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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 racism are big irritants, and of course big sacrifices will have to be made during a whirl of explosions and politico pummelling. The screenplay, much like the actors playing the key roles, is very self aware to not take itself too seriously, it's also very funny at times, there is some absolute cracker-jack slices of dialogue here.

The PC brigade and political historians beat themselves around their heads trying to flatten the appeal of The Wild Geese, it didn't work. Most action movie fans understood fully just what was going on, and it's the reason why today it still holds up as a perennial favourite on the British TV schedules. Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Roger Moore, Hardy Kruger, Jack Watson, Kenneth Griffith, Ronald Fraser and Percy Herbert, I salute you all. 8/10

Imagine a film with three major stars put together with a good script and some fine action and what do you get: The Wild Geese. With the unlikely combination of Richard Burton, Richard Harris & Roger Moore plus a well-written script coupled with spectacular action sequences this 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 to believe that actors of the caliber of Burton, Harris and Moore would either have chemistry or even be in the same film together. But put the three of them together as mercenaries and you get a truly explosive combination of three terrific actors. None of them fail in their roles and they actually share quite a bit of chemistry between them especially in the final scene between Burton and Harris.

The rest of the cast is not a let down either. Harvey Kruger does well in his role as the mercenary Pieter Coetze as do Kenneth Griffith, John Kani and Jack Watson among the other members of the Wild Geese. Frank Finlay, Winston Ntshona and Stewart Granger all make welcomed appearances in the film in their supporting roles.

The film's script is a well-written action film with political overtones. While the politics of the film are dated now, the message for the times is still evident in the film. Outside of the political overtones the dialouge of the film is well-written and in some scenes is 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 airstrip complement the story and never overwhelm the story and plot. Thanks to some good editing by editor John Glen (who had edited three Bond films and would go on to direct five more Bond films)the action is never dull and keeps the pace constant.

With a top-notch leading cast, a good supporting cast, a good script and spectacular action sequences, The Wild Geese is one of the better action films you can see. Despite being somewhat dated the film still packs quite a punch and could easily go up against any recent action film. A must see for action film fans.

Africa has been the background setting for many an exciting film. In this story a powerful, but arrogant English lord and wealthy financier, (Stewart Granger) Sir Edward Matherson, hires, a professional Mecernary, Col. Allen Faulkner, (Richard Burton) to fly into Africa and rescue a popular but imprisoned African leader Julius Limbani. (Winston Ntshona) This action will threaten and force a ruthless, but established dictator to sign over his country's lucrative copper mining rights. To help Faulkner with his dangerous task, he calls on close military friends. Lt. Shawn Fynn, (Roger Moore), Capt. Rafer Janders (Richard Harris) Lt. Pieter Coetze, (Hardy Krüger) and Sagarent Major Sandy Young. (Jack Watson). Together, they plan, organize, train and secretly fly into the heart of enemy country. What they don't know is that Sir Edward Matherson will expect the dreaded and merciless "Simbas" to be more efficient than his hired men. Rarely does a dramatic, action packed film contain a simple subliminal message; that men of war can also be men of conscience seeking common bond and family life. A superb vehicle for Richard Burton. ****

It is not often a producer has the chance to thank his critics in this form. I do so now. The blood-sweat and tears that went into the making of THE WILD GEESE is all forgotten. Appreciation of one's endeavors of some 25 years ago, thanks to DVD, is gratefully received. The Zone 1 version is yet to appear, the lateness due to sloppy distribution. To answer questions about the film's very limited theatrical release in the United States and Canada in 1978, this was due solely to the financial collapse of its distributor, Allied Artists. Chapter II was applied and, to my disgust, it failed to reach many theaters. However, the NBC Network and HBO aired the movie with great success. Euan Lloyd.

Watching The Wild Geese puts me so in mind of those old John Ford cavalry flicks. Not surprising since the Director Andrew McLaglen learned his trade while on the set of those films with his father Victor McLaglen.

