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Rating:  -
I just bought the season one set on MGM DVD. I got it today along with two
other shows that I've watched before but had to have likes Linus needs
his blanket (for comfort, I know its there if I need it, lol). Anyway,
this was the one I popped in of the three I just HAD to see this show
again. I would watch Rat Patrol (In Color!) probably during the early
70's (I was born in 1963 so you do the math), and THE ONLY part I
remember is the introduction with the jeeps flying off of dunes. About
that scene, I hope there was an experienced chiropractor there as those
stunt guys in the back definitely got whiplash! So I just finished the
first two episodes (I haven't checked but I'm sure the first in the DVD
set was actually the first aired on TV). My thoughts going in were well
this is going to be VERY cartoonish and I'm going to laugh at how
ridiculous this is. Well I did chuckle a good bit, in the first episode
the jeeps fly higher than in the intro! The one guy is hanging on for
dear life and must have wrenched his shoulder the way he landed while
still holding the 50 cal, strong dude for sure. The hardware used in
the show is a mix of Vietnam era stuff and WW2 stuff, I guess whatever
Spain had, lol. In the pilot they are using 50 cal guns but in the
second they have 30 cal's. This show was made only 20
years after WW2 ended, the advances made in real life weaponry in so
short a time is truly amazing isn't it? Anyway, one reviewer said that
they never get even a scratch, well in the "pilot" one of the dude's
gets killed, in the second episode one guy gets shrapnel in his gut, in
both of those episodes the jeeps get damaged or destroyed, so I thought
that was cool. This show is the antithesis of the A-Team (where NO ONE
dies). In this show there are plenty of dead people, thankfully they
are all Nazi soldiers, lol. Oh the second episode The Life Against
Death Raid, has one super super hot chick in it, I looked her name up
on IMDb and she was miss 1962 Austria, gotta love that. I liked the way
in the first episode where it showed the Bedouin Arabs aiding the
Nazi's, in todays PC world they'd probably be portrayed as neutrals. If
you love the Rat Patrol like I do, you need to check out the movie
"Play Dirty" with Michael Caine, it's like an R rated Rat Patrol. In
that movie they machine gun the Arabs they run into so they don't warn
the Nazi's, hard core. The Rat Patrol was the type of TV that Senator
and Presidential nominee John Kerry described as creating a nation of
monsters, which is total BS. The much more known show that compares is
Combat!, a show that probably took itself too seriously, I would hate
that show because they never showed any progress over the years it was
always the guys in France, it could have been so much better. At least
Rat Patrol knew where it was coming from, lots of bullets, tanks,
explosions, jeeps, guns, and a cold beer and hot chick at the end, a
guys fantasy for sure. The DVD set is lean and mean, its cheaply priced
so don't expect any extra's (I don't think there are any) but its cheap
and in a small package which for space reasons is a big plus. Highly
recommended for fans.
Rating:  -
Okay, so I always loved this show as a kid--in fact, I've long thought the opening credit sequence and the music theme were the most exciting of any TV program. When I discovered the first season had been released on DVD, I had to buy it and watch it all over again. However, I suspected my Aussie wife, whose grandfather was a Rat of Tobruk, might be a bit critical of its historical inaccuracies.
Sure enough, her initial viewing resulted in more than a few laughs, a diatribe on the inaccurate but "typical Americans-are-always-right-and-always-win" perspective of such shows and movies, and a refusal to watch any more of it, calling it an insult to her intelligence and particularly her countrymens' contributions to the war effort in North Africa. I couldn't really take exception to her comments, and upon reflection, wished that one of the characters (say, Tully's) had been an Anzac.
Presently, though, I was viewing another episode, when I caught my wife watching it again. "I thought you weren't going to watch it any more," I questioned. She replied, a little sheepishly, "Well....it is entertaining."
She's now a fan of the show.
Rating: -
Based on a real special forces unit that faced Rommel in WWII, Rat Patrol is an interesting and inventive adventure series.
The unit that Rat Patrol is based on is the Long Range Desert Group. It was a combat group designed to cause severe damage to the Germans behind German lines. They would sometimes remain behind the German lines for months at a time, spreading "a little alarm and despondency" throughout the German forces. Although LRDG was formed almost exclusively of New Zealand troops, with a few British units thrown in for good measure, the show Rat Patrol is dealing with a mostly American Unit.
Although one would assume that the show would grow repetitive after a time (how many different ways are there for two jeeps to destroy a column of German trucks and tanks?), most episodes the Rats face a new situation to test their fortitude.
