A middling wartime movie with thrills , double agents, resistance fighters , crosses , double crossing , twists and turns . "Suicide Mission" concerns a squad whose assignment comes to a crashing end and resulting in an average war movie as beyond the twisting storyline it doesn't have a lot else going for it. As a bunch of American commandos (Craig Hill, Enrique Avila, Charles Quiney, Aldo Sambrell , Manuel Zarzo) are sent on a priority mission to sneak into enemy territory and abduct General Rommel . But their mission goes wrong when they are captured by the Nazis who after torturing them get details of their cunning kidnap plot . Then Himmler has a meeting with Canaris and Rommel (Piero Lulli) himself , and subsequently Himmler has a cunning scheme of their own : to switch the squadron for some of their own commando , by replacing the American soldiers with German soldiers and send them back into the allied territory with a soldier (Piero Lulli) who is the spitting image of General Rommel so that he can murder President Eisenhower.
This Chorizo/Spaghetti combat film is filled with feats , suspense , battles , excitement , thrills and turns . The synopsis sounds plain and simple enough , but it turns out more and more complex and complicated with a lot of plot twists . So along the way there are intriguing happenings , surprises , betrayals , as well as various red herrings which intentionally complicate the action . The noisy action is uniformly badly-made , especially deserving of mention the rip-roaring final scenes in which the motley , wayward group is really besieged by two small tanks , including some briefly spectacular shootouts and bombing . There are also a number of unaccuracies and goofs , as the troopers are badly armed and lousily uniformed , as well as inappropriate tanks . The fights scenes are actually very similar to a gundown on the streets of the traditional Western town between the good guys and bad guys . Nevertheless , there is poor action and interpretation feels static , at times . And in many ways it is a good thing that the storyline keeps on twisting and turning as without that it would be just a so-so war movie . This is not a great movie by it has some interesting and thrilling moments and it occasionally feels like an amateur picture . In addition , the twisting nature of the plot where you can't take anything for what it is makes it strangely agreeable . But at the same time, there is still something about it which is riveting and it is the convoluted storyline as you can never take for granted what we are seeing is as it appears. This moving film belongs to a peculiar genre who developed during the 60s and early 70s calle Macaroni Combate , this one being co-produced by Italy/Spain packing uni-dimensional characters , frantic thrills , perilous adventures , relentless feats , and buck-loads of explosive action , violence with reminiscent of Spaghetti Western . In fact this ¨When heroes die¨ gets to keep your full attention particularly during the final minutes thanks to its explosive action . An ordinary acting without very recognizable top-notch stars , only Craig Hill , a B- American actor who married Spanish Teresa Gimpera and lived in Spain , since then performing several Italian/Spanish films . As he moved to Spain/Italy during the 60's to star in spaghetti westerns , adventure , and thrillers . Here Craig Hill is the brave leader of the motley pack together to carry out the hard mission , and he gives a so-so acting . Along with a lot of familiar faces , mainly Spanish , who played a lot of Spaghetti/Paella Western , Warlike or other subgenres s, uch as : Aldo Sambrell , Manuel Zarzo , Enrique Ávila , Carlos Quiney , Charly Bravo , Carlos Quiney and the always baddie Piero Lulli as a fake Rommel . And two Eurotrash gorgeous babes : Annabella Incontrera and Maria Silva.
It packs a moving and thrilling musical score by prolific Nino Fidenco . As well as atmospheric cinematography by Emanuele Di Cola . Shot on location in Murcia roundabouts, Murcia, and Palacio de Romanones, Hoyo de Manzanares, Madrid, Spain. This little European war movie "Suicide Mission" which is also known as "When Heroes Die" was reguarly directed by Jose Luis Merino . He firstly directed comedy and musical , such as : Aquellos tiempos del cuplé , El vagabundo y la estrella , Alféreces provisionales , Europa canta . Then he had a solid run in second-class style , making several Italian/Spanish low-budget, cult WWII , Spaghetti and adventure films in the 1960's and 70s . Merino was a skill and successfully craftsman . José Luis Merino often used same actors , such as Stelvio Rossi , Peter Lee Lawrence , George Hilton and Charles Quiney . He has written/directed numerous films of all kinds of genres such as Terror : Ivanna , The hanging woman ; Euro-spy : Colpo Sensazionale al Servicio Del Sifar ; Chorizo/Spaghetti Western : More Dollars for the MacGregors , Frontera Sur , Réquiem for the gringo , Gatling gun , Seven ride to death ; Wartime : Last Panzer battle , Hell commandos , A Bullet for Rommel , When heroes die ; Musical : Europa Canta , Aquellos Tiempos Del Cuple , and his most successful films are the fresh and diverting adventures : Tarzan and King Salomon's mines , Robin Hood , Rebelion De Bucaneros , El Zorro knight of Justice , El Zorro De Monterrey , and Last adventure of Zorro . Rating . 4.5/10 . So-so but passable and mediocre Paella/Spaghetti warfare movie
