In WW2, British soldier Stephen Brooks is captured, becoming a prisoner of war. Alongside fellow POW, he is sent to work at a zoo where he comes to care deeply for the elephant, Lucy. Lucy is scheduled to be transported after a bombing evacuation and is escorted by Brooks, Vronia a cook, Willi a friendly Austrian soldier, and Kurt a brutal German soldier to Innsbruck, Austria. However, Brooks has other ideas and makes plans for a journey to the Swiss border and freedom. Hannibal Brooks was a pleasant surprise for me as I went into it knowing practically nothing. My dad had decided to put it on for the whole family and it was certainly quite the adventure. From the opening sequence, the music played instantly gives off a comedic vibe to the story despite being a war flick. Whilst it is a very funny escapade, it doesn't shy away from the harshness of war or its tragedies. There are frequent gun fights, plenty of death (some even quite brutal) and disastrous bombings. However, balancing out the reality of war and the more upsetting moments is a light-hearted adventure centred around the expedition of an elephant across a series of villages and terrain to its destination, which ends up taking a huge detour. The story features plenty of other comical aspects that come in the form of the varying characters, notably, Packy an American escapee. He's always looking for a way out and frequently trying to convince Brooks to join him and his partisans, but he is devoted to caring for Lucy. I think Packy is my favourite character in the film as he constantly shows up throughout the journey, always managing to cross paths with Brooks. He is absolutely hilarious as he is so calm and relaxed during even the most dire situations, really enjoying himself when taking out Nazis. I loved the scene where he tries to use explosives on a train track that doesn't work leaving him and his men bemused. Only for Brooks and Lucy to knock over some logs that accidentally end up derailing the train and exploding, which Packy takes the credit for saying it was a timed explosive. I would look forward to his eventual next appearance as he practically stole the show, in my opinion. Whenever he showed I knew I was in for some all-guns blazing battles that were extremely eruptive fights. Naturally, our main protagonist is Brooks who is equally loveable with his determination to help Lucy and his many witty remarks to the Nazi officers who he eventually outsmarts at every turn. He is very resourceful and although he doesn't want to fight, he does defend himself and those he cares for. He is particularly tested by the horrible soldier, Kurt, who spends his time getting drunk subsequently shouting commands that if not met would result in his killing of Lucy. Tensions rise every time he makes this threat. It comes to a boiling point when Brooks fights with him after he almost makes good on it where he fortuitously kills Kurt. The remaining expedition set on their way to freedom in Switzerland but along the way separate and reunite, enduring their own hardships or problems. Besides Brooks, I also liked Willi who despite being an opposing soldier, aids the two in their mission during the most difficult situations becoming a true hero. Another hero in this story is our other star, Lucy the elephant. She helps to take out Nazis from dropping logs on them to pulling down overhanging beams of a Nazi watchtower close to the Swiss border. Without her help, our protagonists wouldn't have made it to freedom. Throughout the movie, there are plenty of themes that whilst may be extremely varying and contrasting in tone, didn't subtract from my enjoyment. I loved each side of the film from the comedy to the life-on-the-line conflict, not once feeling jarred by the changes in tone. Overall, I was instantly hooked on Hannibal Brooks and I found it immensely powerful. I found each character to be engaging, wanting to see this journey through to the end to see if they will make it past the ever-nearing conflict. I would highly recommend checking out this cult classic especially if you are a war movie fan. Plus, the whole film can be found on YouTube for free making for some easily-accessible viewing.
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