The Eagle Has Landed Reviews

Silly but exciting, this WW II espionage drama concerns a German colonel, Duvall, who under direct orders from Heinrich Himmler (Pleasence), plots to kidnap Winston Churchill. To do this, Duvall hires an Irishman, Sutherland, who holds a grudge against the English. Together with a 16-man task force led by English colonel Caine, Sutherland parachutes into England and receives the secret information he needs to set the plan in motion. Matters are complicated, however, when Sutherland falls in love with local girl Agutter. It's all a great deal of fun, especially if one doesn't mind suspending disbelief for a couple of hours. Anyone with even a modicum of history awareness knows that Churchill was never kidnaped--which destroys much of the film's suspense. Director Sturges, however, is an excellent craftsman and, with the help of a very good cast, manages to make the proceedings entertaining.