7 of the worst World War 2 films ever made ranked and number one will shock you

The Battle of the Last Panzer (1969)

7. Red Tails (2012)

Directed by Anthony Hemingway

The high-flying aerial film was based on the true story about the Civil Aeronautics Authority who selected 13 black cadets to become part of an experimental programme at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama during World War Two. The programme aimed for the cadets to become fighter pilots for the Army. While historians have credited the film for capturing the racial discrimination the men faced and were highly respected bomber escorts, the film exaggerated the number of jet kills. In addition, the film used CGI which was unappealing to some audience reviewers with the narrative heavily focussed on action and romance.

Rating: Critics have given the film a score of 44% as one shared: "I have seen my share of war movies but this was one of the worst. Too much historical flaws."

6. 1941 (1979) 

Directed by Steven Spielberg

1941 is an American war comedy film which stars an ensemble cast including Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Lee, Tim Matheson, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Stack, Nancy Allen, and Mickey Rourke in his film debut. The story involves a panic in the Los Angeles area after the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Off the back of Jaws, Spielberg was at the height of his acclaimed fame but decided to tackle World War II with comedy. Released in December 1979, it was met with savage reviews and although would go on to make $95million (£70 million) at the box office it is still considered a theatrical failure.

Rating: Reviewers have hit the comedy war film flop with a dismal 33% rating. One critic argued it was a "lot of noise for a little output" while others claimed the movie is underrated.

5. Windtalkers (2002)

Directed by John Woo

The movie that starred Nicholas Cage sheds a light on World War II's unsung war heroes and had all the ingredients for success. Marine Joe Enders (Nicolas Cage) is assigned to protect Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach) a Navajo code talker, the Marines' new secret weapon. Enders' orders are to protect his code talker, but if Yahzee falls into enemy hands he must protect the code at all costs. The war film is set on the backdrop of the horrific Battle of Saipan.

However critics lambasted the movie which sidelined many of the supporting characters, some of who are barely shown at all with many suggesting it was full of cliches and tired tropes.

Rating: The film scored 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. A reviewer said: "Thought it was a pretty solid war film. Yes, it was cliched but held my interest if you follow war films. The suggestion that it was too violent, is ridiculous. Combine John Woo with WWII and thus is what you get."

4. Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Directed by John Madden

Nicholas Cage makes the list for a second time with a tale about the enduring hope of love and the devastating brutality of war, set amid the Italian occupation of Greece during World War II. An officer falls in love with the daughter (played by Penolope Cruz) of the village doctor and he begins to question his reasons for fighting. The pair must later choose between each other or pledging allegiance to their respective countries.

Critics branded the film dull and heavily centred on their romance but the two lead characters lack on-screen chemistry making the tale unbelievable.

Rating: It has scored an unimpressive score of 28% on Rotten Tomatoes as one critic claimed it's "long, unoriginal and uninteresting".

3. Pearl Harbor (2001)

Directed by Michael Bay

With a star-studded cast including Ben Affleck, Cuba Gooding Jr, Kate Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett, Pearl Harbor has been largely critiqued as a disaster. As the world is embroiled in World War II in the early 1940s, Rafe is compelled to join the British air fight against the Nazis, leaving his friend and his army nurse girlfriend Evelyn Stewart behind.

When Evelyn and Danny are transferred to the military base at Pearl Harbor, they hear the news that Rafe has been shot down and killed. Hoping to move on after grieving, Danny and Evelyn find themselves in love. When Rafe returns alive, the three find themselves in an uncomfortable personal situation that is soon engulfed by the massive surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

Historians have said the film is filled with historical inaccuracies while critics claimed the movie was too focussed on the romance aspect.

Rating: It has received a low rating of 24% on Rotten Tomatoes

2. Battle of the Last Panzer (1969)

Directed by José Luis Merino

It is an international war film told from the German perspective during the Allied invasion during World War II. The story is told through the eyes of a panzer crew tank as it follows the team as they engage in their final battle against an Allied force.

While many critics have dubbed the acting as mediocre others declared the film is littered with historical inaccuracies making it forgettable.

Rating: It received a not so impressive score of 10% on Rotten Tomatoes.

1. Battle of the Bulge (1966)

Directed by Ken Annakin

First released in 1965 with a star-studded cast including Henry Fonda, Telly Savalas and Robert Shaw was set to be a great movie, however, audiences were left stunned. Dubbed a geographical mess, the Battle of the Bulge should have been carried out on snow covered plains but instead was shot in sunny Spain. War veterans would later slam the film for not covering the struggles soldiers had endured. Historians have called it one of the most "misleading portryals of World War II ever put on screen".

Rating: While the 1965 offering has received a solid score of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes the 2018 remake received a dismal reviews with just an 8% score.