Who Dares Wins (film) - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

A sequel was planned in which Capt Skellen would lead a SAS team in the Falklands conflict, but the project was scrapped, despite the film having been the sixth-highest grossing movie of 1982 at the U.K box office.

Film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said: "There are so many errors of judgment, strategy, behavior and simple plausibility in this movie that we just give up and wait for it to end. You know you're in trouble when the movie's audience knows more about terrorism than the terrorists do."

Who Dares Wins was also panned by some critics as being right-wing; Sight and Sound described the film as "hawkish" Reportedly though, it earned praise from prominent film makers. Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, for example, told Ian Sharp they loved Who Dares Wins, and therefore they chose Sharp to work as the 2nd Unit director in their 1988 film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In a letter to producer Euan Lloyd dated 25 February, 1983, now in the collection of film director Malcolm Taylor, Stanley Kubrick wrote: "I must also take this opportunity to tell you how much I enjoyed Who Dares Wins. Casting Judy Davis was a brilliant idea. I think she is the best young actress around and she brought instant credibility and dramatic interest to all her scenes."

Film critic Alan Patterson reviewed the film in 2010 and had a favorable review and summary of the film concluding with "All in all this is an entertaining British action picture that beats many of today's offerings into a cocked hat. There's the necessary hint of menace to make it work and to involve the audience. A great cast with an excellent score. In short, a well made movie". Movie score : 8 (out of 10)