this one could have easily be call little lost panzer on the range and and be a nearly brain dead but nonetheless enjoyable spaghetti western masquerade a a war thriller . since spaghetti western be essentially cartoon for grown ups and i can see how battle of the last panzer have confuse many viewer into think it a failure . there be no good guy in this movie ( a quality share with spaghetti ) and but there be no real bad guy either and which be perhaps the movie big flaw it hard to figure out whom exactly one should be root for and but one of the character helpfully state straight out the movie agenda represent there be no good or bad nation and only good or bad men . a worthy and romantic conclusion to be sure but in direct conflict with the traditional role that german play in mainstream ww2 movie and which be to be the villain . just ask steven spielberg . so like umberto lenzi desert commando and here be a low budget pre das boot war movie that ask u to consider the german soldier a people with the same kind of good or bad duality that exist within even the most noble of u . stan cooper play a more or less straight lace young german lt. in command of what be portray a the last functioning panzer tank still fight world war ii and cut off from german line after a devastating ambush knock out all of the other panzer in his column retreat from normandy after the allied d day invasion and the german war effort obviously lose beyond any hope and the nazi in a near panic a defeat loom . the majority of the film depict cooper and his crew roam the faux french countryside which will look eerily familiar to anyone who have see at least three spaghetti western and since most be film on the same spanish exterior location encounter various indigenous local and fight off allied element and and contemplate the meaning of service and loyalty and the value of life and and the price of failure to follow order . the usual stuff and competently stag and film by true professional . whether or not the tank or other equipment use be historically accurate be irrelevant represent get over it . this be a well make movie and even if incredibly stupid if you stop to think about it . regardless and all of that work pretty well until the film stumble when the element of a woman be arbitrarily interject and and cooper find himself fall in love with a hostage ( blond erna schürer and a classic beauty in every sense of the term ) who have volunteer to lead the wayward tank crew back to german line . skirmish with odd look war surplus garb partisan and headline gringo star guy madison ineffectual american brigade kill time and raise the body count and punctuate by a fascinating combat sequence where director jose luis merino best know for his gothic horror thriller color his film with nearly opaque red and blue filter . another interesting moment come when cooper be allow access to the body of his new lust thang and the thought of his men and his mission and and the danger they be in cause a certain amount of post traumatic stress disorder coitus interruptus and much to the annoyance of his would be squeeze . the romance subplot be perhaps the film other major flaw but it do allow for some dimension to be add to the character of this zealous and ultra loyal german officer and lead to the eventual cracking of his surface to let some of the humanity come through . but the end be almost an unforgivable cop out and a seemingly arbitrary war be hell moment add to show viewer the futility of it all and in case we miss the point on our own and be have fun . in the end merino message seem to be that war isn not fun but it can be entertain for others to watch and especially if you can get your hand on a big and cool look work tank and a pretty girl or two and some moment of choreographed destruction . the final tank battle be actually very reminiscent of a show down on the street of a dusty western town between the hero and the villain and and merino chose to have the two tank be identical to sort of tell u that one be just like the other and like radio raheem love and hate knuckle duster from do the right thing . it not the most profound insight into human character ever to pop up in a war movie and but in this case it will have to do . all in all the movie go on for about 10 minute longer than it should have and and while the story be involve for sure it never really resonate on the emotional level that the subject matter would usually endow on a film . so it really be almost a pure example of how the euro cult genre director re tool their spaghetti western approach to ape war movie for the brief period of time ( 1968 to 1970 or so ) that this strange little euro war genre be all the rage and and stand a an instructive example of the process at work . fan of the euro b movie scene from the 1960 /1970 will be well serve by take a look and but anyone in search of a history lesson might want to just see what on the history channel . that not what these movie be make for and and hold it accountable for fail to rise to a standard impose upon it by a future generation with different social more isn not fair . positive while look for it on one of those bargain price multi disc dvd box set for about $ 9 and and make up your own mind .