A fine cast was assembled here for this film. Richard Burton, Roger Moore, and Richard Harris certainly have all done better stuff, but their skill makes The Wild Geese enjoyable. Of the three, I think Harris comes off the best, his scenes with his young son are very poignant.

Richard Burton is a mercenary who is being offered a contract by gazillionaire industrialist Stewart Granger. Train and equip a group of mercenaries to rescue a Nelson Mandela type African leader who has been deposed in a military coup. Burton does the job, but when the job is finished he and his mercenaries find getting out a whole lot more than the bargained for.

Starting with Where Eagles Dare, Burton was trying the action/adventure genre on for size and he did well with that. He came up way short with Raid on Rommel, but recouped quite a bit with The Wild Geese. It was his only joint film venture with Richard Harris, pairing both the stage and screen King Arthurs from Camelot.

Of course action adventure is old hat for Roger Moore. He was in his prime as James Bond when The Wild Geese was done. But Moore shows he can be quite serious here. None of the tongue in cheek deadpan that characterizes a Bond film.

The scenes dealing with the recruiting a training of the mercenaries come straight out of John Ford. So are the various types among the soldiers.

I liked Kenneth Griffith's portrayal of the openly gay medic with the group. Yes he's certainly stereotypical, but the point is he's accepted by the men who really don't care about his sexual orientation when in a fight. Secondly he turns out to be quite the John Wayne type hero in the end.

The Wild Geese turned out to be very popular, Burton was going to do a sequel Wild Geese II when he died in 1983. Might have been interesting had he done it since it would have paired with Laurence Olivier in that one.

The Wild Geese is an action/adventure film to be sure, but it's also about loyalty, tradition, and camaraderie. These men may fight for a good paycheck, but they are fanatically loyal to the unit created and to each other.

If that ain't John Ford.............................

The Wild Geese tells of a mercenary mission into the heart of Africa. Fifty hand-picked mercenaries attempt to a free an imprisoned nationalist from a corrupt dictatorship, but their escape plan goes wrong and they are left to fight their way to safety across many miles of hostile terrain.

The high profile cast includes Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris and Stewart Granger. Burton is pretty good as the leader of the mission, an old and cynical fighter who'll take on any job provided that the money is right. Moore gets lumbered with the weakest of the four main roles, as a handsome, dashing type who doesn't take anything too seriously, including his own life. Granger has a small but menacing part as the villain. Best of all is Harris, excellent and commanding as the member of the mission who doesn't want to be there because he has settled down to a peaceful life with his son, but whose loyalty to his old mercenary buddies forces him into accepting the job.

The plot of the film is nothing special, and indeed it feels predictable and cliched in some parts. There are also some erly scenes that don't particularly need to be in this film (for example, what on earth is the purpose of the subplot dealing with Moore's involvement with drug dealers?) However, in spite of its shortcomings, The Wild Geese is a robust and entertaining action film. An enjoyable way to pass a couple of hours.

A splendid old-fashioned action film, with all concerned giving it their best shot.

A few people have objected to the average age of the actors in this film, from Burton to Kenneth Griffiths - but they don't seem to realise that the age of these mercernaries is the point. The Wild Geese is about a generation of men who demobbed from the Army after the Second World War, were unable to make peace work, and who sold their services as soldiers in the world's troublespots to the highest bidder. The late 1970's would have been the time of life that their age at last compromised their work, and the film is a recognition of the last of them.

For me this film is like a beloved childhood toy, kept and never forgotten - when it aired recently on television I just didn't want it to end.

Brilliant, gloriously sentimental and the anti-thesis of PC. 10/10

In a way, I suppose this is the ultimate take on modern mercenary soldiers, just as, for example, "March or Die" - made around the same time - was THE French Foreign Legion movie, simply because there weren't too many films made in that particular genre, if there is such a thing. It caught my eye way back just due to the casting coup of Burton, Moore, & Harris - a 'Big 3' Brit triumvirate if there ever was one. It was also gratifying to see Kruger, whom I remembered from way earlier in "Hatari" in the early sixties. But the main thing about this actual film is that it captured the feel of what being a merc in modern times must be like. They don't particularly enjoy their work - because it IS their work - anymore than a nine-to-fiver in an office enjoys theirs. It's a job, something one gets paid for. As it happens, all these men were trained for this type of work and it would probably be a waste of talent to be doing something else.

