The Final Option

source: The Final Option

Trailer—Who Dares Wins

Who Dares Wins

I saw this many years ago and had good memories of it, so we settled down with a glass of wine last night to watch it on the 'Movies 4 Men' channel. Either I've changed or the film has not aged well. A rather over-groomed Lewis Collins (rigid hair, slightly camp wardrobe) does his 'Professionals' moody tough-guy act in this rather good story of a radical people's party taking hostage a group of top-brass and the SAS effort to free them. The first half of the film is all over the place, but it tightens up later on and of course (SPOILER) everyone is safe in the end. It looks rather like a TV-movie version of a 'Professionals' story, but maybe that's not so bad. Could have been a lot better.

Very entertaining movie, this one. Saw it upon it´s initial release here in Sweden (1982). It has a 007-feeling and Bond-ish quality about it, which I love. Lots of crew members from 007-productions behind the camera. It is also very suspenseful and it´s got solid action scenes combined with good acting and snappy directing. What´s not to like?!:/ I can very well imagine that the S. A. S. Operates with a similar modus operandi. Since they (of course) doesn´t reveal anything one can only speculate and read books on the subject matter (S. A. S.) It looks and seems real enough (yes, I know it´s a movie). It´s a pity and very strange that some films doesn´t get the attention and respect they deserve?! Instead loads of crap (WOKE, PC, man-hating - etc.) finds an audience. Highly recommended film!++++

History has been kind to Who Dares Wins (the original UK title). Panned by critics , probably due to the bad timing of the film's release (1980 Iranian Embassy Siege, 1982 Falklands War), it's actually very popular. Yes, there are some cheesy dialogue scenes and some hammy acting, but the SAS choreographed action is top notch and Roy Budd's score is rousingly funky. Lewis Collins is as hard-nosed and arrogantly top rate as ever but looks like he's suffering from Bodie-fatigue.A well scripted sequel would be well received with Collins as an older Skellern. Get him doing what he does best.

The Final Option has American players Richard Widmark and Robert Webber joining a British cast playing the American Secretary of State and head of the Strategic Air Command over in London for an arms limitation conference. What happens is that they get taken hostage by a radical group of terrorists who are nicely moled into the peace movement. British action star Lewis Collins gets a rigged incident so he can resign from the SAS the British equivalent of the Delta Force and infiltrate the peace movement. Clearly he doesn't fool anybody, but Collins has his uses and Judy Davis the head of the radical cell finds him useful in many ways. In fact the two female terrorists Davis and Ingrid Pitt really walk off with this film with their brand of fanaticism. When the shooting starts toward the end it is the best part of the film as SAS does what it does best, kill enemies. Final Option is a well done action flick that the Margaret Thatcher government must have loved.

I read the book that inspired this film, 'The Tiptoe Boys,' and to be honest, I prefer the film to the book, which is unusual. The movie is a bit over-long, but the characters are quite well developed and the action sequences are among the best in any UK production and highly realistic. The legendary Roy 'Get Carter' Budd provides the score and we have a minor 80s action classic. Without doubt the assault at The Mews is outstanding and I will never forget the rush the first time I saw it. 'You don't muck (sic) about with the SAS...'

Yes, there is some cheesy acting, but the payoff in this film is excellent! After reading other commentaries on this film, I won't spoil the ending for anyone who hasn't see the film when I say that it concludes with an accurate portrayal of special ops folks in action. But it is not only accurate, it is exciting, and well shot (love the view through the mask!). Combine accuracy and excitement and you have something that beats most of those other "special ops" films hands down. It makes Rambo et al seem downright nonsensical (which it is), and rightly so. And as someone who studied in Europe for several years and saw the political far left in action on the streets of the major cities, I can tell you that many of them talked just like they do in the movie. And yes, the guerrilla theatre production lampooning the US is accurate, that type of theatre did take place.

This is one of those British thrillers that imitates Hollywood and manages to better it in many respects. It's a taut and heavily realistic story of terrorism and a siege, but the emphasis is on realism which means that the gung-ho antics are brief and over very quickly. Personally I like the slow build approach, I think it works very well here, and it makes the climax oh-so-great. Lewis Collins has never been tougher as the SAS agent infiltrating a left-wing group, and everything else just comes together to build an engrossing, highly suspenseful picture. Top marks.