The Last Drop (2006)

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

'The Last Drop' ('TLD', 2006) boasts a decent cast with generally spot-on acting in mostly stereotypical roles. 'TLD' depicts a smaller 'what if' scenario loosely based upon historical events of the failed Operation Market Garden from 'A Bridge Too Far' (1977) that inevitably bring comparisons to 'Kelly's Heroes' (1970), 'The Train' (1964), or even an episode or two from 'Hogan's Heroes' (1965-70) & 'Allo Allo' (1984-91). Not a large battle epic, instead 'TLD' is a film that focuses on the personal dynamics of small groups (both allied & axis) & at times attempts to depict the realities/horrors of war with an awkward blend of humor, action, adventure, & drama that is light on suspense. 'TLD' is based upon an intriguing premise with a decent script supported with a plot & characters that lack serious development. Ultimately, the overall production suffers slightly from a mildly distracting soundtrack & some cookie-cutter character acting that produce a 'Call of Duty: The Movie' aesthetic. The biggest detractors of 'Kelly's Heroes' have been noting some similar faults in that film since 1970. Suspend disbelief & lofty expectations & 'TLD' becomes an entertaining heist/war film. Recommended mostly for die-hard fans of the Heist/WWII genre, Billy Zane, Sean Pertwee & Steve Speirs fans, & less so for the curious WWII genre viewer. Action/adventure film lovers will likely be slightly disappointed. For similar themes consider: 'Operation Amsterdam' (1959); 'Three Kings' (1999); 'Soldier of Orange' (1977); 'Castle Keep' (1969); & 'Saints and Soldiers' (2004). Also consider: 'Two Men Went to War' (2002); 'A Woman at War' (1991); 'The Shop on Main Street' (1965); 'Uprising' (2001); 'Mission to Death' (1966); 'Guns of Navarone' (1961); 'Dambusters' (1955); 'Straight into Darkness' (2005); '13 Rue Madeleine' (1947); 'Back Door to Hell' (1964); 'Bitter Victory' (1958); 'Sahara' (2005); 'The Fallen' (2004); 'Army of Shadows' (1969); 'Resistance' (2003); & 'March or Die' (1977).

This is the WORST WWII movie I have ever seen, and I've seen most of them. The "Germans" are speaking English to each other (with no pretense of subtitles or explanation) while extras in the background are speaking real German. I don't fault the acting. I think with a good script & screenplay & director & editor, these actors could have made a good movie.I saw another review which stated that the countryside did NOT look Dutch at all and the one windmill that was shown was a joke from some other continent. I agree with this.The plot line was unintelligible. Just...just... You just have to see it to understand how BAD a film can actually be! Please watch this movie and use it as benchmark to which other films must soar above.Suffice to say that I wish I could get my 98 minutes back, but that's not going to happen.Watch it. Hate it. Learn how NOT to make a movie!

This marginal World War II thriller takes place late in 1944 against the historic setting of the disastrous Allied mission code-named Operation Market Garden in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands as various elements find themselves contending with each other for horde of Danish treasure that the Gestapo have stored in a booby-trapped barn. A group of British troops have been diverted from Operation Market Garden for another mission code-named Operation Matchbox, but things take a predictable turn for the worst when their C-47 is struck by enemy flak and they crash far from their landing zone. The British commander dies when German troops cut them to pieces on the ground, but the stout-hearted Brits reassemble and wipe out the Germans. Sean Pertwee of "Event Horizon" plays a rugged British sergeant who is wounded in the leg, and Billy Zane of "Titanic" fame is a Canadian glider pilot. Meanwhile, the Nazis are preparing to move the loot when a couple of renegade Germans show up and the Americans, led by Colonel J.T. Colt (Michael Madsen of "Reservoir Dogs") have just captured a bridge without firing a shot. Director Colin Teague, who helmed episodes from the new 2007 "Dr. Who" and "The Sarah Jane Adventures," has put together a shoddy, low-budget "Kelly's Heroes" knockoff that lacks either a shred of authenticity or charisma. Virtually everything from the uniforms to the equipment is wrong. For example, when the gliders are towed off the runways of England they are hitched to four-engined Wellington bombers, but when we see them over enemy country they are being towed by U.S. C-47 Dakota transports. Men on both sides masquerade as their respective enemy as the action boils down to a fiery climax."The Last Drop" gets off on the right foot with a exciting little battle between the Brits and the Jerries, but afterward the screenplay by Gary Young and Teague degenerates into a series of incidents as everybody tries to steal the loot. There is an amusing scene near the beginning when two Dutch woman prepare a tasty pot of hot soup for their Nazi oppressors and season it with their own urine. One S.S. officer raves about how delicious the soup is. It is difficult to tell whether the filmmakers are trying to treat World War II as an adventure or just a mediocre melodrama. The final quarter-hour is spent with everybody blasting away at everybody else as the Canadian pilot and other steal the seaplane. They save the loot, well, part of it anyway. Colonel Colt snatches the Mona Lisa and the renegade Germans break into the museum where the treasure is stashed after the war and rob it. Sloppy, half-hearted direction mars what could have been an interesting thriller in the vein of a Jack Higgins style World War II actioneer. The CGI of hundreds of planes towing gliders to Holland is visually arresting, but the remainder of this lackluster war picture fails to measure up. This is an amoral W.W. II movie where comrades on each side try to kill their own. Only World War II buffs will enjoy this and that is stretching the truth. Let us say that only World War II buffs will want to see it and then be depressed by what they have seen. One interesting scene shows a British soldier dripping morphine onto a cigarette and smoking it. There is no nudity and the dialogue is bland.

I have to admit, I quit watching this movie after about 15 minutes or so. And this comes from a guy who sat through "Hell Ride"! It was blatantly obvious that there was no way the filmmakers were going to be able to redeem the big pile of cow dung they had churned out so far.Everything from the script, the actors, the cinematography, the editing, and not to mention the laughably bad visual effects is just deplorable.The movie starts off with one meaningless scene with ze Nazis, quickly moving on to one where we're in a plane with the jolly good Allies. From what I can recall, everyone has a different accent, beautifully topped off with an officer whose accent I really can't place (is he South African? Scottish? English? Kiwi?). Zip boom bang, we're in the middle of a firefight with (supposedly) well trained soldiers ducking behind flimsy bushes as to shield themselves from ze Nazi's machine gun fire.By this stage, the game Klondike on my ipod was far more intriguing than this movie. Then again, I'd rather watch a colonoscopy than another second of The Last Drop again.Exactly when in the process did they discover that there was no way of salvaging this shipwreck of a movie? I would've loved to be in that meeting! Avoid this movie at all costs! See Kelly's Heroes (1970) instead, if you want a solid WWII gold heist movie!