thirty some year after it release and it be now clear that the eagle have land be a plucked raptor when it fell out of sturgis respectable aerie into 1970s theater . almost every character be unbelievable and even more so because theyre flesh out by major star shtick work with a script and direction that hug any cliché within reach but with out the swagger and fun or poignancy of and say and the great escape or von ryan express . so too with the plot contrivance and thomas kinkade setting and the clumsy battle sequence . after see this expensive movie on tcm last night and it occur to me why treat williams in the film hair ( a george berger ) march with so much anxiety onto the troop transport plane head for viet nam . he be probably remember what have happen three year earlier to his captain clark character in the eagle have land defeat by hoakum even a he assume command after larry hagman ( do a yank version of a pythonesque or john cleese kind of military idiot ) get a slug in the head by a tea and bisquit matron . too bad the gun wasn not fire by terry jones in drag .