Monday, March 1, 2021

The Terrorists (1974)

An engaging tale of terrorism and hijacking... and political intrigue. The head of security in a Scandinavian country (Norway basically but this is not mentioned for some reason) Tahlvik (Sean Connery) is called in to deal with the kidnap of the British ambassador. The kidnappers, linked to a terrorist cell in the UK led by wanted man Shepherd (John Quentin), have an ace up their sleeves though. At that moment a Boeing 737 is landing at the nearby airport (Oslo) and is hijacked on landing by Petrie (Ian McShane)...

Tahlvik's attempts to defeat the hijackers are foiled at every attempt, they must have some inside information. As the exchange of the ambassador for the aircraft passengers takes place Tahlvik suddenly realises that there is far more to this than meets the eye...

Although not the fastest paced film, this is an enjoyable enough thriller. Everything is a bit too low-key but the Norwegian scenery looks superb, if rather chilly. The twist, when it comes, doesn't make complete sense but does give the film a suitably exciting action finish.