The most interesting sections for me were the recruitment and re-training of the unit. As it happens, a lot of these gents are stuck in 'normal' jobs when not running about in some African wilderness; tho they seem content in a safe job, at best, you clearly get the impression they're just biding time until their 'real' work begins. In a way, they're all stuck in a cycle, brought about by their unusual expertise - this is what they were meant to do, to sound melodramatic about it. I'm also glad, to reiterate an earlier point differently, that a bunch of 30-year old actors weren't cast, especially as the leads. These are hard-core veterans who've been through a lot; this is just the latest stake in a long run. When they're betrayed, it's a return to standard action-adventure, but you can do much worse than the locale in this one - it's got that 'exotic' foreign soil feel so necessary for these types of pics.

It's sobering to realize that Burton only did a few more films after this, as he died too young. I, for one, am grateful he got this action picture out of his system before he passed away - he brings his usual excellent authority, necessary when up against Moore, Harris and all the rest. Harris has the most poignant backstory here and is very good as possibly the most vulnerable of the Geese.

The Wild Geese surprised me in the theater back in the late 1970's. As a former U.S. Army Airborne Ranger and Vietnam vet, I had mixed feelings about it. But I keep watching it every couple of years and it has become one of my favorite films.

Yes, it's a fanciful story, romanticizing the boring, grubby, dangerous lives of the very few mercenary soldiers in the world. But its daring small-unit tactics are actually pretty good, and they do illustrate the chaos and devastation a well trained special ops force can cause in an enemy's rear area. It also illustrates the ease with which such a small unit can be wiped out if the enemy can locate it and bring real forces to bear against it.

And, interestingly, it shows very clearly the effectiveness of even a single small, armed airplane against an infantry unit unequipped with anti-aircraft capability. So whoever wrote and advised on this film had some genuine experience. There are many examples of true combat reality in various parts of the film.

However, there are also some of the usual war-movie-making gaffes and there were some really silly, amateurish attempts at special effects in the theatrical release, most of which have been edited out in the cable movie versions. So it's still a mixed bag but overall very effective.

The other aspects of this film are universally wonderful. It has a plausible enough story line once you've decided to accept the premise, and from there it progresses nicely indeed. Several of the subplots are intense and very moving, some are a little comical and some are downright funny. Burton's last line to Emile, "Let's talk about your father." is as fine a line as can be written.

The depth of the cast is remarkable: dozens of very good actors, some speaking only one or two lines, but so well delivered! (There are also some awkward lines that just don't work at all. As I said, this film is a mixed bag.) Even in the small rolls, Jock, Tosh, Esposito, the village priest, Jesse and others, the quality just shines.

The movie doesn't shy away from the unglamorous, gut-wrenching realities of the consequences of mercenary operations, either. There are some very troubling scenes about the responsibilities of leadership in such a unit.

There is not another movie like The Wild Geese.

I couldn't end without saying this one last thing. The theme song "The Wild Geese," sung by Joan Armatrading is simply marvelous. It is worth the price of admission, and is played in its entirety during the closing credits. I recommend that you close your eyes and just listen.

Merchant banker Sir Edward Matherson hires colonel Allen Faulkner (Richard Burton) to lead soldiers of fortune to rescue Julius Limbani, imprisoned leader of an African country. Faulkner hires various people including pilot Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore) and Rafer Janders (Richard Harris) in a cloak and dagger operation in London. They successfully rescue Limbani but their extraction takes off without them. Matherson has made a new deal with the new leader of the country.

