David O'Reilly

Quite disappointed that this incredible story of courage and guile that was in effect the genesis of the SBS (Special Boat Service) was reduced to a cartoon like production. The original Damien Lewis book was incredible and I can only wonder how he allowed as a producer this Marvel super hero treatment to occur. The key characters wandering around shooting left and right and never missing, all the while their trite conversations never failing and a heart rate apparently around 50 bpm. The tone seemed a direct lift from Tarantinos Inglorious Basterds. The facts lost in an oversupply of clichéd added drama. My greatest disappointment was the reduction of Anders Lassen, one of the highest awarded combatants in WW2 to a grotesque comic strip figure (stealing hearts from victims for gods sake). This man's statue is outside SAS headquarters at Hereford and he is dishonored here. This story deserved a movie, just not this movie.

The films urgent wish to use high tech gadgets and over the top visuals diluted the drama and character building. With the talent on hand it's a shame.