Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-20 04:27:18

Great movie, great song, great singer...

I have VHS tape and watch it frequently while serving in the Army.My Black friends did mention about white men killing lot of Black poeple , I didn't have time to explain to them that General Androfa soldiers kill more Black people in one day than all the S.Africa defense force kill in a year.I told them to hang around and watch Zulu and Zulu Dawn with me.I mean how about White men kill lot of Vietnamese , Chinese or Japanese if people got offense with all this films I will end up watching Donald Duck tape everyday. This film is anti war film at its best it show the suffering ,senselessness , the cruelity and depravities of war it didn't glorifield mercenary or war. However, for gun people this film have a lot of goodies to please , First the FAL rifle aka SLR were primarily use on both side and this film is about only one that show FAL being use in combat ,lot of submachine gun of the 70's like UZI, Czeh VZ24, Madsen. No one hip shooting in this film and those who did were killed pretty quick .It gave a brief few glimpse of British military ,the tactic ,and tradition, genuine British accent and sacrasm .This is fast pace ,never dull moment film and it is a breath of fresh air from Rambo, Platoon , Saving Pvt Ryan, and other Vietnam war flick . I will be waiting for DVD release because my VHS tape is pretty old .

2012-05-20 00:30:12

Wild Geese- Perfection

This is without doubt an awsesome film and ranks with my other four favorite war films namely Zulu, The Eagle has Landed, Where Eagles Dare and The Sea Wolves. In my mind there is everything in this movie that all War/Action Adventure fans could ever want and more. For me the thing that stands out more than anything else is how earthy the movie is. It really captures the down to earth attitudes of the mercenaries. It's solidity is total throughout the entire movie. I have watched this movie time and time again and then some and never tire of it. As an Independent Film and Television Producer I had the great fortune to be able to speak to the Director of this movie The legendary Andrew V. McLaglen on the telepnone at his house in washington U.S. Andrew also directed another of my favorite movies called the Sea wolves. We talked at great length about The Wild Geese and especially my movie hero Roger Moore and when I said goodbye to Andrew and put down the phone I was as high as a kite, and it just confirmed why I love being in this Film/TV industry period. Andrew was a true gent to talk to but please dont try to phone him to ask him questions as my call was Film/TV business related. Finally I like everyone else it would seem can't wait for an excellent version of this on DVD, so please release it soon. Incidentally, VHS versions of this movie are available to buy here in England (UK) If anyone wants information just e-mail me. Regards Charlie.

2012-05-16 13:34:41

1970s adventure.....

This review is from: The Wild Geese (30th Anniversary Edition) (DVD) When I first saw this in the early 80s (on tape) the plot was still fresh enough to engage me: the theme of European mercenary intervention in their former colonies, white/black issues with undertones of Apartheid...all coupled with adventurism and the world-renowned professional status of the Brit military...It was a great flick - then. I give it 3 stars for that (but maybe should be 4).Today, this film is somewhat dated. Richard Burton was ill or had back trouble when it was made, and it rather shows (even though he was supposed to portray a retired, "rode hard and put up wet" military man - admittedly that helped). The human themes are a bit simplistic now.Uniforms are accurate, and so are weapons if one assumes the mercenaries had to use submachine guns due to taking what they could get on the illegal arms market. Note the variance of weapons; that poses a problem as anyone with military experience knows. The biggest 'flag' regarding the weapons was the opposition - notice the Simbas (and the other black revolutionary troops) are carrying the standard Western FN...but more often these post colonial nations, backed by Russian or Cuban "advisors" (which in fact are stereotypically shown in this movie) would have AK47s. Military haircuts (and, generally, military bearing) are disregarded in favor of the 70s look. But, this is common in earlier movies.The nonsense with the crossbow & poison bolts is pure Hollywood; silent killing doesn't work that way. And, they don't run out of ammo (more Hollywood) which is too obvious given the spray & pray tactics. Notice these 'commandos' often don't bother to aim. Ah, well. Veterans would get a laugh if the political theme wasn't serious. By today's standards its a shallow adventure flick; not something to take seriously. Loosely based on the book "The Dogs of War" by Forsyth. One thing I will say: despite the all-star cast, they fit together very well. But, even considering Burton, Roger Moore, Hardy Krueger, etc, the actor playing Regimental Sergeant-Major Sandy Young stole the show, for me! He was terrific!Good to rent for a rainy weekend !