The Rats:
Sargent Sam Troy: the leader of the Rat Patrol, is a strong, decisive leader with a soft side that will occasionally show up and surprise everyone. He masterminds most of the raids and commands great loyalty from his fellow Rats. He's on the small side physically, but is pretty efficient in a fight. Diplomacy isn't his strong point-unless he has a gun/grenade/detonator in his hands. For some reason, he tells his men to get going by shouting, "Let's shake it!"
Sargent Jack Moffitt: Transferred into the Rat Patrol in the first episode of the series. Throughout the first few episodes he transitions from annoyingly intelligent British replacement gunner to an incredibly important part of the RP unit. He knows every language spoken in the area and is an expert in desert tribes. Whenever RP needs to infiltrate a German camp, Moffitt is your man-his German is pretty good. His wry sense of humor and his professor-like demeanor hide a rather explosive temper, so watch out!
Private Mark "Hitch" Hitchcock: Well educated and from a fairly sophisticated background, he still retains as much of the wealthy playboy as is possible while driving a Jeep (with a 50cal mounted on the back) in the middle of North Africa. He drives Sgt. Troy's Jeep. He tends to be reckless and very vocal when he disagrees with a decision, but he is very loyal to both the unit and the people that make it up. He likes to say, "Who was there, Sarge; you or me?" when Troy questions his judgement.
Private Tully Pettigrew: Call him the sentimental silent type. Emphasis on silent. In some episodes he says no more than two or three lines. Despite this, and Sgt. Troy's habit of making him stand watch while the rest of the Rats head into danger, Tully has a close bond to the rest of the group. He drives Sgt. Moffitt's Jeep. A native of rural Kentucky, he finds his "place to shine" under the hoods of the Jeeps. He can get a Jeep battered running again in a remarkably short space of time.
And then, you can't forget the recurring bad guy of the series:
Hauptmann Hans Dietrich: A very intelligent German officer, he is usually handicapped by the incompetence of his fellow soldiers and the fact that the RP has a four to one advantage. Dietrich puts a face to the enemy, but it is never a face you would rather pity than fight. Well, sometimes-when the RP has just destroyed something the Germans wanted intact-he looks like he would have preferred death to explaining to his CO how the RP did it again. Although Dietrich loves his country and is loyal to his army, his honor and sense of decency are frequently tested. An enemy you can respect, this Panzer Hauptmann handles his constant defeats with a great deal more grace than manywould. Admittedly, he will yell at his subordinates when they let the RP get away again.
One thing to note: The scenes in other languages have not way of telling the audience what is happening. Unless Moffitt is there, because he knows everything. This is interesting, but can occasionally be a little frustrating: Dietrich is yelling over his telephone in German. We have no clue what he is saying. You can guess, of course, but a translation would be nice sometimes.
Altogether, Rat Patrol is a fun series with interesting characters and unexpected plots. The half-hour time restriction limits a lot of character development, but what development that can be fit logically into the story is always neatly in place. Sometimes, ok, many times, the show requires you to suspend reality to believe the story. But I don't think that is always a bad thing.
The most important contribution of Rat Patrol is that it reminds us all of the heroic work of the Long Range Desert Group. Shake it!
Rating: -
To the reviewers who commented on the similarities with the war in Iraq, I agree completely! My son is currently serving his second deployment as an 88 Mike (HEMITT driver, for you civilians), and what he writes home about could be the basis for a script. I, too, watched this show, and I remember thinking that I hoped my infant son (the one in the Army) would never have to fight. I wasn't sure I would want to watch it, I don't really care to watch combat scenes for obvious reasons, but the combat scenes in the Rat Patrol are not the main selling point. The emphasis is on the characters. I could watch this show with my son's daughters (15 and 12) without sending them into fits of hysteria about what could happen to their dad. Change the jeeps to humvees, the convoy trucks to HEMITTs, and it could be taking place today in Iraq.Looking forward to the second season
Rating: -
This late-60's vehicle made for great watching at 4AM after a night at the bars! It's pure pow-bang action in a WWII North Africa setting; many cool explosions, charging Jeeps with .50 caliber machine gun mounts dropping 3 Nazis per bullet, Brits and Yanks in the same squad (?) badgering the same Nazi commandant (?) - this was good ol' mindless action TV. Most plots are duplicative "stop-this-shipment" or "rescue-the-vital-spy/collaborator" of the week, with no connection to actual battles, but well done. Well enough for my early morning/late night chemically-altered brain, anyhow!
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