Synopsis: Mercenaries overthrow West African dictator
Director: John Irvin
Actors: Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger, Jobeth Williams, Colin Blakely
Date: 1980
How viewed: Lovefilm
Rating: 3/5
David Meyer says:
An intelligent, hard-boiled, unapologetic war movie, based on an unapologetic best-seller [by Frederick Forsyth]
I say:
Well, this is certainly better than I expected it to be. Despite an all-action first 5 minutes, with the gang of mercenaries forcing their way onto the last plane out of some war zone, the film follows Christopher Walken apparently settling back into life in San Fransisco. However, he's soon tracked down by a guy who wants to invest in some West African state, but needs the current dictator out of the way. Walker initially goes on a reconnaissance mission (the best bit of the film), and then is persuaded (for a bucket load of money) to reform his gang of mercenaries, go back, and take out the dictator - which they do, of course, in the final 15 minutes. So, there's actually not much violence, rather there a lot about getting the necessary weapons, getting them across borders, and planning the attack. Interestingly there's no subtitles - so when people speak French, or Italian or Fanti (??) there's a real sense of not quite knowing whats going on. What else to report? Walken looks proper scary all the way through the film, but that's a given! Slightly bizarre to see Kenny Ireland and Jim Broadbent in very minor roles (as cameraman/soundman) trying to make a documentary about the goings on in the West African state!
An intelligent, hard-boiled, unapologetic war movie, based on an unapologetic best-seller [by Frederick Forsyth]
I say:
Well, this is certainly better than I expected it to be. Despite an all-action first 5 minutes, with the gang of mercenaries forcing their way onto the last plane out of some war zone, the film follows Christopher Walken apparently settling back into life in San Fransisco. However, he's soon tracked down by a guy who wants to invest in some West African state, but needs the current dictator out of the way. Walker initially goes on a reconnaissance mission (the best bit of the film), and then is persuaded (for a bucket load of money) to reform his gang of mercenaries, go back, and take out the dictator - which they do, of course, in the final 15 minutes. So, there's actually not much violence, rather there a lot about getting the necessary weapons, getting them across borders, and planning the attack. Interestingly there's no subtitles - so when people speak French, or Italian or Fanti (??) there's a real sense of not quite knowing whats going on. What else to report? Walken looks proper scary all the way through the film, but that's a given! Slightly bizarre to see Kenny Ireland and Jim Broadbent in very minor roles (as cameraman/soundman) trying to make a documentary about the goings on in the West African state! 
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