Lovers of a war movie will be pleased to learn that a classic starring Michael Caine is free to stream after dropping on to ITVX.
The Eagle Has Landed is a 1976 British war film directed by John Sturges. Alongside Caine, the film stars Donald Sutherland and Robert Duvall. It is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Jack Higgins, and is about a fictional German plot to kidnap Winston Churchill in the middle of the Second World War.
The film’s synopsis reads: “During World War II, Nazi officer Max Radl devises a plan to kidnap or kill the British prime minister. Approved by German Cmdr. Heinrich Himmler, the scheme moves forward with Col. Kurt Steiner leading the mission, aided by Liam Devlin, an Irishman with a deep hatred of England. As the plan unfolds, it seems to be going well — until certain events threaten the group’s shot at success.”
The Eagle Has Landed has amassed a solid 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
One critic said: “Crafted with meticulous precision and infinite patience, the film unfolds like a good novel, with compelling exposition eventually giving way to thrilling action.”
A second critic wrote: “With so many failed suspense melodramas turning up these days, it’s refreshing to see one made by people who know what they’re about and, in that knowledge, have no delusions of grandeur.”
An audience reviewer wrote: “It’s a brilliant lazy afternoon war film packed with actors you recognise and a wonderful performance from Larry Hagman.”
A second said “super performance by Michael Caine and the rest of the cast”, while a third said it was a “good old school movie”.
Another viewer said: “This is as much a thriller as a ‘war movie’. It has great characters, a wonderful soundtrack and has an authentic vibe throughout. Suspect negative reviews are from gamers. This film requires thought and attention to fully enjoy. The book is Higgins’ best and is a really enjoyable read.”
“A powerful beginning, great build-up, an interesting side-story to keep us interested and great finishing action sequences make for a World War II movie that is well worth seeing, even if it wraps up rather anti-climactically,” added a fifth.
The Eagle Has Landed is now available to stream on ITVX.
