A Dale Ranger
Army intelligence have spotted an important lab deep in enemy territory which needs destroying but it would be too difficult and dangerous to send a team in to do the job. Instead they send in Maj. Higginson (Dale Cummings) of the Special Forces with the plan for him to get caught near a prisoner of war camp containing Army Rangers. All goes to plan and Higginson ends up in the same camp but the senior prisoners initially suspect him of being a German spy and he almost ends up hung due to their suspicions. But having convinced them of who he is and explained the mission it also causes issues as the prisoners were on the verge of tunnelling out and they don't like having to suspend their plans for this dangerous mission.
I sort of like "Rangers Attack" because whilst it may nick a variety if ideas from a range of better war movies they are put together in an entertaining fashion. As such it starts off with a bit of "The Secret War of Harry Frigg" with Maj. Higginson being intentionally caught so he can be put in to a specific prison camp. This builds into a bit of "Von Ryan's Express" with the British Col. Davenport not keen on the arrival of a Yank who is his superior. Then it basically draws in pretty much any prisoner of war movie where they try to escape so let's say "The Great Escape" and that then shifts into the mission movie as in "The Dirty Dozen" or any other movie. But whilst it uses what are familiar story ideas it puts them together in a decent way which makes it entertaining.
Unfortunately once you look past the reasonably well put together storyline "Rangers Attack" remains one of those Italian made war movies from the 60s & 70s which means dodgy dubbing, lots of stock characters, routine camera work and plenty of stock footage. It makes it weak although thankfully it is not the weakest of this sort of movie I have watched. It also benefits from Dale Cummings who whilst not having to exert himself greatly when it comes to character at least makes Maj. Higginson a war time hero figure who boys might once have mimicked after watching this.
What this all boils down to is that "Rangers Attacks" borrows heavily from other war movies whilst having the look and depth of a typical Italian war movie from the late 60s early 70s. But that doesn't do it justice as whilst familiar "Ranger's Attack" is entertaining and much better than many of these Italian made war movies.
