Years before Zulu, Stanley Baker and Michael Caine fought on screen for the British army in another siege film, this one set during the Korean War. Neither one is the star, though (Caine is actually billed last – it was his movie role – and Baker is a support). That honour goes to a chap called George Baker, who had a so-so career, and plays the lieutenant of a platoon that’s cut off by the enemy while on patrol and find themselves holed up at a temple.
Most of the story consists of squabbling in the ranks (the radio operator’s a coward and the men hate him), or a series of attacks by basically faceless Chinese troops (referred to as “chinks” or “Kim”) – it’s just like Zulu, but without that film’s skill.
It’s not bad, though – some of the action is quite exciting, and it gets points for the sheer novelty of being a British film about Korea (even if you get the feeling at times they could have called the enemy Japanese and set it in World War Two). Also it has an incredible cast of stars-to-be: Caine (very small and unememorable role), Stanley Baker, and Robert Shaw, plus quasi names like George Baker, Roland Lewis and Steve Boyd.
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