Target Zero

... from Warner Brothers and director Harmon Jones. After a major battle leaves United Nations forces scattered, an unlikely squadron forms: an American army platoon led by Lt. Flagler (Richard Conte), a British tank crew led by Sgt. Kensemmit (Richard Wyler), and stranded American aid worker Ann Galloway (Peggie Castle). This meager outfit must try to survive in hostile conditions long enough to rendezvous with allied forces. Also featuring Charles Bronson, Chuck Connors, L. Q. Jones, John Alderson, Terence de Marney, John Dennis, Angela Loo, Joby Baker, Abel Fernandez, Strother Martin, Don Oreck, and Aaron Spelling.

This low-budget war picture is of note purely for the interesting cast of future film and TV stars, including Bronson, Connors, Jones, Martin, and TV mega-producer Aaron Spelling as Private Strangler. The conflict here goes beyond the UN forces vs the Communists, as it also includes tank commander Wyler resenting American Conte because an American made time with Wyler's sister during WW2. Not very compelling drama. Castle's character seems to exist purely to add a female to the cast, a trend that I've noticed with more than war film. Some of the action scenes work well, while others look like bad television. There's a lot of awful rear-screen work, too.

Korea, 1952, a UN patrol and a woman are trapped behind red Chinese lines.

Unfortunately, this war film comes close to being truly dreary with about every cliché in the book. Had director Jones registered some troubled emotion from a generally talented cast, it would have helped. Instead, Conte and company act as if being trapped in combat is little more than a walk in the park. And what could be more absurd than those wooden romantic scenes in the middle of life and death.

Then too, the script registers some genuinely leaden dialog, along with limp action staging that has all the combat intensity of a round of hide and seek. Good thing for our side that the Chinese bunch up across open terrain so that a couple of bullets can mow 'em all down.

I get no satisfaction from belaboring these results since I recall when the movie was shot south of Colorado Springs and we high school boys were thrilled at seeing a movie star like the lovely Castle. (Look quickly and you can see Cheyenne Mountain where air tracking defenses for North America are now located underground.)

Still, the movie does have one stunning sequence where a squadron of Lockheed jets swoops really low over uneven terrain to drop their napalm. It's a breath-taking air show. Nonetheless, I expect the movie's most memorable feature are the up-and-comers in the supporting cast—Bronson, Connors, and future TV mogul Aaron Spelling. All in all, however, it's an unfortunately forgettable 90-minutes of people managing to go through the motions.

There have been some very good Korean War flicks..."Target Zero" really isn't one of them. Instead, the film is pretty dull...as well as ridiculous.

The film begins with a small band of American soldiers finding a hot blonde (Peggy Castle) as they try to get back to their unit. This part of the film really annoyed me, as the well-coiffed lady NEVER would have been in this situation and it seemed beyond just a bit contrived. Soon, they come upon a British tank and its crew and a bit later they come upon an American Lieutenant and some more men. Together, this rag-tag group of men...and a woman...need to fight their way back to safety.

This film seemed pretty dull and offered little in the way of excitement. It also had some silly dialog and never seemed the least bit credible or interesting.

Awfull script. Decent cast deliver performances well below their ability. Simply should not have been this bad a film....but it is.

Spot the Upcoming Stars is as Good as it Gets in this Standard, Clichéd, Static, and Pretentiously Penned Korean War Flick. The Dialog Tries Mightily to be Poetic and Insightful but is Nothing but Lame, Sophomoric, and Silly.

Richard Conte Leads this Band of Stereotypes, who are Introduced in a Prolog with a Jingoistic Melting Pot of American Soldiers Brought Together to Fight the Invading Commies.

This is a Typical 1950's Movie About Fighting Men. Made Just a Few Years After the Conflict Ended, Seems to Offer a Forced and Apologetic Tribute to the 50,000 Americans Who Perished in the Stalemate.

Peggie Castle is Recruited to Nurse the Wounded and is a Striking Blonde Bombshell that is Somehow Found on the Frontlines Amidst the Action but Never Loses Her Made Up Fifties Style Face and Hairdoo.

While Nice to Look At Among the Goofy Grunts, She is Only There for Love (and marriage) Interest for the Soon to be Returning Lieutenant, Have Some Baby Boomers, and Live Happily Ever After.

Overall, a Somewhat Bland Movie with One Good Action Sequence and can Only be Recommended for War Movie Completest.