A nice bit of escapist entertainment, this Italian made World War II actioner concerns a group of American prisoners, heading to the stockade for such infractions as desertion and outright murder. An attack by the Naziss allows some of them to escape, and they head for Switzerland, which they figure is neutral enough to be reasonably safe. However, they end up agreeing to take part in a daring mission. They'll steal a V2 warhead from a Nazi train so the French Underground can acquire it.<br /><br />The cooler-than-cool cast includes an amiable Bo Svenson as Lt. Robert Yeager, the one officer in the group of Bastards, and the always badass Fred "The Hammer" Williamson as Private Fred Canfield. Who could resist any film with these two guys as the stars? The cast also includes Peter Hooten as Tony, who's kind of a jerk, Michael Pergolani as Nick (his long hair is certainly anachronistic), Jackie Basehart as Berle, Michel Constantin as Veronique, gorgeous Debra Berger as Nicole, Raimund Harmstorf as Adolf Sachs (the German prisoner who for a brief time is part of the group), and the always delightful Ian Bannen as Col. Buckner.<br /><br />Director Enzo G. Castellari is very good with this sort of material. While he gives his colorful cast opportunity to create some interesting characters, he's at his best with his action scenes. Fans of this sort of thing can enjoy a hearty serving of violence, a high body count, some wonderful countryside vistas, and a story with a strong forward momentum. Nazis always make for wonderfully nasty, vile baddies one can have a lot of fun booing, and the ones here are no different. Francesco De Masi contributes an excellent music score. The film gets off to a good start with some striking visuals during the opening credits sequence. It's all lively throughout, but things truly switch into another gear for the climax on the train. It's the most exciting part. One enjoyable sequence has some of our boys running into some naked young ladies in a stream. So Castellari knows how to inject exploitative elements into his film as well.<br /><br />Certainly well known now for giving Quentin Tarantino inspiration (as well as a title) for his most recent film, "The Inglorious Bastards" is worth watching for fans of the World War II action film. It's very agreeable entertainment from start to finish.<br /><br />8/10