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.

I disagree with the negative reviews. Obviously, it's beyond unusual to have a beautiful woman in combat with a platoon. Other than that, the lieutenant (I was one) examines the terrain, makes decisions on the disposition of the troops, encourages them and doesn't ask them to do anything he wouldn't do. He knows details about each of his men. We were required to carry a small notebook at all times with data on each Marine in our platoons, including blood type, boot size, family, etc. I thought Conte and Bronson, the senior sergeant, were much more realistic than most movies. The brief discussion and mutual understanding of the tactical situation are real. I only question why the Korean and the Apache were always on point. Why not rotate such a dangerous role? One review felt there was too much joking around but so many Irish wakes I've attended have more laughter than tears. Probably a way to release tension.

Small point but when they saved the North Korean trucks to get fuel and searched American dead for weapons and ammo, I thought that they must have had a good military advisor's help on the movie. Well done.

Target Zero is your typical war film, this one set in Korea and it gave some due to one other nation present on the peninsula. Richard Conte leading an American squad finds themselves a 3 man British tank crew headed by Richard Stapley. That tank prove to be essential though there is one rather unreal scene where the tank should have been blown up.

Shapley doesn't like Americans he saw his sister ravaged by one during the last war. You know that British saying about the Yanks, "overpaid, oversexed, and over here". Words he lives by.

And there is a woman in the mix. Peggie Castle and Angela Loo UN health workers also stuck behind the lines. Loo is killed and Castle gets both Conte and Shapley's mojo going.

They're trying to reach the rest of Conte's company. What happens when they do is one nasty climatic battle.

One scene I thought rather stupid. The group uses the protection of the tank to clear a path through a mine field. I have to think in real life the tank would have been crippled and useless trying it. Could not buy that at all.

The film is rich in character players though. Charles Bronson is Conte's sergeant and he's got such people as L.Q. Jones, Strother Martin and Chuck Connors among the troops.

An average war film, nothing special.

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.

Good depiction of the Korean war. Desperate, cut-off UN troops must fight their back to a strategic hill where they hope to be relieved. The action is good with all the elements of the war, a fanatical enemy, little support for UN forces, and freezing winter conditions. Though the love interest may have been unnecessary the film is realistic, especially depicting the plight of civilians and well acted. Surprising that there is no DVD/VHS release as other Korean war films are available. The naval gunfire support using real footage is good though the accuracy achieved somewhat imaginary. The tone of the film is grim and gritty throughout. Reminiscent of "Combat" in look and feel. Highly Recommended.