The Wild Geese

The Wild Geese (1978) might be Andrew V. McLaglen's best film. It's his usual melange of cliches, slumming actors and un-artful direction, all packaged in a geriatric Dirty Dozen clone. But the end result makes explosive entertainment.

After a military coup in an unnamed African country, banker Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger) hires a crack mercenary team to overthrow the government and rescue President Limbani (Winston Ntshona). Colonel Faulkner (Richard Burton) is the no-nonsense leader; Rafer Janders (Richard Harris) an embittered idealist; Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore), an ace pilot; and Pieter Coetzee (Hardy Kruger), a racist South African. Their team succeeds brilliantly, only to be double-crossed when Matherson makes a deal with the new government. Now Faulkner's band must evade swarming government troops, keep Limbani safe, and just possibly get revenge.

The Wild Geese closely resembles The Professionals, with its aging mercenaries on an impossible mission, only to be double-crossed by their employer. The central raid even parallels its equivalent in the Richard Brooks film. McLaglen hits few original notes, preferring a schematic commando story with predictable twists, obstacles and portrayals. Despite its cynicism, it's the polar opposite of more serious flicks like The Dogs of War. That film makes it mercenaries out as maladjusted burnouts; The Wild Geese announces it's fun to kill people.

Geese's first half dwells on stage-setting and characterization. It's a shame that screenwriter Reginald Rose paints heroes in the broadest strokes. Faulkner is the weary cynic interested only in money; Flynn has no qualms killing people, but draws the line at drug-running. Janders gets a particularly cloying arc: he dotes on his adorable son, but must abandon him for one last job! Coetzee, meanwhile, conveniently discovers tolerance while palling around with Limbani. It's a credit to the actors that these scenes work at all.

The movie takes flight in its skillful action scenes. After the requisite throat-clearing, McLaglen keeps things moving fairly briskly. Second unit director John Glen handles the battles with aplomb, particularly an air raid at midpoint and the running machine gun fights in the jungle. The body count's high, even by genre standards; it's no sure thing our heroes will come out alive. On a technical level Geese is reasonably accomplished; only Joan Armatrading's cheesy title tune grates.

Richard Burton provides typical I'm-here-for-the-paycheck slumming; rarely has an actor seemed so bored. Richard Harris and Hardy Kruger fare better despite treacly character arcs; Harris makes his final scenes almost poignant. Roger Moore has little to do after an excellent intro, force-feeding heroin to a gangster. None of them give great performances, but they generate enough star power to hold our interest.

McLaglen assembles a neat supporting cast. Stewart Granger (Young Bess) briefly appears as the Geese's employer; Barry Foster (Frenzy) plays his go-between with Faulkner's crew. Jack Watson (Peeping Tom) steals his scenes as a hard-assed Sergeant Major; Kenneth Griffith (A Night to Remember) plays the effeminate yet tough medic. Winston Ntshona gives an excellent turn, making a potentially silly part credible. Even bit parts go to familiar faces: Jeff Corey, Percy Herbert, Patrick Allen, John Kani, Frank Finlay.

Flaws aside, The Wild Geese is a fun adventure film. Like most movies of its type, it makes perfect viewing on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's got big stars and big action scenes - what more do you want?