Escape to Athena

A Mediterranean war mess with a perfect cast. The main problem with Escape to Athena is the script, which tries to be as adventurous as possible, and thus includes so many disparate elements that could only be held together by a miracle. A prison camp and notorious escapees, a sympathetic German who covets Greek treasure, an evil German who can't stand the sympathetic one, Greek resistance fighters who plan to take over the prison camp, the destruction of a submarine fuel depot, a radio on a mountain, a secret device in a monk's monastery, plot lines revolving around prostitutes... It's really all too much. The result is a big stew that is saved by the actors doing exactly what is expected of them (Moore is likable, Niven drops dry jokes, Cardinal is beautiful and forceful, Savalas is tough...) and solid direction by Cosmatos, supported by beautiful cinematography and an excellent Schifrin score that doesn't sound like Schifrin at all. Ironically, there aren't many outright action scenes, but when they do occur, they are worthwhile - I'm thinking in particular of the top-notch motorcycle chase in the narrow alleys and Roger Moore's fight with the divers, which looks like something out of a Bond movie. (08/07/2012)