THE reason why the death of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich has become so indelibly marked in history isn't difficult to grasp.

There were plenty of terrorist attacks before and many more since.

Indeed, many have been more violent and resulted in more casualties.

But Munich was terror on a world stage. It was almost the beginning of live TV news, the start of a post-modern world where people sat at home and watched murders being committed in front of them.

The horrific, chilling events and the fall out as the Israelis sought vengeance against the Palestinians is the topic for Steven Spielberg's return.

Firstly, as always in films of this nature, switch off everything you may already know.

This is only loosely based on what happened in that terrifying attack and beyond.

And this is a hugely impressively created film, with many outstanding moments and a huge cinematic presence.

Based on a now largely discredited book, the film follows the group of Mossads appointed by the Israeli Government to take revenge on those responsible for the Munich killings.

The opening to the film is strikingly fantastic and hugely absorbing - but sadly this tension and drama doesn't last. As the killings and the murders pile up, so does the tedium.

Spielberg, extremely bravely, is trying to make a political point here about the senselessness of revenge killings - but that gets lost in an over long middle to the film which drags.

While it is right to highlight the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for its waste of life, holding terrorists up as remorseful, humane people is a dangerous game.

Now, more than perhaps ever before, the spotlight is on Israel and Palestine, and the world in general and Spielberg's anti-war cry is one most people would agree with.

Sadly Munich falls short in drumming the message home.