Hannibal Brooks

A breezy, light-hearted and, dare I say, humorous World War II movie very much reflecting the sensibilities of the late 60's. Oliver Reed is Lance Corporal Brooks, the perfect antihero with very little respect for authority, even when the authority is SS Colonel von Haller played with a certain roguish charm by Wolfgang Preiss. As a captured British soldier, Brooks willingly volunteers to work in the Munich Zoo where he becomes the caretaker for an elephant named Lucy. The zoo is bombed and he is charged with taking Lucy to safety. Thwarted by von Haller in his attempt to get her there by rail, Brooks and his escort (two guards and a female cook) undertake the journey on foot. Circumstances arise that lead to the decision to attempt an escape over the Alps to Switzerland, and because Brooks has grown so attached to her, leaving Lucy behind is not an option. As you can imagine, trying to escape Nazi Germany with an elephant in tow makes for some interesting situations.

This is not high art, but the story is good, and there's a nice little twist, too. The cast is universally good and you can tell the actors are having a good time. Joining Reed and Preiss is an elfin Michael J. Pollard as a fellow POW turned goofy guerilla. Peter Carsten and Helmut Lohner are Brooks' German guards and Karin Baal is the cook who, with a very 60's sensibility, explains to Brooks why she made what might not have been such an obvious choice in the 1940's.

All in all Hannibal Brooks is a highly entertaining film. If only this movie were on DVD, or even video for that matter.