sychonic 2012-05-15 15:34:24

pretty good war film

This is pretty good testosterone driven film-making. The plot is prettyroutine, drop a small group of special forces into enemy country andsee what happens. Richard Burton and Richard Harris are reasonably goodplaying over the hill mercenaries, and in that they're time has passed,it's somewhat reminiscent of the classic "The Wild Bunch". There are some mistakes, like the son of Richard Harris--up there asone of the most irritating kids in any movie ever. And the idea thatHardy Krueger, as a South African, would simply throw over hisapartheid views after talking to a black nationalist leader for fiveminutes is ridiculous. Probably thrown in to compensate for theimperialist overtones of having a small group of white guys blowingaway a lot of African soldiers. Still, even though there's a pretty high body count, the representationseems a bit more realistic than many shoot'em-ups. This is hardly aclassic, but it's a solid effort, certainly not meriting the ratherfoolish attacks on it.

2012-05-09 23:08:32

good post-WWII military film, but worst sung theme song ever

This a good (for a war film set post-WWII) military film based on mercenaries in Africa. The film is well-acted and has a lot of stars. The only negative is that the theme song has to be one of the worst sung theme songs that I have ever heard.

2012-05-09 20:33:07

The Quintessential Mercenary Movie!

An absolute gem of 1970s action-movies, ...and one of those films that is EXCELLENT no matter how many times you've seen it!Richard Burton is a notorious mercenary leader, hired by a British corporation to spring a deposed African president from a remote military prison. A hard bargainer, the reknowned leader demands high fees and the best gear, ...with the promise that he will get the best men for the job, and carry out that job better than anyone else.Richard Harris and Roger Moore play the veterans who are his first pick, ...one is retired, ...the other is under a death-warrant by the London mob! They assemble a motley-crew of veteran-Paras. Some are young fellows, recently discharged from active-service, and disatisfied with the sparce prospects for employment in 1970s Britain. The rest are battle-hardened middle-aged men, ...who prove that they STILL have plenty of fight in them, to do what they loved best.The mission: Rescue Julius Limbani from a prison camp deep in a hostile African nation. Everything goes well, ...until the client cancels the contract at the last minute!

kensvette 2012-05-03 01:40:33

an "in your face" look at mercenary operations and racist sentiments in Africa

Many observers will dismiss this film as a schlocky misuse of star powerthelikes of Richard Burton. In fact, I regard THE WILD GEESE as an excitingdramatization of mercenary activities, along with a captivating sub-plotonApartheid and racial hatred in Africa. This film has not been availableinvideotape for many years. Today, the viewer who wishes to own a copy mustpurchase from an "archive" agency or private collector. It is a bloodyshame that this film is not available in DVD, fully remastered andreconfigured for surround sound. I am biased in that I'm a Richard Burtonfan, but I think the old Welshman put in a stellar performance as ColonelFaulkner, the boorish, erstwhile leader of the mercenary group depicted inthe film. On a completely serious note, there is a "message" conveyed inthe film that if ALL Africans cannot cooperate with each other, the nationwill perish, undermined by internal conflict and divisiveness. There isalso an undercurrent theme that deals with how people behave when they arebetrayed. I am a big fan of this film and wish I knew the "rest of thestory" on why it is "unavailable." If anyone out there has the facts inthis regard, post a review.

