Wheels of Terror – Movie Review
Director: Gordon Hessler
Writer: Sven Hassel, Nelson Gidding (Screenplay)
Cast
- Oliver Reed (Gladiator)
- David Carradine (Kill Bill)
- Bruce Davison (X-Men)
- David Patrick Kelly (The Crow)
- D.W. Moffett (Friday Night Lights)
Plot: War story of the 27th Panzers, Hitler’s heavy-duty combat regiment composed of prisoners. In 1943, this motley tank crew is sent on a suicide mission behind enemy lines to destroy a Soviet train that’s carrying fuel for the Red Army.
Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Wheels of Terror starts as we meet the odd group of military figures led by Cpl Joseph Porta (Davison). The group includes Hitler’s criminals including The Legionnaire (Kelly), Erich von Barring (Moffett), Tiny (Sanders) and Old Man (Szarabajka). They are given unwanted jobs in an attempt to earn freedom, despite most only being in prison for not following their political beliefs.
The unit gets selected for a mission against the Soviets, and it takes them behind enemy lines. It becomes more challenging than expected, but they know it is their only option for freedom.
Verdict on Wheels of Terror
Wheels of Terror is a war action comedy following an unlikely crew of soldiers who are mostly criminals who must work together on a mission for the Germans. They are given this chance as a way to make up for their crimes and look to stop a Soviet unit from getting to Germany.
This movie shows another one of the stranger stories behind the German military. It tries to show an unlikely comradery but struggles to give them enough life. This has a few laughs but not enough, it tries to bring some seriousness to everything but struggles too. Ultimately, it feels like the ideas were there, but not enough commitment to lean into one idea or the other.
Where to Watch
a JustWatch
Final Thoughts – Wheels of Terror struggles to decide whether it is a comedy or an action movie.
