Rebel

The year is 1942: the Japanese are on the run at Guadalcanal, and Matt Dillon's libido is advancing on Sydney, Australia. The well-defined object of his desire is Kathy (Byrne), lead singer of an all-girl band, who's doing her bit by entertaining the troops on leave. Persistence pays off, and though married, Kathy is won over by young Sgt Rebel's humanity, sensitivity and high cheek bones: he's a deserter determined never to fight again, and willing to sock several people in the jaw to emphasise the point. With an anti-war stance at heart, Rebel deserves some praise amid the current onslaught of bellicose films. But instead of confronting the complex issues and emotions plausibly inherent in the scenario, it falls back on clichés and one-dimensional characters, less a musical than a comic strip punctuated by verse.