The Challenge (1970)

Dreadfully Boring

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 film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

In this movie, the US as well as China and one of its allies are trying to get to some lost experimental military hardware in the Pacific. However, instead of coming to blows, the Chinese have a proposal-- each side send a soldier to a barren island and the winner take all. The US agrees, as they don't want a showdown with China. However, their choice of men is inexplicable...Jacob Gallery (Darren McGavin). This aging mercenary was chosen over any in the Special Forces and you see this as a weakness in the script. Why Gallery?! Why a 48 year-old actor?! Apparently, the director didn't like what he saw either and chose to do what some directors when they hate their films...they refuse to put their name on it and instead it says 'Allen Smithee'--a euphemism widely understood within the industry. You can only assume he did this in protest to meddling by the production company--such as re- editing his film or making him shoot a different ending or something like that.Now is this to say it's a bad film? No. It's not bad apart from the stupid casting decision. However it IS slow. After all, with such a simple plot it's hard to pad it all out to a movie time slot. Overall, worth seeing but hardly one of the best installments of "The ABC Movie of the Week".

I was lucky enough to tape this movie off broadcast 20 years ago. A great basic story line and well made for a TV movie. Gallery (DM) gets nifty toys to play with from a waterhole poison kit to a dual side by side Madsen M50 submachine guns loaded with full loads and bird shot. Mako does a good job but doesn't have the high tech gizmo's that gallery has. Both sides cheat by sending in another soldier each to finish the job, with our two stars being more honorable disposing of these interlopers. All this over a Bomb carrying satellite that crashed and the bad guys got to first and are sitting on it like a hen in the middle of the ocean.Good bang for the buck spent. If this ever comes out on DVD I sure will get a copy. A good movie to get lost in on a lazy eve.

I saw this movie when it originally aired in 1970, and I loved it. I also remember the trailers from the week before that centered around the weapon Gallery used (a double barreled sub-machine gun),really cool ! The idea that two countries would decide to settle their differences and avoid all out war by choosing their toughest soldier to fight it out on a deserted island was great. Sadly, both sides plot to stack the deck and keep an ace up their sleeve, a starkly realistic twist. I've been trying to get a tape of this movie for twenty years, and will gladly pay a reasonable finders fee for a copy.

I was a dumb 15 year-old kid when this movie was aired and, boy, did it ever impress me. Not only was it a mind-tripper at the time as far as plot and action, but this piece of art introduced me to Darren McGavin, treated me with the likes of James Whitmore, Mako and Broderick Crawford, and presented future biggies Sam Elliot and Adolph Caesar (who knew?!) Also appearing is the great Joe Bernard, supporting actor icon. Neat twists throughout the flick and its ending just about killed me. I rate this work as essential viewing in the same vein as "Fail-Safe" and "Ice Station Zebra". Sure do wish I could feast my eyes on it again. Come to think of it, I'll bet something like this has probably already happened in our lifetime. Chilling, man!