Allegedly based on historical events it is set in Algiers, 1942 , a commando has to carry out a perilous trek when it is learned that the Nazis are plotting to kidnap him . The special counter-intelligence agent , Alan Cooper (Jason Connery) , is assigned by Headquarter commandants : Major Valmore : Jean Sorel , Colonel Bats : Donald Pleasence , Major Gen. Williams : Glenn Ford, -though one of them resutlts to be a traitor- to protect the British Prime Minister , Winston Churchill , who is aboard the Casablanca Express , on his way to a top-secret meeting with Franklin D. Roosevelt , and Joseph Stalin at a Casablanca summit . As it develops the classic plot about ordinary team of brave soldiers of World War II assigned to a extremely perilous mission . However , the Nazis already know everything about their scheme , and a tactical unit of German paratroopers under orders of officer Otto Von Tiblis (Manfred Lehmann) take the commando guards by surprise , intent on abducting Churchill . As British S. I. S. And U. S. Marines attempt to rescue Winston Churchill from Nazi storm troopers in the Moroccan Desert . Now, it's up to Cooper (Jason Connery) and his fellow officers , Captain Franchetti (Francesco Quinn) and Lt. Lorna Fisher (blonde Jinny Steffan) . As they must participate in the suicidal mission behind the enemy lines , to wipe the German group by means of a violent assault over a strongly protected train while saving Churchill . In a World War II desert stand-off, two superpowers will be tested...Stop...Escape is the only means of survival!.Rescue Churchill at all costs. Nazi plot to kidnap Churchill.
An entertaining film with two sons : Jason Connery , Francesco Quinn , of greatest legends : Sean Connery , Anthony Quinn , as tough officers to carry out a secret mission . This Casablanca Express (1989) is a late entry to an Italian subgenre which was brought to attention by a larger audience by director Quentin Tarantino . These types of B-war films have never enjoyed enormous popularity in Italy because they were made mostly just to make money, especially with foreign distribution in poor countries and little conviction on the part of the producers . Macaroni Combat were Italian war films inspired by Hollywood films of the 60s/70s produced to try to make money . They often used titles and plots from the various blockbusters made in the US. All had seasoned actors aka "Italian yankees" and often they were older stars whose popularity had faded in their own countries. As with the spaghetti westerns or the poliziesco genres , it rode the wave of success the original genre films started in Hollywood . Instead of The Dirty Dozen (Robert Aldrich) , Navarone Guns (J. Lee Thompson) , Battle of the Bulge (Ken Annakin) , Where eagles dare (Brian G. Hutton) , Kelly's heroes (Brian G. Hutton ), Tobruk (Arthur Hiller), Devil's Brigade (Andrew V McLagen) , while the Italian titles include the following ones : The Guns Still Thunder , The Battle of El Alamein , Last Panzer battle , Hell commandos , A Bullet for Rommel , When heroes die , Commandos , Five for Hell , Eagles Over London , these were films made mostly in De Paolis (Rome) or the Egyptian desert .The typical team was made up of an Italian director, Italo-Spanish technical staff, and a cast of Italian and Spanish actors and sometimes German and French, sometimes a fading Hollywood star. The films were primarily shot in Spain, Italy , North Africa and later, the Philippines.
In Casablanca Express (1989) we have the usual heroes undertaking a risked assignment , going across the dangerous desert , where there are lots of chase sequences , shootouts , to lead a desperate counter-attack on a train before all is lost . In the hands of hardboiled director Sergio Martino and a tough-as-leather cast headed by Jason Connery as a stubborn U. S. Army captain , that's all the plot that's needed to make one rip-roaring wartime flick . The first half of the film allows the colorful cast of character actors to have their fun and subsequently developing shaky relationships . The final part is all action, as the commandos wreak havoc and spectacular fights on the train , then run for their lives . Despite the fact that few of the "heroes" survive the bloodbath , the message here isn't that war is hell . Rather, it seems to be : war can be a hell of a good time... if you've got nothing to lose . The relentless assignment is set against strong obstacles , risked adventures and hazardous feats . Ordinary plot being scripted by sub-genre expert , prolific Ernesto Gastaldi and Sergio Martino himself , based on a story by Roberto Leoni. This moving film packs frantic thrills, perilous adventures , relentless feats , and buck-loads of explosive action and violence . The noisy action is uniformly well-made, especially deserving of mention the rip-roaring final scenes on the train , including some spectacular shootouts and bombing . Apart from the values of team spirit , the film is full of feats , suspense , and thrills . Rough Jason Connery gives a passable acting as leader to thwart the Nazi schemes, as well as the largely secondary cast with special mention for some famous , though wasted actors as Glenn Ford , Jean Sorel and Donald Pleasence . Along with some familar faces from Eurotrash genres as Manfred Lehmann and David Brandon. This Italian B-movie was regularly directed by Sergio Martino . Talented and versatile writer/director Sergio Martino has made a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres as horror, Giallo , comedy, Western , and science fiction in a career that spans over 40 years . He was specially expert on Western as proved in ¨Mannaja¨ ,¨Arizona returns¨ and Giallo such as : ¨The case of scorpion's tail ¨ , ¨Torso¨ ,¨The scorpion with two tails¨ , ¨The strange vice of Mrs Ward¨ , Cannibal movie as "Mountain of the Cannibal God", Italian crime thrillers as "Violent Professionals" and Sci-Fi such as ¨Destroyer¨ , "2019: After the Fall of New York" . Rating : average 5/10.