flynn1066 2012-05-02 10:10:05

The Greatest Mercenary Movie of All Time

This flick which has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it overtwenty years ago.It was released on DVD in the past year or so here inthe U.S.,so I bought it to see if it held up.Boy howdy did itever,aside from some of the goofy clothes the people were wearing atthe mafia punk's party,this movie still looks fantastic. First of all,you can't wrong with a flick starring two of the three greatest actorsof all time,Richard Burton and Richard Harris (it's a shame there wasno part for Peter O'Toole,oh well).Not to forget Roger Moore who showsall the naysayers he was a great choice to play 007,it's not his faulthe was saddled with mediocre scripts and wasn't allowed to be the 007he could've been (for proof watch the scene where he dispenses somevery Bond-like justice on the mafia punk who tricked him into smugglingheroin). Richard Burton plays the no-nonsense,hard drinking merccommander who has his sense of what's right and wrong in the worldre-awakened by his best friend and master tactician merc played byRichard Harris (the conscience of the group).Also in the group is greatGerman actor Hardy Kruger as a Dutch South African who has issues buthas the best character arc in the piece.There is also Kenneth Griffithas the homosexual medic who despite being downplayed as comedic reliefis every bit as dangerous as the other mercs.John Kani plays the superdependable merc Jesse and the always great Winston Ntshona as theobject of the mercs rescue mission. This saves my personal favoritecharacter for last the always great Jack Watson as the RSM,hischaracter is the guy I'd want leading me out of a hellish situationsuch as the one the guys encounter here in this all time great manlyflick.Not to mention when Watson's character is re-training them thatis my favorite scene in the flick, it always gets a good bwa-ha-ha-haoutta me. The whole point of their mission is to rescue a democracyloving ex- president of a fictional African country for the purposes ofmineral acquisition.Their employer is a British banker played to evilyet constipated perfection by Stewart Granger(as different from AlanQuartermain as a part can get).Of course he betrays them and they haveto fight their way through Africa to try to get Winston Ntshona'scharacter to safe ground.They lose a lot of the cast in this section ofthe movie and it hurts to see characters you learn to love dying someof the most brutal deaths imaginable. The final escape by the Dakotaplane is as harrowing as any I've seen in any flick,gut wrenching andheart breaking to boot.This is one flick that it's okay for guys to getmisty eyed over due to the tragic heroism of Richard Burton andcompany.It is worth it just to see the rage boiling over in RichardBurton's eyes as they land at the airport and you know that StewartGranger's character ain't long for this world.If any women are readingthis review and your husband/boyfriend is a fan of real movies for menand not frat-house movies,then you can't go wrong with this one.This isthe greatest mercenary movie of all time.

