Search - Combat 20 Movie Pack on DVD

History, and movie packs, tend to repeat

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 09/13/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Half of the COMBAT 20 MOVIE PACK is available on MILL CREEK's MISSION VICTORY set. The rest (and some of that first 10) are on their HEROES OF WAR 10 PACK and WAR CLASSICS 50 MOVIE PACK. Why then the necessity for duplication? This is already available product with a different count and cover art-- altogether disappointing for those of us hoping to see something new from MCE.

In all fairness to this product however, for anyone who hasn't previously purchased the above collections, there are several highly regarded movies offered here. For new buyers, please be advised that on recent MILL CREEK releases the company logo is occasionally flashed on the screen for 15 second intervals.

A literal half-century of struggle is available on WAR STORIES: 50 YEARS OF CLASSIC COMBAT MOVIES. Included in this eclectic 14 film package are two D.W. Griffith Civil War movies and a little-seen WWI story he also directed. Then there's a Rudolph Valentino film, two comedies, a musical and one of Roger Corman's only war movies.

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Parenthetical numbers preceding titles are 1 to 10 viewer poll ratings found at a film resource website.

(6.7) The Adventures Of Tartu ("Sabotage Agent") (1943) - Robert Donat/Glynis Johns
(5.9) Aerial Gunner (1943) - Chester Morris/Richard Arlen/Jimmy Lydon
(4.0) Battle of Blood Island (1960) - Richard Devon/Ron Kennedy
(6.3) The Big Lift (1950) - Montgomery Clift/Paul Douglas
(5.3) Black Brigade ("Carter's Army") (TV-1970) - Stephen Boyd/Roosevelt Grier/Richard Pryor (in support)
(6.3) Blood On The Sun (1945) - James Cagney/Silvia Sidney
(5.1) Commandos (Italy/W Ger-1968) - Lee Van Cleef/Jack Kelly/Helmut Schmid
(5.5) Convoy (UK-1940) - Clive Brook/John Clements
(5.6) The Dawn Express (1942) - Michael Whalen/Ann Nagel/William Bakewell
(5.7) Flying Blind (1941) - Richard Arlen/Jean Parker/Marie Wilson/Grady Sutton
(7.4) Four In a Jeep (1951) - Ralph Meeker/Viveca Lindfors
(6.0) Gung Ho! ("The Story Of Carlson's Makin Island Raiders") (1943) - Randolph Scott/Noah Beery
(7.3) Identity Unknown (1945) - Richard Arlen/Cheryl Walker/bobby Driscoll
(8.3) The Last Chance (Switz.-1945) - Ewart G. Morrison/John Hoy/Ray Reagan
(6.4) Minesweeper (1943) - Richard Arlen/Jean Parker/Russell Hayden
(5.7) The Navy Way (1944) - Robert Lowery/Jean Parker/William Henry
(7.2) One of our Aircraft is Missing (UK-1942) - Godfrey Tearle/Eric Portman/Peter Ustinov (bit part)
(5.7) Private Buckaroo (1942) - Andrews Sisters/Joe E. Lewis/Shemp Howard/Harry James
(7.2) Spitfire ("The First Of The Few") (UK-1942) - Leslie Howard/David Niven/Rosamund John"