Customer Reviews

The Final Option [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From the deserts of Africa to Iraq, the Special Air Service Regiment of the Brish Army is renowned for their derring-do and never say die attitude. This movie is a dramatization and tribute to the courageous men of the SAS and was probably motivated by the public interest after the real life Iranian Embassy seige in London. Lewis Collins who plays Capt Peter Skellern SAS goes undercover for MI5 the Security Service to infiltrate a violent anti-war "ban the bomb" group planning a big terrorist operation. He becomes intimate with the group's highly sexed but really ugly looking leader. In the final climatic scene, you go into the skin of an SAS Counter Revolutionary Warfare black clad trooper as he takes out the terrorists in the US Ambassador's residence. The action sequences are authentic especially as the technical advisors were serving members of the ultra secretive SAS. The speed of the action sequences are breathtaking especially the "double taps" or 2 shots to the brain technique used by the SAS CRW troopers. Note too the quick entry techniques used like the shooting out of the door hinges by 12 gauge combat shotguns. The techno music is very excitiing and inspiring too. The action movie buff will definitely enjoy this movie. When I first saw this movie in 1982 in England, the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament supporters actually protested outside the cinema! Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet.

Now 25 years since it was filmed in England and Wales, this movie is an as yet "undiscovered" classic. The supporting cast of UK and US actors are instantly recognizable. It includes Richard Widmark, Robert Webber, Maurice Roeves, Patrick Allen, Edward Woodward and Tony Doyle, the latter currently famous for his role in Ballykissangel. While the beautiful Ingrid Pitt plays a very convincing "evil" terrorist who we, the audience, can love to hate.

Other reviewers on this page have been rather unkind to leading lady, Judy Davis, describing her as "ugly". If you click on her credit link at the top of the Amazon page you can see how many movies she's made and how attractive she is, both before and after 1982. Perhaps it is the early 1980s "big" hairstyle and makeup that are not found attractive today. Also, in her role here as a baddy, she sneers her way through the whole movie to impress her leading man, while in doing so repelling us, the audience. The leading man in this movie is played by Lewis Collins, who at that time still enjoyed the notoriety garnered from the very successful "The Professionals" action series.

What drives this movie is the superbly photographed action sequences, that are earthy, realistic and devoid of the modern "Hollywood" treatment where film shots are overly choreographed. The musical score is upbeat and drives most of the action, though the incidental music for a couple of family scenes is a little too syrupy. The tension builds slowly with occasional outbreaks of violence that we see are secretly financed by an organized international group. We see neo-Nazi "skinheads" beat up innocent bystanders and a good old British bobby (police officer) being kicked in the face. Later we are endeared to another unarmed bobby who, despite being repeatedly beaten by terrorists, continues to give words of encouragement to a hostage with a small baby. Thus by the time we approach the climactic events at the end of the movie, we are in no doubt who the good guys and the bad guys are. It is because of the time taken to build this tension that when we finally approach the climax, the urgency feels tangible: you really are sitting on the edge of your seat. I regard the scene where Rosalind Lloyd fights with Ingrid Pitt's character to save the life of her 10 month old baby as one of the most nail-biting sequences ever put onto film.

The first hour of the movie may seem somewhat slow to an US audience as the characterizations are established. Also the anti-Americanism portrayed both in opinions expressed and in on-stage "entertainment" may seem extreme, yet at that time, parts of European society were expressing these kinds of sentiments, and so these scenes should be viewed as authentic.

By today's movie standards, the SAS tactics used look somewhat passé, until you remember that this is the movie in which these tactics were first seen, and that this is the movie that many other have followed.

Numerous people involved in the making of this movie are still alive, including Phil Meheux, cinematographer, Ian Sharp, director, Chris Chrisafis, executive producer, and many of the cast. I personally would love to see the 35mm print remastered to a new DVD, with commentary and extras added. What better time than the 25th anniversary of its theatre release?

This movie, loosely based on how the SAS rescued the hostages in the Iranian Embassy in 1980, is believable and not so believable.

The action is believable; the demands of the terrorists(that the UK nuke Scotland) I did not find terribly believable.

