Political Thriller with stand-out performance by Judy Davis
A script is the backbone of a movie. If it’s solidly written with a believable plot, interesting characters, and sharp dialogue, and if the direction is clever, it has a good chance of success. But with a shaky screenplay, however strong the other elements may be, the film will suffer.<br /><br />“The Final Option” (aka “Who Dares Wins”) is a political action thriller, written by Reginald Rose (“12 Angry Men”), based on implausible actions that often defy logic. The plot capitalizes on a spate of embassy seizures by terrorists in the early 1980s. Peter Skellen (Lewis Collins), a member of Britain’s elite military unit SAS (Special Air Service), is discharged for torturing two men under his command. In short order, despite being devoted to his wife and young child, Skellen romances Frankie Leith (Judy Davis, “My Brilliant Career”), leader of an anti-nuclear terrorist cell in London. She responds well to his advances and brings him into the secretive group. We later learn that Skellen’s ouster was a ruse to help him infiltrate and keep tabs on the group. He learns that they plan to hold hostage a number of international diplomats, including the American Secretary of State (Richard Widmark), meeting in an embassy in London. Frankie and her henchmen, including Skellen, succeed in capturing the diplomats.<br /><br />Their primary condition for releasing the hostages is that a bomb be detonated on a nuclear submarine base in Scotland to illustrate the evils of nuclear power. If this demand is not met within several hours, they will start killing the hostages. The logistics are, of course, impossible. The hostages and the audience know that such a demand will never be met.  And since the early part of the film shows SAS members practicing a coordinated attack on a terrorist-held building, we can be sure things won’t go well for the terrorists.<br /><br />What makes the plot so absurd is the fact that Skellen is so obviously a plant by the government and yet the hard-boiled Frankie is too infatuated to see it. Some of the group’s members are wary and follow him to see what he’s up to, but Skellen is cautious. Their suspicions don’t disappear completely but they nonetheless allow him to be privy to and, in fact, take part in their carefully guarded plans. Frankie is portrayed as an intelligent if misguided social activist, yet sleeping with Skellen appears to make her cast all caution to the wind. The romantic connection doesn’t work and is a lazy way to get Skellen into Frankie’s inner circle.<br /><br />The film features an excellent performance by Davis. Her big moment is a back-and-forth with Widmark about her plan. Widmark’s Secretary of State explains rationally why the plot is doomed to failure. The powers that be will never bomb Scotland. It’s impossible to evacuate huge numbers of innocent people in the group’s time frame. Whether they kill the diplomats or not, the terrorists will be either killed or captured. Davis’ Frankie is passionate and says it’s the message the group will send that’s important. She and her cohorts are willing to die for their beliefs. Fiery, imperturbable, with icy self-assurance, Frankie is determined to see the plan through no matter the outcome.<br /><br />Collins, on the other hand, is a poor man’s James Bond. Though good looking and highly skilled, his Skellen is an empty vessel, emotionless, humorless, and stiff. Director Sharp favors close-ups of Collins, which is unfortunate since they do little to reveal what’s happening in Skellen’s head. A lightweight actor, Collins can’t hold the screen against Davis, who is far more compelling. When the bullets fly, he’s more in his element, but for the dramatic scenes, his performance is one-note.<br /><br />In a small but stand-out part, Ingrid Pitt plays Helga, a cold-blooded weapons expert who is one of the group’s fiercest “soldiers.” She’s the antithesis of Frankie, and appears to savor violence. Her big scene occurs when she takes Collins’ wife hostage and the two women come to blows. Pitt is frightening in her focused intensity and thoroughly convincing.<br /><br />Widmark, who enters the film more than halfway through, looks appropriately distinguished and has an air of arrogance as he tries to reason with Frankie. It’s interesting that an American diplomat is the one to stand up to the terrorists. Widmark and Robert Webber (as head of the Strategic Air Command) are the only Americans in an otherwise all-British cast.<br /><br />Director Ian Sharp has bookended “The Final Option” with some exciting action sequences, edited with split-second timing. If you can look past the holes in plot and the inconsistencies, the movie is an entertaining thrill ride. But if you crave sharper, more thoughtful writing, look elsewhere.<br /><br />The R-rated Blu-ray release from Kino-Lorber includes the following bonus materials:<br /><br />Audio Commentary by Director Ian Sharp and Producer Euan Lloyd<br />Last of the Gentlemen Producers: The Life and Works of Euan Lloyd featurette (38:59)<br />The Final Option trailer (1:47)<br />Who Dares Wins trailer (2:45)<br />Treasure of the Four Crowns trailer (2:00)<br />Remo Williams trailer (2:18)<br />When Eight Bells Toll trailer (2:50)<br />Wild Geese II trailer (2:50)<br /><br />“The Final Option” is slow going in its first half but the pace ultimately quickens and culminates in an exciting, action-filled climax. It’s a shame that the details of the script couldn’t have been worked out to make characters’ actions seem more authentic. The terrorists appear short-sighted and nearly oblivious to the Trojan horse moving freely among them. A postscript to the film states that in one year alone (1980), 42 embassies and diplomatic missions were seized worldwide by terrorists and radicals with 22 ambassadors taken hostage and 5 embassies destroyed.
The movie title "The Final Option (Special Edition) aka Who Dares Wins," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.5 from 927 reviewers. 
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The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Genre": "Thriller, Action Adventure", "Contributor": "Ian Sharp, Judy Davis, Lewis Collins, Richard Widmark, Robert Webber, Paul Freeman, Tony Doyle, Edward Woodward, Ingrid PittIan Sharp, Judy Davis, Lewis Collins, Richard Widmark, Robert Webber, Paul Freeman, Tony Doyle, Edward Woodward, Ingrid Pitt  See more", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "2 hours and 5 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "1.85:1", "MPAA rating": "R (Restricted)", "Product Dimensions": "7 x 5 x 1 inches; 2.12 Ounces", "Director": "Ian Sharp", "Run time": "2 hours and 5 minutes", "Release date": "February 15, 2022", "Actors": "Lewis Collins, Judy Davis, Richard Widmark, Edward Woodward, Robert Webber", "Studio": "Kl Studio Classics", "Country of Origin": "USA", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : The closest you’ll ever get to knowing the secrets of the legendary SAS. Special Air Service Captain Skellen (Lewis Collins, TV’s The Professionals) takes the ultimate risk when he infiltrates a fanatical anti-nuclear group led by the ruthless Frankie Leith (Judy Davis, Barton Fink). When the group raids the American Embassy, Skellen and his elite SAS colleagues must use all of their expertise and courage to save the lives of the high-ranking hostages being held captive. Inspired by the real-life Iranian Embassy siege of 1980 in London, The Final Option (also known as Who Dares Wins) is a slam-bang counterterrorism thriller written by Reginald Rose (12 Angry Men), directed by Ian Sharp (Tracker) and co-starring Richard Widmark (Time Limit), Edward Woodward (TV’s The Equalizer), Ingrid Pitt (Where Eagles Dare) and Robert Webber (The Dirty Dozen)..