Customer Reviews

Combat - Season 3, Operation 1

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We have now reached the midpoint of the COMBAT series and the show is now only becoming better. While I may find a few more "clunckers" in the third season, that were not present in season 2, this is outweighed by the fact there were far more excellent episodes in total. The actors who comprised the core of the Squad have fully developed their individual personalities and Vic Morrow was now becoming the true centerpiece of the show. There was apparently no clash of egos between himself and Rick Jason, probably because Jason shrewdly had it in his contract that he got paid whether he appeared or not.

Of course, one of the drawbacks in a series such as COMBAT is the main participants of the squad survive every episode, while those poor forlorn "red shirts", or in this case "green shirts" take one for the team. And it is admittedly humorous to find Saunders, Hanley, or Caje, become ground up chop meat, only to never receive the "million dollar" wound that they so hungered for. Despite these obvious restrictions, in deference to a 1960's television show, you can still maintain a sense of realism and excitement while viewing COMBAT.

Some of the Highlights:

1. The Cassock.....James Whitmore plays a German officer who disguises himself as a priest and hides in a church....There is some clever, and at times even tender interplay between himself and G.I. Mart Hulswit (of Guiding Light fame) who, as a former alterboy, finds comfort in the church..the show leads you down a false path more than once....

2. The Hell Machine.....another appearance by Frank Gorshin as he and Saunders attempt to navigate through enemy held territory using a captured German tank......nice claustrophobic feel on how it would be inside a tank....

3.The Enemy....usually whenever a battle of wits was written into the story, it was left up to Hanley to be one of the wits...this one, starring Robert Duvall as a German demolition officer has Hanley trying to outthink his captor....

4. The Duel.....Saunders, on foot, single handedly attempts to distract a German tank, while the supply truck he is protecting can be repaired before the tank comes upon it...fun stuff here

5. The Steeple...no doubt the true exploits of JOHN STEELE come into play here as a paratrooper is caught on a church steeple...it is up to Saunders to try to get him inside despite the fact that the village is overrun by Germans.

6. Cry in the Ruins....this is one of the best episodes of the season, as Hanley and a German Lieutenant, put aside the war for a moment in order to rescue a woman's child...there is a few twists in this episode and the character study between the two opposing squads is well written.....

7. The Little Carousel...poignant tale of the squads encounter with a young student nurse who wants to help Saunders and his men....deeply moving and an emotional tour de force for Vic Morrow.....

8. The Imposter...Hanley must once again use his wits in order to determine who within his merry band of men is an Imposter....enough monkey wrenches are thrown in as to not make it too easy to figure out.....

Those are a few of the quality episodes, but there are a couple of duds as well:

1. Birthday Cake....Littlejohn would have been shot had he acted this way in a real war...it is just too stupid, even for a big lug like him...

2. A Walk with an Eagle...this type of episode, where an arrogant Air officer does not respect Saunders authority, has been done before....

3. Fly Away Home....I guess it is good to give the Pigeon Corp their props, and it is a treat to see Neville Brand, but the story is simply not compelling....

4. Mountain Man....there is so little story here, that the first third of it follows the squad walking through the snow, setting markers, and the final third, features Cage skiing through it.....tedious viewing at its worst....

Well there you have it once again....If you have read my previous reviews, you obviously know that I am a big fan of this series and welcome them to DVD. I hope you welcome them into your home as well....my minor complaints aside this set is enthusiastically recommended!

Awesome!Better than season 2, which was very good.Season 4 is

even better than season 3,just got better with age.Sadly season

5 was the last and the only in color episodes which many say

led to the demise of Combat,however it was still going strong

when the final episode was aired.Season 5 is going to be released

fron the original tapes,there is no time-compression!Indications

are it will be released mid to late summer '05.

All the seasons are worth viewing, and, yes, could have carried on probably one more season. Season 3 probably doesn't have the single best episode, but is of the highest quality episode to episode of any season.