screenman 2012-05-01 00:44:44

The Plucked Turkeys

This is yet another of those hastily-cobbled-together botched jobs thatappeared between the mid 1970's and mid 1980's. A new generation ofaction guys had still to establish themselves at this time, so the oldbrigade must soldier on - literally in this case.Basically, the philosophy seemed to be; don't worry about a plot, don'tbother with a script, and there's no need for direction. Just put abunch of popular actors in the lead roles and the movie will runitself. The formula doesn't work.There's Richard Burton, Hardy Kruger, Roger Moore, Richard Harris,Stewart Grainger; any one of whom would have single-handedly carried amovie a decade before. Here, they bumble about, puffing and pantinglike a geriatric jamboree. Burton looks particularly woebegone. Whatwith his bloated features and ill-fitting helmet, he doesn't look asthough he will even survive the parachute jump. It's so sad; most ofthese players have a catalogue of excellent roles to their credit.The team's mission is to rescue some honest African politician or other(anybody ever seen one of those?) being held hostage. We see themblundering through a series of set-piece situations that might havebeen penned by children. They attack a compound, knocking out thewatch-tower guards using a highly dubious crossbow, despite havingsilenced firearms. They neutralise the sleeping guards with Cyanidegas, which apparently kills with a single whiff (don't you believe it!)when they could as easily shoot them, too. The canisters have'cyanide!' stamped on their sides, like a Jerry Anderson prop. Later,one of their trucks conks-out on a highly exposed bridge. Wouldn't youjust know it? And what does the rest of the convoy do? Why; theyimmediately stop as well. Obviously. There they are, all lined up likeskittles. So that when an aeroplane arrives to strafe and bomb them,it's spoilt for choice (actually, that's the cunning plan; confuse thepilot). Even as the attack is taking place, some of the trucks stillhaven't been evacuated. The plane also carries a torpedo-bomb thing.And the pilot, who is apparently a former 617 Squadron ace, releases itdown the river-bed where it bounces along in a fashion that would havebrought tearful eyes to Messrs Barnes, Wallis and Gromit. The thingdetonates just at the right moment, engulfing the bridge and trucks infire, and flooding th Ruhr valley (that bit was edited).The fire on the bridge has split the team. So the leaders drive on totheir rendezvous and the tail-enders must catch-up on foot. Thisexposes us to a tedious morality act, as Hardly Kruger plays anembittered racist Afrikaaner who must piggy-back this honest blackbloke through the bush. We endure a soppy debate about races and land,culminating in assertions that both blacks and whites need each other,for the sake of the country. Yeah, man, right-on. It'ssphincter-punckeringly banal, like the outpourings of some particularlydumb socialist under-graduate who thinks he knows all about the worldbecause he's glanced through 'Das Kapital' in between drunken campusorgies.The whole thing just grinds along to its inevitable and predictabledenouement.There's absolutely nothing to commend it. Acting, choreography, script,story, lighting, camera-work, sound, music; every aspect is liftedstraight out of the 'Beginners Guide To Drama'. All those old lags musthave been desperate to top-up their pension funds. Chuck it into thesame sin-bin as 'Shout At The Devil', 'Cassandra Crossing', 'Ashanti'and one or two other big-name cringe-worthies of the period.It always strikes me as strange that some adventure movies can be sogood - 'The Guns Of Navarone', 'Where Eagles Dare', and so on, whilstothers - like this - are beyond redemption. The people are there, themoney's there, yet one grips your attention whilst the other sends youto sleep. Can a competent director be the only difference?Somewhere amongst the commentaries there is one from EUAN LLOYD, theproducer, thanking viewers for watching 'his' movie. I suppose it's bigof him to take the blame.

2012-04-30 16:57:44

The Real Dogs of War

Released in late 1978 in the US (yes, the 30th anniversary claim on the DVD cover is quite wrong), the Wild Geese still retains its quality of a decently crafted war film. It's neither over the top nor underplayed. A group of 50 English mercenaries is hired by a sinister industrialist (Stewart Granger) to rescue a deposed African president (Winston Ntshona) who is about to be executed. Although the storyline is a bit formulaic, it succeeds because the film is character driven by a convincing cast of well-known international actors: Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Roger Moore, Hardy Krueger, and James Watson. Director Andrew McLagen does the right thing by establishing who these mercenaries are from the start as down and out war veterans now dulled by citizen life and in emotional and financial need to return to their one true profession: Faulkner (Burton) a widowed cynical yet idealistic alcoholic who is estranged from his family, can't hold down a decent job, and is not above despising his current employer (Granger): Janders (Harris), a war-weary soldier whose ambivalent participation endangers the deep relationship with his son; Fynn (Moore), a violent yet just fugitive on the run from the London mafia; Coetzee (Krueger), a true political-hating mercenary who is in it solely for the money until his redemption with Limbani (Ntshona); and Sandy (Watson), a man who leaves the comfort and trappings of a quiet marriage because he yearns for his previous life. The other minor characters round out this ensemble cast and each provides a unique personality to the unit. The loyalties of the mercenaries are tested before and during the mission, and the resulting conflicts and how they are handled bring a sense of humanity to the story. I'll admit that some of the dialog and scenes are over simplified, but you grow to care for these middle-aged soldiers as they fight and die in a brutal and futile African war. As result, we are given a war film that is balanced with regards to well-paced action (bloody, well-choreographed, but not gratuitous) and the human element in which the characters blend wonderfully together. The Wild Geese is a total package and it flies !!

