What to Stream: 3 ‘Men on a Mission’ Movies in Honor of ‘Rogue One’

Will Lerner
·Producer, Yahoo Entertainment

Rogue One is in theaters! Finally the long-awaited film from the fine folks at Star Wars about the Rebel Alliance stealing the plans to the Death Star has arrived. Rogue One draws upon the “men on a mission” genre, updating it in no small way by having its leader be a woman. While it takes time for Hollywood to catch up and make this style of film more inclusive, these three classic movies of the genre are definitely worth your time.

The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen has been a relevant movie in 2016. (Photo: Everett Collection)
The Dirty Dozen has gained relevance in 2016 with the release of Rogue One and Suicide Squad. (Photo: Everett Collection)

Let’s start with the one that most people have compared Rogue One to: The Dirty Dozen. The 1967 mission movie isn’t the first of its kind, but it’s one of the most celebrated. Lee Marvin stars as Maj. John Reisman, a man tasked with assembling and leading a motley crew of Army convicts on a suicide mission to take out a large swath of German officers in Nazi-occupied France. Featuring Hollywood icons Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, and John Cassavetes, this film feels as fresh today as it did back then. The Dirty Dozen is available on YouTube.

Seven Samurai

Seven Samurai has been described as the first men on a mission movie. (Photo: Everett Collection)
Seven Samurai has been described as the first “men on a mission” movie. (Photo: Everett Collection)

If The Dirty Dozen isn’t the oldest men on a mission movie, what is? It just might be Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece Seven Samurai. Japanese film expert Michael Jeck thinks this may be the first of its kind. While many have followed in Kurosawa’s footsteps, including your boy George Lucas, his work stands out as the finest, even all these years after its 1954 release. Seven Samurai is available on Filmstruck.

The Guns of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone: lesser known but a great, great film. (Photo: Everett Collection)
The Guns of Navarone: Lesser known but a great, great film. (Photo: Everett Collection)

And finally, here’s one that is not as famous as the other two, yet very much worth your time. Gregory Peck stars as Captain Keith Mallory, a spy and mountaineer who is sent on a commando mission alongside Anthony Quinn and David Niven to destroy a Nazi fortress in Greece. The film was well-received and got several Oscar nominations. The Guns of Navarone is available on iTunes.

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