Thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, and blessed with great characters (and really bad dubbing), OVERRUN! is an above-average Italian World War II film made during the peak of that genre's popularity. Mario Siciliano retains most of his cast from THE RED BERETS and relocates to Egypt for some intense and sweaty gung-ho antics in the desert as our squad of British soldiers and nurses find themselves stranded and attempt to escape without being shot or blown up by the oppressive German forces. As a result, OVERRUN! is an action-packed epic made on a fairly tight budget, which saves most of the fireworks for an outstanding action finale which gives the title meaning. Before then the movie moves along merrily with plenty of exploding vehicles and incidents involving an Arab tribe (seemingly left over from a sword-and-sandal flick), a suspenseful bit involving a landmine, that old desert cliché of the sandstorm, and lots more.
The film's strength lies in the appealing characters and the actors who play them. From the comedic Scotsman to the stern and gruff Lieutenant, OVERRUN! handles its characters well and gives the viewer lots of intrigue and welcome comedy. Of course it wouldn't be an Italian film without the typical beauties and sure enough a trio of stunning nurses turn up to provide the film's glamour content. A strong cast goes through the paces, with particular nods to Ivan Rassimov in one of his best turns as the authoritative British Lieutenant, and peplum favourite and all-round muscleman Kirk Morris as a wounded Scottish soldier who holds a heroic secret. While this film may be lacking in originality, it more than makes up for that in terms of tension, suspense, action, and desert grit. A winner of a war film and thoroughly watchable from beginning to end.
The film's strength lies in the appealing characters and the actors who play them. From the comedic Scotsman to the stern and gruff Lieutenant, OVERRUN! handles its characters well and gives the viewer lots of intrigue and welcome comedy. Of course it wouldn't be an Italian film without the typical beauties and sure enough a trio of stunning nurses turn up to provide the film's glamour content. A strong cast goes through the paces, with particular nods to Ivan Rassimov in one of his best turns as the authoritative British Lieutenant, and peplum favourite and all-round muscleman Kirk Morris as a wounded Scottish soldier who holds a heroic secret. While this film may be lacking in originality, it more than makes up for that in terms of tension, suspense, action, and desert grit. A winner of a war film and thoroughly watchable from beginning to end.