"TOO LATE THE HERO" is one of those rare action films about WW2 that succeeds on its own terms. It's not trying to be a deep, contemplative film like "THIN RED LINE", but it tries and succeeds at being a rousing and tense war film with unwitting heroes.

Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson star in this film about about a commando unit battling the Japanese in the South Pacific. After their entire unit is wiped out, these two men must fight to survive against the Japanese forces overtaking them, let alone, whether to try completing their "suicide mission!" 

The entire cast is terrific.  Denholm Elliott and Henry Fonda have brief but memorable roles, but Caine steals the film. While some of his later films(the exception being "CIDER HOUSE RULES" have been mediocre, this is the kind of meaty role that was meant for Caine, and wherein he shines the most!

ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT has provided the correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio with 16:9 enhancement for the film, as well as a full frame version.  The letterboxed version is generally impressive.  While there are some defects, this appears related to the actual negative itself, consisting mainly of scratches and similar problems. The color values are great, with excellent clarity and delineation.  The contrast is generally fine, although in some of the darker jungle scenes, the blacks and grays aren't as discernible as on better transfers from ANCHOR BAY.

While there is a Dolby Digital 2.0 mix, it's mostly monaural, except for slight separation for the film's score.  Fidelity is limited, and there's some minor distortion at higher levels.

The theatrical trailer is included.