Play Dirty

This hits the spot. The Brits were always knew how to do it. A somewhat reserved approach to the characters is fully compensated by cynicism and a beautifully rendered atmosphere of the nasty, sand blasted landscape where the action plays out. Essentially everyone, with the possible exception of Michael Caine, is a self-centered bastard who never does a thing unless he has to. It's a slow road to reach the “action", full of tire changes and boredom. The conclusion, which would have been a bombastic finale in a contemporary Michael Bay movie, is made economically and realistically. The brilliant ending brought a dry smile to my lips and made me give the movie five stars. (04/02/2011)

There are movies that, after watching them, you will understand that you urgently need to change the rating of a series of films of the same genre, because you are forced to measure their quality precisely based on what you have just seen. The same goes for Play Dirty because it surpasses a much more famous and better-rated war film called The Dirty Dozen, not to mention its numerous imitations, and quite significantly. It is much more realistic, well thought out, more cynical, and constantly surprising. It is also very inappropriate and takes proper jabs at its own ranks. I you have such assholes in your own unit, you don't even need an enemy. And even more dangerous than German weapons are the fluctuations in weather and the whims of the leadership. There is essentially only one logical error in the film, being that when in a crisis situation, I would rather expect avoidance of responsibility and subsequent surrender than a knife fight. Nevertheless, it is a film that pleases and confirms the paradox I have observed, that famous war films often mean nothing, while almost unknown films, favored only by a handful of connoisseurs, are underappreciated gems. Michael Caine confirms that he is one of those movie stars who have worked hard to earn their position and know how to act at the very top. Overall impression: 85%. (23/06/2012)

An unconventionally anti-heroic war actioner about a dysfunctional team of soldiers made up of vicious psychopaths who never learn to pull together. Play Dirty openly disregards genre conventions, is delightfully unpredictable and cynical to the bone. It isn't afraid of long wordless scenes and manages to build tension brilliantly even in seemingly routine moments. The Dirty Dozen, British style. (27/12/2017)

Sensational! For me, Play Dirty is not only another piece of the puzzle called "Michael Caine", but definitely one of the best (anti-)war films I've ever seen. I would describe it as a combination of The Dirty Dozen, Lawrence of Arabia, Cross of Iron and The Wild Bunch. To all lovers of the genre and the aforementioned films who come across my commentary, I recommend this treat. Just beware - when it's over, you might not feel as good about it. In short, it's a gritty film about a special unit that's really special. Both Michael Caine and Nigel Davenport deserve a lot of credit for their performances, as does director De Toth, who manages to conjure up many memorable scenes (the cliff ride, the stop to change tires, the sandstorm, the fuel depot ambush and of course the chilling finale). I give them all five dirty stars. (18/12/2010)