It's not at all difficult to see why Quentin Tarantino would like this film enough to launch a remake of it. "The Inglorious Bastards" is a first-rate, occasionally quirky "Dirty Dozen" rip-off which sees five American prisoners (and one from the Wehrmacht!) attempting to cross the Swiss border. The characters are enjoyably stock; the cool-headed officer, the slick rogue, the black guy, the thief and the kid. Unlike its spiritual predecessor, this film is upbeat instead of grim, aware of its status as a superior cash-in. A scene where the group stumbles across a bunch of naked women ended with a twist that had me in stitches.
About halfway through pic transforms from road to mission movie, which saps a bit of interest but fails to take the wind out of its sails. Despite as many action sequences and as high a body count this side of "Hard Boiled," Director Enzo G. Castellari's workmanlike but excellent direction ensures that the thrills don't wear out. Released under several different titles in the U.S., most amusingly "G.I. Bro."
3.5 out of 5
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