding Officer, Captain John G. Nolan (Henry Fonda), assigns him to a British commando team dispatched to blow up a radar station in the New Hebrides east of Australia. After an interesting opening sequence that features British, American, and Japanese flags disintegrating slowly as they flap in the breeze, the action shifts to a quiet U.S. Naval base in the South Pacific as the Shore Patrol searches for the elusive Lawson. They find him and escort him to Nolan. Lawson has been planning a four week leave and news that he is about to embark on a combat mission horrifies him. "This is something the British are organizing for us that involves a certain amount of physical hardship," Nolan brusquely informs him. Initially, Robertson believes that if he resigns his commission then he can get out of being sent on the mission because the British need an officer. Nolan is prepared to send him on the mission as an ordinary seaman if Lawson resigns. "I can't win, can I?" Lawson reluctantly accepts the mission. Clearly, "Too Late the Hero" couldn't have been made during World War II when war movies were hopelessly patriotic.The British plan cross the island to the north and destroy the Japanese radio so the enemy cannot wire a nearby island and request air support to bomb a U.S. Navy convoy which will pass near the radio camp on the coastline. Just before our heroes are to raid the Japanese camp and knock out the transmitter, the British soldier carrying their radio drops it by accident and permanently damages it so it no longer works. Predictably, Hornsby reacts with rage, but improvises another plan. They will overpower the Japanese radio operator and transmit their false message on the Japanese radio and then destroy it. Lawson refuses to follow Hornsby into the radio hut because he believes Hornsby is violating Colonel Thompson's specific orders. Earlier, Hornsby had exemplified the incompetent commander he was when he laid an ambush with his men on both sides of a column of advancing Japanese and five of his men died in the cross-fire from their own men. Once they reach the Japanese camp, he improvises rather well, but dies when Lawson refuses to participate in Hornsby's new scheme to relay the false message by the Japanese transmitter rather than their own transmitter. A battle breaks out and our heroes mow down their share of Japanese troops before they pull back. Accidentally, the next day, our heroes stumble onto a Japanese airfield that has been so well camouflaged that U.S. aerial reconnaissance hasn't spotted it. Our heroes flee but this time they are pursued by a Japanese officer who deploys speakers to try to lure them back to him so word will not reach enemy lines about the presence of their hidden airfield. Our heroes must now survive long enough to get back to base and inform Colonel Thompson about the enemy airfield.Producer & director Robert Aldrich co-wrote the story with Robert Sherman and the script with Lukas Heller. Although "Too Late the Hero" takes place in World War II, the film undoubtedly reflects the contemporary dislike for the Vietnam War. Ninety percent of the action occurs in the jungle and Aldrich gives the jungle a claustrophobic nature. Between the opening and ending no-man's land scenes, "Too Late the Hero" encloses the audience within high green walls. Once Lawson arrives at the British camp, he meets the camp commandant, Colonel Thompson (Harry Andrews of "633 Squadron"), and Captain Hornsby (Denholm Elliot), who will lead the mission, but none of Hornsby's men respect him. Hornsby is as worthless an officer as you can imagine, but he commands troops almost as worthless as he is. Indeed, Hornsby is taken aback by Lawson's negative attitude when he first meets him. "What an extraordinary fellow," Hornsby observes of Lawson. Colonel Thompson retorts, "Well, he's an American." Thompson then inquires about Hornsby's health and if he is up to commanding the mission. "It seems to me to be a marvelous opportunity to really hurt them," Hornsby replies to Thompson. Again, "Too Late the Hero" is as cynical a war movie as you will find.

This taut war film is set during spring 1942 WWII, a superior officer(Henry Fonda) assigns a reluctant American lieutenant (Clift Robertson) a dangerous mission in island of New Hebridas . At the island of Pacific , British military rule over the South region, while Japanese govern the North part . The goal of US Navy turns out to be the occupying the Japanese zone . For getting the objective is necessary destroying a radio station from Japanese . The lieutenant goes to the regiment commanded by a colonel (Harry Andrews) joining forces for participate the suicidal mission . It's formed a commando under orders a captain (Denholm Elliott) and a motley gang of soldiers released after fall of Singapur , as a tough sergeant (Percy Herbert who was actually a prisoner of the Japanese Army in The Second World War) , a mad soldier (Ian Bannen), a despicable private (Ronald Frazer) , among them.This exciting war movie contains thrills , noisy action , rousing adventure , tension , lots of violence and twists and turns . Well made plot is based on a story by Robert Sherman and the same director Robert Aldrich . The powerful Aldrich camera crams in as much shock impact as possible . The picture kept afloat by the skills of their all-star cast formed by largely British actors . Michael Caine as a cynical soldier sustains and compels interest by careful concentration on his acting with cockney accent . Clift Robertson as lieutenant avoiding patriotism , gives a good performance , as always . There're strong portrayals by Ronald Fraser as a rogue private and Ken Takakura as Japanese officer . Thrilling and suspenseful musical score by musician Gerard Fried, Stanley Kubrik's usual . Nice cinematography by Joseph Biroc reflecting appropriately the lush jungle . Tense and brilliant direction by Robert Aldrich , a warlike (Dirty Dozen,Attack) and Western (Ulzana's raid , Apache , Veracruz) expert . It's a must see and a standout in its genre .