Who Dares Wins [Blu-ray] [1982]

A punchy British action flick from the same people who brought you punchy British action flicks "The Wild Geese" and "The Sea Wolves". SAS Captain Peter Skellern (Lewis Collins) is assigned to infiltrate an anti-nuclear terrorist group, the Revolution for Peace movement of the People's Lobby, as it prepares a spectacular publicity coup by taking top-level US and British dignataries hostage at a dinner in London and threatening to execute them unless a nuclear missile is fired - "in the name of peace" - at the US submarine base at Holy Loch. When negotiations stall and one of the hostages is killed, the SAS are sent in to rescue the others. That is the film in a nutshell. It isn't sophisticated, it isn't subtle, and if you are a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament then you may have a claim to feeling personally slighted. But as a solid action movie, "Who Dares Wins" is excellent - yes, it could very easily be taken as a feature-length episode of "The Professionals", although it would be unfair to say that Collins is merely reprising his Bodie role; Captain Skellern is for starters married (to Rosalind Lloyd) with a child, and while this doesn't stop him from being a complete tart for Queen and Country it does call for a little less smirking glibness than we got with the unattached, carefree Bodie. Skellern has more cares.
It is not action all-the-way, and this is to the film's advantage because, contrary to what some have said, "Who Dares Wins" is not gung-ho. The SAS are portrayed simply as a body of men doing the job they are ordered to do. Indeed, as the SAS Commanding Officer (a crisp Tony Doyle) explains in the early stages of the film: "When we are called to do a job, we have been likened to a surgeon cutting out a cancer. It is a filthy and difficult job. We don't like doing it, but it's our duty." The bulk of the film centres on Skellern's infiltration of the terrorist movement, and his "relationship" with its' leader Frankie Leith (Judy Davis). Those with little patience may thus find themselves fidgeting a bit, but there is ample reward when the action finally does begin, including of course the famous tracking shot with Skellern and SAS comrades charging down the corridor of the US Ambassador's residence. There is also a excellently staged single-shot sequence where a terrorist is standing guard on a balcony, and an SAS man abseils down and shoots him. Then there is the fate that awaits Frankie Leith, as she and Skellern stare down each other's gun barrels....
Along with those already mentioned, the high-grade cast includes Richard Widmark, Edward Woodward, John Duttine, Robert Webber, Patrick "Protect And Survive" Allen and Anna Ford as herself. The title music is ace, and the grimy early Eighties ambience that permeates the film is quite intoxicating. It also boasts a fantastic catfight between Mrs Skellern and a very boo-hiss Ingrid Pitt, as one of two terrorists who have taken Mrs Skellern and her baby daughter hostage. It's more vicious than outside Chicago Rock Cafe in Wolverhampton on a Friday night!
"Who Dares Wins." One of my favourite movies.

Superb action film. The casting was perfect and the primary aspects of the movie came across as being believable and authentic, some certainly leapt from the pages of a comic book. But 'Who Dares Wins' was thoroughly enjoyed by most who saw it though, predictably, it was loathed by the critics who invariably operate from the self loathing, left wing, anti-establishment premiss of the modern intelligentsia. Any novel or film depicting fringe groups or minorities being represented by zealots and unhinged fanatics who pose a serious threat to the lives of the majority, and who are subsequently defeated by an organisation or individual employed to protect and stand up for them, has not got a hope in hell in the eyes, and with the pens, of such people in the mainstream media. See it and enjoy.

I have loved this film for many years and to have the widescreen special edition is just great, all previous issues having been 4:3 format. As others have stated, this film just works almost DESPITE itself! By that I mean that that it isn't by any means a great film - the script often leaves much to be desired, and the plot is somewhat simplistic - but for all that it is fantastically entertaining and fun. I would say it is uniquely British and has a charm in the same sense as, for example, the "Carry On" movies. If you like British films in general, and particularly the more "vintage" variety, then you will almost certainly appreciate this. One of those comparatively rare instances when a fims supposed "failings" actually add something almost intangible but nevertheless greatly boost its entertainment value. In my opinion this is British cinema at its most entertaining.

As a footnote to those who do not realise it, the Blue-ray issue also contains an identical issue on DVD, and this is what the "2 disc" reference is about. Somewhat confusing, as no mention is made of this in the product decription on Amazon or for that matter on the front of the disc case! I suspect most people will therefore think that it is simply a Blue-ray release! Very odd marketing!