Since I've viewed all 5 seasons, I can state that all hold up well, and you'll have episodes you love from every season. And of course, each has a clunker or two. But each season deserves at least 4 stars. Not bad for a five year run.

It's more of the same as other reviewers. Just terrific, absorbing and great theartre. Enjoy it. Going to watch and episode now.

Combat is a show that influenced Television story telling tremendously in its day. The third season features one of the finest episodes in Combat's history and a piece of television that stands up today as a relevent insight into what mechanisms people use to justify actions they would not personify if not for the stressful situations war puts them in. 'Losers Cry Deal' is directed by Vic Morrow and is good enough to stand up against any of televisions best productions. This is not to reduce the other episodes in the collection. Combat's recreation of war torn Europe is impressive. Special effects are exemplary and the handheld camera work is very good, giving the show a documentary feel at times. The squad supporting Sgt. Saunders and Lt. Hanley are all individuals and well acted in their own 1960's way. All in all, Combat stands out as a fine example of a TV series that sometimes climbs to excellence, as in the case of the previously mentioned 'Losers Cry Deal'. If you like war stories, if you like real character's in dire situations (conflict is the basis of storytelling), good special effects and battle scenes, you will really enjoy these shows. AND sometimes be amazed at how well the story of the human condition is represented.

Just finished Season 1 & 2, and so far Season 3 Operation I is just as good. A lot of good episodes in this set. To those that see trees instead of forests, "The Duel" episode might seem stupid, as the German tank commander is an idiot to waste all that ammo in his attempt to get one soldier armed only w/ a Thompson. However, it was one of may favorite episodes in this set, as the story is just about the competition that occurs between the 2 men. Yeah, the tank commander has an EGO the size of Texas, but I really enjoyed the story of competition. Every since I was a kid, whether we were racing on bikes, homemade skateboards, playing football, or even later, partcipating in occassional steet competitions w/ the musclecars of the day, I just enjoyed the competition to see who the winner would be. That's what the German tank commander was wrapped up in, the competion of it all. Again, he was an idiot, but I understood why he might do that.
Unlike most modern TV shows, it's nice to see good triumph also. Thankfully this occurs in many COMBAT episodes, but I thought "The Hard Way Back" was one of the better illustrations. Fear initially overtakes Sal's character, but in the end he does the right thing, but he struggles w/ achieving that goal. I suppose a lot of people nowadays might see it as corny, but then I think that's part of what's wrong w/ our modern world; too many people think its corny to see good triumph. That's my 2 cents worth, so I'll step off of my soapbox..........

I loved this show in the 1960's when I was a kid and it was great to see it again on DVD. The DVD quality is outstanding and so are the commentary tracks...I loved hearing them. This particular set was special to me because it contains my favorite episode, Duel. This is the one where Sergeant Saunders single handedly takes on a German tank while his driver is pinned under their truck stuck in the mud as the tank approaches. Top quality series on a top quality DVD release.

Combat does for WWII drama what "Have Gun Will Travel" does for westerns: It elevates them to a new and much more gratifying level. Each story has a distinctive plot, convincing acting and lessons that are imparted indirectly and subtly which is how thoughtful audiences like to be approached. Season 1 was superb, and the follow-ons are very worthwhile. The black and white picture effectively conveys the stark realism and grit of war. So much of the quality TV drama comes from foreign media that it is a particular pleasure to score this win for America's own ABC.

Combat is one of the great TV shows of the 60s. Great acting and wonderful stories. Very realistic war scenes for its time(no CGI, of course). I bought all the seasons and have not seen a bad episode. If you have an interest in WWII, I recommend this series. I am just waiting for the 12 O'Clock High TV series to be released on DVD. That is also and excellent WWII TV series from the 60's.

My boyfriend is constantly searching for DVDs of old TV shows - he got excited when he saw this listed and I purchased it for him last Christmas