As the local sheriff of a small town on an island off the coast of Massachusetts, "Link Mattocks" (Brian Keith) is about as level-headed as they come. So when he is informed by one of the local residents that the Russians have suddenly and without provocation invaded his unimportant island town he simply laughs it off. However, when the crazy idea begins to spread among the local town folk like wild fire he decides to at least go through the motions and investigate for no other reason than to prove everybody wrong. What he isn't prepared for, however, is the fact that a Soviet submarine has indeed beached itself on the other side of the island and a large squad of uniformed sailors have come ashore with the intention of acquiring the means to dislodge their boat by any means necessary. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film was the product of an era during which the United States and the Soviet Union were bitter rivals and locked in an ideological struggle which contained the possibility of war between these two powers at a moment's notice. And it's the related hysteria which makes the humor possible. To that effect, because it focuses on a specific historical period, this film is also quite dated and those who were not alive during this particular moment of time might not appreciate some of the nuances. But it's a decent enough comedy all the same and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
