Ice Cold In Alex

Just rachets the tension and stakes up the whole way through, a really excellent desert adventure

Although he's now best remembered as the helmer of sleazy '80s Cannon and Charles Bronson pictures, J. Lee Thompson used to be one of the most dependable purveyors of "men's movies" around; you might be familiar with his Guns of Navarone, but I'd argue that Ice Cold in Alex is even better. This tense and very British WWII adventure crossbreeds the war picture with the wilderness-peril suspenser, and to thrilling effect, at that. It all builds to one of the great final lines in movie history - its comic audacity stunned me on first viewing, and I think it'll get you, too.

Recommended movie

This feels more like a desert adventure/character drama than a war movie. There are a few battle sequences and avoiding the enemy is a big plot point, but it's mostly man vs desert. We get struggles looking for water, falling into quicksand, and the centerpiece sequence of moving the truck up a steep incline. Avoiding the ***** feels secondary. The main story deals with the standard "is one of us an spy" plot, but it unfolds and is resolved in a wonderfully unexpected manner. Over the last few years, I've become a big John Mills fan. Most of my life I knew him only for Swiss Family Robinson and as Hayley and Juliet's dad. He's a great legendary actor in his own right and gives a wonderful performance here. There are some great interviews with him and other cast members in the extras which is rare for a movie this old. A great discovery. Highly recommended.

Love this classic J. Lee Thompson film. It looks very nice on Blu-ray.