However, there are two parts in this action-packed movie that are truly food for thought. The first is the conversation between the British Foreign Secretary and the terrorist leader. He asks her if she thinks she can achieve a peaceful or even a better world by murdering all the hostages. In other words, aren't her means also her ends? She tries to argue that but in the end concedes his point to a fellow terrorist.

And the other part was the very end. That's when the people who orchestrated the whole thing, who paid for all those deaths, cheerfully went off to dinner at some ritzy London restaurant assuring each other that there is always a next time.

Indeed there is.

This movie was my first exposure to the SAS and anti-terrorist techniques. While fiction, it is based on the Iranian Embassy siege of the early 80's. It features a decent story, great actors, and cool spy stuff. If your a McNab or Ryan fan you'll like this flick.

This film should be on DVD as it hasn't dated at all. With the recent bombings in London and the political unrest in the world it's theme is still very much in keeping with the times. In the UK this movie was Titled "Who Dares Wins", which is the slogan for the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) of the British Army. I won't get into the story line as many before me have commented upon this. About the only thing that softened it's impact was the Terrorist's Demands which where that the Ministry of Defence Nuke the Royal Navy base in Scotland. Then there is scene which features a couple of soldiers running around outside the one of the main good guys apartment where his wife and child have been taken hostage. That few second scene makes no sence and I have a feeling it was an editing gaf. Granted the SAS are about to take out these Terrorists but... Outside of these very minor gripes, it is a VERY GOOD Movie. Perhaps a little dark and unspectacular for those looking for the more usual Hollywood high gloss action flicks, as most of the actions happens in the last half hour. Which starts with the take over of the American Ambassadors Residence, and the Main Good guys apartment. All this of course ends rather abruptly as the SAS go into action. My favorite lines are those by a constable also being held hostage in the apartment whos says after the terrorists are taken out "That was a bit fast for me could you do it again?" Then during the final assault there is the simple line echoed several times by SAS soldiers after a burst of MP5 fire and the simple line "TERRORIST DEAD ....". A curious oddity is in the End Credits which lists the Military Advisors as anonymous.

Totally decent flick, which is in the "where is it now" file. A crying shame, since this flick deserves the whole 'DVD treatment'.
Almost impossible to find, even on video, but if you can, grab yourself a copy. Totally worth it.

The Final Option is an action movie cult classic that features the most accurate breaching and close quarters combat sequences ever to be captured on film. Peter Skellen, played by Lewis Collins, is fantastically ruthless and calculating. Happily, British filmakers don't feel a need to portray all "good" guys as angelic heroes. The movie has a couple dated (early 80s) scenes, but its plot is almost too relevant for today. After having watched this movie annually for 20 years, I can assure you that it is neither overacted nor poorly contrived. The movie is simply unaffected and professional, just like the SAS.

This is one of the better movies made regarding the take down of a building in a hostage situation. The last twenty minutes are worth the price of the movie. Super job of showing what highly trained Soldiers can do. Highly encourage others to see this movie.

I saw this movie about twenty+ years ago as a teenager and was initially impressed with the cast and the premise. It was my first introduction to the existence of the SAS and I was both impressed and surprised about their existence. The storyline is quite simple but very well acted out. Lewis Collins was excellent as Peter Skellen and an excellent job was done in support casting. Legends such as Richard Widmark and Edward Woodward very rarely hurt your chances of wonderfully conveying your storyline.
Although the film is a bit dated, one can still see just how good action films could be with good scripts good actors. I hope it is released on dvd very soon because i believe it to still be great escapist fun and could easily find a new audience.

I really enjoyed this movie. This movie features infiltration to gather human intellegence. But the true star of this movie is (for the most part) the very realistic depictation of how the British SAS (Special Air Service) operate. The SAS is the UK's version of the USA's Delta Force. It should be remembered that SAS predates our Delta Force by a bunch of years, and that most objective observers would say that the SAS is the anti-terrorist force against which others are measured. As Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan said in "Patriot Games" "SAS: When you care enough to send the very best." The movie is a fictional account of SAS's operation against Iranian captors who took over the Iranian counsulate in Great Britain. A definite and enthusiastic "thumbs up."