2012-04-25 21:38:53

A vintage corker

The first thing I did when I got ahold of this 'special edition' DVD was watch the Movietone News footage of the original London premiere. Has-been British movie stars in 1970s fashions meeting the Duchess of Kent in a benefit for the "Stars Organisation for Spastics" or "SOS". Hilarious! But then I watched the film again ... and talk about improving with age! When I first saw this movie in the cinemas as a high school student back in 1978, it just seemed stodgy and unbelievable. Richard Burton looked stiff and out-of-it; Richard Harris was in this syrupy relationship with his tousled-haired son; and all that racial harmony stuff just seemed ridiculous. But thirty years later, Burton suddenly seems spot-on as an alcholic, nearly has-been mercenary; Harris' performance seems like the emotional heart of the picture; and the talk of harmony (between white and black Africans but also between blacks themselves) suddenly seems prescient in light of subsequent history. I guess that Wild Geese is an old movie for old men. As the accompanying documentary features make clear, it was a producer's film, not a director's film. There's no auteurism in evidence, no visual style. Just a solid story played out by a cast of old pros. Even the somewhat awkward action sequences now ring true, like just the sort of small-scale chaos a handful of grizzled mercenaries might be able to drum up in the bush. I didn't buy it then, but I do now.

unreasonableboy 2012-04-25 12:22:34

The White Man's Burden!,

They don't make em like this anymore, it's certainly not 'Cannes'or'Sun dance' film festival material. There is an all star cast with anassortment of fine British character actors in support, plenty ofaction and a laundry list of politically incorrect overtones. Thiscertainly puts Wildgeese well up their as a relic of the past, I tellyou it doesn't get any better than this! It's just another day at theoffice when they massacre a garrison of 250 Zimbas with cyanide gas andthen finish the rest off with what could best be described as a "masscase of lead poisoning" while making good their escape. In additionthere is the racist South African who has no problem calling blacks"Kaffers" and the medical orderly Witty who hilariously epitomizes theimage of how gays were portrayed back in 1970's "ooh ducky"! Also, 'thewhite mans burden' attitude, Africans can't run their own show evenafter decolonisation i.e tribal rivalry, and when any of the Zimbaswere shot they shook violently for a second while accompanied by a highpitch scream; you see --- white guys die quietly! Also, local nativesuperstition about Limbani coming back from the dead! It's still agreat action flick but today many people would have a fit if this typeof movie was released today even if it was meant to be from a 1960'sperspective. I noted that the infamous and well known mercenary "MadMike" Hore was technical adviser to the film which would consequentlymake this type of film even more loathed today.Some have commented on the fact that the cast were all too long in thetooth to be taken seriously as mercenaries, but ironically the filmdoes not hide the fact that this was a last hurrah for some of theaging former soldiers. In addition back in the 1960's and 70's manymercenaries were recruited from the ranks of the unemployed or wereformer soldiers who after being de-mobbed found life in civy-streetdifficult. Many were former cooks and mechanics who often lacked thetraining the equipment as well as finding that their pay was often slowin coming.***Spoilers*** Wildgeese starts off with the romantic notion of being aSoldier of fortune as they complete their mission easily. Howeverthings start to unravel when they are double crossed by that scoundrelMatheson , then they really had to work hard for their $7000,subsequently very few of them make it back. The film keeps faith withthe good guys always win in the end as "Sir Edward" learns the hard waythat he double crossed the wrong man because the ever resourcefulFaulkner eventually turns the tables on him; Matheson comes off secondbest in the confrontation in the study

neilrgiles10 2012-04-23 02:15:57

english banker hires mercs to return a african leader to goverment.

british cinema has very few high pionts, this is one of them. thetalent on show is without question, the story and script mediocre. itis the characters tha carry it through, kind of a serious carry on film,thats a little unfair more a fact based bond. there is an element ofThe Searchers about the Hardy Kruger plotline with the NelsonMandela character, all be it very poor, but the politics are thin onthe ground and given the south africa situation at the time this isprimeraly an action flick and where as films such as who dareswins try a similar story in a political climate, this succeeds wherethat fails. try it, it is genuine black jack, hotter than a fox. by thewayiappologise now for my spelling and by the way richard harris's sonis very funny, however you do feel for him come the end.

