A British multinational company seeks to overthrow a vicious dictator in central Africa. It hires a band of (largely aged) mercenaries in London and sends them in to save the virtuous but imprisoned opposition leader who is also critically ill and due for execution. Just when the team has performed a perfect rescue, the multinational does a deal with the vicious dictator leaving the mercenary band to escape under their own steam and exact revenge.
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Character
Classical in form, resolved, unpretentious and effortless.
- classical in formformally daring
- resolvedopen-ended
- unpretentiousprestige
- effortlessdemanding
- intimateepic
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Reviews on TMDB
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- CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jun 20237/10
Stewart Granger hires Richard Burton's "Col. Faulkner" to put together a crack team, money no object, to fly to southern Africa and rescue the deposed president "Limbani" (Winston Ntshona). Meantime, his erstwhile colleague, poor old Roger Moore ("Flynn") in on the run from the London mob after he persuaded the nephew of one of their number to overdose on strychnine-laden heroine; and Richard Harris ("Janders") is trying to stay connected with his young son from his recent divorce. He recruits them and that's the nub of the team. Next, he turns to the strict disciplinarian RSM "Sandy" (Jack Watson) and wily South African "Coetzee" (Hardy Kruger) before a slew of their former associates (including a wonderfully camp Kenneth Griffith - the "proctologist's friend") from the British Army and their mission is on. The undertaking itself goes well enough, but their evacuation doesn't quite go to plan - they have been betrayed. The remainder of the storyline is dedicated to them fighting their way to an airfield where they can still get themselves, and their freed captive, out safely. It's a film that has dated significantly, but as a piece of action-adventure cinema, it still works well.
Read the whole review on TMDB - John Chardon TMDB · Mar 20198/10
The man is dead, Mr. Faulkner. Now only the spirit remains. Marvellously macho, a men on a mission movie proudly proclaiming that the old adage is indeed true, there is life in the old dog(s) yet. A notable cast of British and Irish thespians were rounded up and unleashed into a plot that required a band of mercenaries sent to extract an African President from some prison in the darkest part of Africa. The formula is tried and tested, the leader is a man made of stern stuff but carrying emotional baggage, his band of men assembled are a mixture of ex soldiers who have either fell on hard times or just haven't been able to let go of the army life that they feel was their calling in life. The latter of which causes great consternation amongst spouses and immediate family members. Director Andrew V. McLaglen lets it unfold in steady and unfussy time, structuring it in three stages. Stage one is getting to know the principal players, their fears, pet peeves and psychological make up, stage 2 is the re-training programme, where the good old boys wait to see who keels over from a heart attack first, then stage 3 is the mission, where blood will be shed, bodies will fall, treachery and ra
Read the whole review on TMDB - Dark Jedion TMDB · Mar 20136/10
Yesterday we sat down to watch another oldie that I had seen when I was younger quite some years ago. I remember this movie being quite high on my list of movies that I appreciated as a kid so when I saw it coming it on Blu-ray I had to get it. It is still a decent film but I remembered it as better. The story is a fairly old a frequently reused one. Band of mercenary gets a mission by some person or entity of debatable reputation. Said person or entity double-crosses them, usually in a way which leaves them stranded and with a very short life expectancy. One or more of the mercenaries did not have his or hers imminent demise written into the script and thus ruins the plans, and usually the life, of one or more persons on the double-crossing side. Nothing wrong with a trusted and tried story as long as it is well done. In 1978 when this film was made I guess the actions scenes were considered fairly good. Today they are rather mediocre though. The mercenaries that are supposed to be experts are behaving in a fairly amateurish manner. The bridge attack scene is especially annoying in that these people just sit there waiting for the plane to make pass after pass instead of getting th
Read the whole review on TMDB
Cast
- Richard BurtonCol. Allen Faulkner
- Richard HarrisCapt. Rafer Janders
- Roger MooreLt. Shawn Fynn
- Hardy KrügerLt. Pieter Coetze
- Stewart GrangerSir Edward Matherson
- John KaniSgt. Jesse Blake
- Jack WatsonRSM Sandy Young
- Frank FinlayFr. Geoghagen
- Kenneth GriffithArthur Witty
- Ronald FraserSgt. Jock McTaggart
Crew
- Andrew V. McLaglenDirector
- Reginald RoseScreenplay
- Daniel CarneyNovel
- Jack HildyardDirector of Photography
- Roy BuddOriginal Music Composer
- John GlenEditor
- Euan LloydProducer
- Erwin C. DietrichProducer
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