An entertaining film with two sons : Jason Connery , Francesco Quinn , of greatest legends : Sean Connery , Anthony Quinn , as tough officers to carry out a secret mission . This Casablanca Express (1989) is a late entry to an Italian subgenre which was brought to attention by a larger audience by director Quentin Tarantino . These types of B-war films have never enjoyed enormous popularity in Italy because they were made mostly just to make money, especially with foreign distribution in poor countries and little conviction on the part of the producers . Macaroni Combat were Italian war films inspired by Hollywood films of the 60s/70s produced to try to make money . They often used titles and plots from the various blockbusters made in the US. All had seasoned actors aka "Italian yankees" and often they were older stars whose popularity had faded in their own countries. As with the spaghetti westerns or the poliziesco genres , it rode the wave of success the original genre films started in Hollywood . Instead of The Dirty Dozen (Robert Aldrich) , Navarone Guns (J. Lee Thompson) , Battle of the Bulge (Ken Annakin) , Where eagles dare (Brian G. Hutton) , Kelly's heroes (Brian G. Hutton ), Tobruk (Arthur Hiller), Devil's Brigade (Andrew V McLagen) , while the Italian titles include the following ones : The Guns Still Thunder , The Battle of El Alamein , Last Panzer battle , Hell commandos , A Bullet for Rommel , When heroes die , Commandos , Five for Hell , Eagles Over London , these were films made mostly in De Paolis (Rome) or the Egyptian desert .The typical team was made up of an Italian director, Italo-Spanish technical staff, and a cast of Italian and Spanish actors and sometimes German and French, sometimes a fading Hollywood star. The films were primarily shot in Spain, Italy , North Africa and later, the Philippines.
In Casablanca Express (1989) we have the usual heroes undertaking a risked assignment , going across the dangerous desert , where there are lots of chase sequences , shootouts , to lead a desperate counter-attack on a train before all is lost . In the hands of hardboiled director Sergio Martino and a tough-as-leather cast headed by Jason Connery as a stubborn U. S. Army captain , that's all the plot that's needed to make one rip-roaring wartime flick . The first half of the film allows the colorful cast of character actors to have their fun and subsequently developing shaky relationships . The final part is all action, as the commandos wreak havoc and spectacular fights on the train , then run for their lives . Despite the fact that few of the "heroes" survive the bloodbath , the message here isn't that war is hell . Rather, it seems to be : war can be a hell of a good time... if you've got nothing to lose . The relentless assignment is set against strong obstacles , risked adventures and hazardous feats . Ordinary plot being scripted by sub-genre expert , prolific Ernesto Gastaldi and Sergio Martino himself , based on a story by Roberto Leoni. This moving film packs frantic thrills, perilous adventures , relentless feats , and buck-loads of explosive action and violence . The noisy action is uniformly well-made, especially deserving of mention the rip-roaring final scenes on the train , including some spectacular shootouts and bombing . Apart from the values of team spirit , the film is full of feats , suspense , and thrills . Rough Jason Connery gives a passable acting as leader to thwart the Nazi schemes, as well as the largely secondary cast with special mention for some famous , though wasted actors as Glenn Ford , Jean Sorel and Donald Pleasence . Along with some familar faces from Eurotrash genres as Manfred Lehmann and David Brandon. This Italian B-movie was regularly directed by Sergio Martino . Talented and versatile writer/director Sergio Martino has made a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres as horror, Giallo , comedy, Western , and science fiction in a career that spans over 40 years . He was specially expert on Western as proved in ¨Mannaja¨ ,¨Arizona returns¨ and Giallo such as : ¨The case of scorpion's tail ¨ , ¨Torso¨ ,¨The scorpion with two tails¨ , ¨The strange vice of Mrs Ward¨ , Cannibal movie as "Mountain of the Cannibal God", Italian crime thrillers as "Violent Professionals" and Sci-Fi such as ¨Destroyer¨ , "2019: After the Fall of New York" . Rating : average 5/10.