2012-04-22 14:21:54

The Wild Geese

This review is from: The Wild Geese (30th Anniversary Edition) (DVD) Although this is a classic film, it is certainly worth watching again, and again. Great acting along with terrific writing.

2012-04-22 13:25:57

The Wild Geese

This review is from: The Wild Geese (30th Anniversary Edition) (DVD) Crack mercenary team is betrayed by their employer--left stranded in hostile territory--and attempt to ignite a civil war to solve their dire situation. Colonel Faulkner (Richard Burton), Captain Rafer Jaunders (Richard Harris), and Lieutenant Shaun Fynn (Roger Moore) are veterans of Africa's regional conflicts and return to rescue opposition leader Julius Limbarni (Winston Ntshona) who is imprisoned and awaits execution by a brutal dictator. Their mission is financed by the Sir Matheson (Stewart Granger), head of a multinational who plans to use Limbarni as leverage for copper mining in the targeted country. Faulkner, Jaunders and Fynn, with fifty mercenaries, perform the rescue and await transport when Matheson pulls the plug after finding a less expensive transaction. With no place to escape and the dictator's army bearing down on them, the mercenaries embark on a wild ride after Jaunders decides the solution is to expose Limbarni to the people and cause a revolt. Needless to say, the odds weigh heavily against the mercenaries and conditions get brutal as they fight their way through. The cast and lots of action make "The Wild Geese" an excellent adventure film, and the story presents a political statement with Jaunder's quest for Limbarni. The initial recruitment of Faulkner, Jaunders and Fynn, and the mercenary team is a bit slow, but the movie revs up after the team begins training in Africa. Their parachute insertion from high-altitude is a spectacular sequence and the team's follow-on combat operations are intensive. The supporting actors provide interesting characters and compliment the head-liners very well. The DVD is excellent and brings back the original screen format not available for years in the previous VHS editions. Other similiar movies worth watching are "The Dogs of War" and "Dark of the Sun."

Matthew Kresal 2012-04-21 14:56:49

A Rip-Roaring Action / Adventure

Imagine a film with three major stars put together with a good scriptand some fine action and what do you get: The Wild Geese. With theunlikely combination of Richard Burton, Richard Harris & Roger Mooreplus a well-written script coupled with spectacular action sequencesthis is a rip-roaring action / adventure and a top-notch film.The three main leads are the main attraction of this film. It's hard tobelieve that actors of the caliber of Burton, Harris and Moore wouldeither have chemistry or even be in the same film together. But put thethree of them together as mercenaries and you get a truly explosivecombination of three terrific actors. None of them fail in their rolesand they actually share quite a bit of chemistry between themespecially in the final scene between Burton and Harris.The rest of the cast is not a let down either. Harvey Kruger does wellin his role as the mercenary Pieter Coetze as do Kenneth Griffith, JohnKani and Jack Watson among the other members of the Wild Geese. FrankFinlay, Winston Ntshona and Stewart Granger all make welcomedappearances in the film in their supporting roles.The film's script is a well-written action film with politicalovertones. While the politics of the film are dated now, the messagefor the times is still evident in the film. Outside of the politicalovertones the dialouge of the film is well-written and in some scenesis even touching especially in the final scene.The action in the film is another highlight. The air drop into Africa,various raids by the Wild Geese and the final battle at the airstripcomplement the story and never overwhelm the story and plot. Thanks tosome good editing by editor John Glen (who had edited three Bond filmsand would go on to direct five more Bond films)the action is never dulland keeps the pace constant.With a top-notch leading cast, a good supporting cast, a good scriptand spectacular action sequences, The Wild Geese is one of the betteraction films you can see. Despite being somewhat dated the film stillpacks quite a punch and could easily go up against any recent actionfilm. A must see for action film fans.

