Target Zero

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.

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

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.

... 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.

Usually Leonard Maltin and I agree on movies....

Not this one. I have seen it perhaps four or five times. An American unit, sitting astride a strategic hilltop, plugging the Main Line of Resistance, is over-run and wiped out. Only a patrol and some stragglers picked up along the way are able to reach the now-undefended hilltop in time.

I found this story to ring true....with good characterizations and plot developments. Sure, the enemy is the two-dimensional Yellow Menace....that's standard with fifties-era movies.....but the mix of up-and-coming young actors is in itself worth the time to view this film.

A good story, well-acted, worthy of a look. And quite useful to someone trying to get a real look at war in Korea after the conflict settled into a stalemate. I recommend it.