There is a substantial amount of gratuitous violence when the small band of troops (led by Gregory Peck's Captain Keith Mallory) is forced to draw down and duke it out with German u-boaters fairly early on. The explosions are in rare form at the climatic ending (another aspect of modern cinema that may very well have been derived from the Guns of Navarone and others like it during the early 60's), while nature's elements, in the form of terrific storms and devastating waves, all add to the perceive thrill. The only problem, of course, with viewing this type of movie in retrospect is that the special effects are somewhat less than spectacular. Compared to many of today's cinematic ventures in the action vein, they seem downright tame, if not even lame. This aspect of the Guns of Navarone is understandable, of course, due to the advancements in technology and the lack thereof in the timeframe that this movie was completed. At the same time, however, it is unforgiveable for the simple fact that much of the appeal in watching action/adventure movies comes from these effects.

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