matthew partridge 2012-04-19 20:22:35

Neat British War Movie

This is a truly great piece of cinema. Each character has a valued part toplay in this compelling action flick, and consequently the viewer reallycares about the outcome.Throughout, you can sense that the main players really had a good time doingthis movie (in his biography Harris recalls that he and Burton were both onthe wagon during the filming!) There are some fine set pieces on location inAfrica and the finale is really quite a rousing affair.Wild Geese II unsuprisingly fails to meet the same standards.

2012-04-18 23:34:23

Dirty Tears

Fans of war movies should catch it. If you aren't a fan of movies like "The Dogs of War", "The Dirty Dozen", and "Tears of the Sun" you may not appreciate it as much. A large mercenary group is hired to plan and rescue an African political leader to prevent his murder by a rival faction. When the business man funding the venture changes his side for his own interests he cuts their planned air lift out. The mercenaries must now trek across country to a friendly country to escape. Lots of killing and explosions. Not for the squemish. This is a raw war movie.

2012-04-16 01:55:20

For what it is- excellent "He-Man" entertainment- can't be beat

Made in 1978 and based on Daniel Carney's cynical and rather bleak novel, this film stands as one of the 1970's great unsung action adventure films.Concerning a small band of mercenary brothers attempting to rescue an African leader, THE WILD GEESE was all but unseen in the states until the advent of home video where it gained a well deserved and loyal cult following amoung action adventure aficionados.The film isn't perfect by any stretch. The dialouge, written by Reginald Rose is often laughably cliched. Director Andrew V McLaglen doesn't really know how to stage dialouge scenes and the result is some very stilted moments. Some of the minor parts are filled with grossly incompetent actors. There are obvious "sacrificial lamb" telegraphing plot points. The film also doesn't really know what tone it wishes to set- is it a straight up adventure in the vein of GUNGA DIN or does it want to be taken seriously (several clumsy attempts at humour hint at parody)as a political tome? Does it overly romanticize the mercenary profession? It does often come off as a "boy's own" comic book.But the film boasts several fine points. At the core of the film is a very progressive (for 1977 when the film was shot) message slamming apartheid as well as hinting that pure pan-Africanism isn't the answer alone either. The film was indeed shot in South Africa using many black cast and crew members (hired from South Africa!)and therefore possesses superb location work as well as local flavor not found on a back lot. The action is swift, well staged, brutal and plentiful, due in no small part to the excellent contributions of technical advising of real-life mercenaries. Leading actors Burton, Harris, Kruger and even Moore deliver fine performances. Supporting cast members Jack Watson, Ronald Fraser and Kenneth Griffith as well as Winston Ntshona deliver fascinating character studies (I only wish the dialouge was stronger). It is obvious that the actors did have a rollicking time making the film as the film resounds with sheer machismo that literally bolts off the screen. These actors do indeed share a rare chemsitry.The film withstands multiple viewings as it is extremely well-paced (due to the superb editing of John Glen)and, as noted before- the main cast is constructed of fascinating personalities. I saw it during its initial release and still love to view it at least once a year-sometimes two or three.Now that it is finally released on DVD here in the States, THE WILD GEESE is a must own for any serious action adventure fan.

2012-04-15 10:07:06

Unwatchable Garbage

This review is from: The Wild Geese (30th Anniversary Edition) (DVD) This, like most Andrew McLaglen films is crap. As a matter of fact the only film I can think to compare this to is the Sea Wolves (starring Gregory Peck and David Niven and also ruined ...erm "directed" by the afore-mentioned McLaglen) which is equally awful and has an equally brilliant but ultimately wasted cast. Please do yourself a favor and skip this. I believe the majority of positive reviews are nostalgia based. This movie seriously sucks.