Critic's Grade: C

If you must see one World War II movie before you die, then I'd steer clear of "Battle of Britain." Sure, the movie has enough aerial photography and battle footage to keep the action going for just over two hours, but the in-between areas are comprised of dozens of characters and storylines that could fill an entire television miniseries. The plot is that of the German attack on Britain in 1940, beginning with airfield and military facility strikes, and escalating to a devastating attack on London in the aftermath of the Royal Air Force's payload was dropped on Berlin. The squirmish would eventually turn in favor of the British, as the outnumbered fighter pilots went on to achieve a victory that no one thought possible.

Amidst all the rubble of the action and the non-existent character development, there's a story in there somewhere, I'm sure. Historical facts become buried beneath a repetitive blaze of bullets, exploding planes, and images of mayhem and destruction, all shot with a keen eye by cinematographer Freddie Young. Writers Wilfred Greatorex and James Kennaway try desperately to spend a few fleeting moments with the characters left to themselves, but it's no use, really. We're left with a rather tepid attempt at romance between cast members Christopher Plummer and Suzanna York, while the efforts to show one officer's devastation at losing his entire family in the London bombing is left hanging by its entrails. The phrase "All talk and no action" doesn't really apply here, as "Battle of Britain" has more than enough of both, but what it's missing is a central core with which we can relate to these events. Spectacular, yes, but also soulless.

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