It's a bit slow at the start. The rounding up of the men and the training isn't very exciting or interesting. It builds the characters but that could be done better. There is an argument of the inherent racism in the movie. It has some valid points but the mercenaries aren't all white. There are some black 'good guys'. I won't defend the filming taking place in South Africa. I just don't think that any racism in the movie is that out of the ordinary for that era. The politics of Apatheid probably accentuated any problems. This is rip-roaring mercenary fun when it works.

Roger Moore, Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Not forgetting legendary German And international star Hardy Kruger,)And a whole host of familiar British, acting talent, are the wild geese the best Damn Mercenary's in the business,

Burton play's the Tailor made role of Colonel Faulkner, an alcoholic, mercenary, who is recruited by former Matinée idol Stewart Granger, To release a disposed dictator of Africa, Naturally Granger, has other interests particularly the mining faction of Africa,

Burton,Quickly assemble's together his army buddies's to undertake this deadly mission, which doesn't go too smoothly, In the cracking climax The 'Geese find themselves's out numbered And against the odd's. 'The Wild Geese' is a cracking Yarn, which undoubtedly still stands out among the Action Film's produced today,

As hammy and as un-PC as they come, 'The Wild Geese' is actually a pretty good yarn, buoyed up by its cast of excellent character actors, plus the heavyweight teaming of Richards Burton and Harris, and the eyebrow of Roger Moore.

A group of rather elderly soldiers of fortune are brought together to carry out a secret operation to liberate a President and to kill all who get in the way. The set-up is very starched-shirt, British civil service (with the very starched Patrick Allen and a twitchy Stewart Granger); the actual operation is tense and funny at the same time - Kenneth Griffith as the camp Witty is good, if a rather outdated portrayal of a homosexual. Hardy Krüger is also good as the man who kills simply to fund his farm back home.

As a 'boy's own' film, 'The Wild Geese' probably scores high but there is something here for everyone and it is fairly enjoyable; also good to see Richard Burton playing all kinds of rubbish as if it was Shakespeare.

Very much of its day but still worth a look.

I saw The Wild Geese as I do like Richard Harris and Roger Moore and while he is not a favourite Richard Burton has also given some good performances. The Wild Geese does have an interesting cast, and while they do all give good enough performances, Harris in particular(Stewart Granger I personally found rather bland), all have been better and all have been in much better movies.

A major problem was my difficulty in connecting with the characters, some of them are not well developed much and it doesn't help that the script doesn't do much to make them more engrossing.

To me, the most interesting character was the one played by Hardy Kruger. The story also didn't grab me, the last third was pretty exciting but the first part takes too long to set up and some of the middle does drag.

The script does have some good lines and interplay when the political overtones don't set in that is. The film is to put it kindly a dog's dinner of politics- the liberalism for example is very woolly- and rhetoric and it is even more disappointing that the politics are dated.

I am not saying that the director is not talented, it's just that like the pace the direction feels rather stodgy particularly in the middle. The drama has some poignancy but there are too many times where it all feels rather dull, while the action is well assorted but generally uncompelling.

Are there any redeeming qualities? Yes. The most obvious one is the cast, the three leads look as though they are enjoying themselves, Hardy Kruger does alright as the film's most interesting character and it was nice to see British stalwarts such as Jack Watson, Ronald Fraser and Kenneth Griffith participating. The Wild Geese looks good, with nice cinematography and scenery, and the score at least gives the film some excitement.

All in all, not a terrible film but although I feel I need to re-watch it I am afraid I didn't find it particularly good either despite the cast. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Thrilling/ straight action/adventure story about some mercenaries hired to spring an abducted African leader from well-secured prison and the incidents this triggers . A British multinational seeks to overthrow a vicious dictator in central Africa as hires the much-wanted mercenary Colonel Allen Faulkner (Richard Burton miscast as chief of mercenaries) , as he travels to London invited by the British millionaire Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger) to rescue the African President Julius Limbani that had been kidnapped in a coup d'état by the dictator Colonel Mboya. Sir Edward has interest in the copper mines and intends to negotiate with Limbani. Col. Faulkner hires his friends Captain Rafer Janders (Richard Harris), a tough, two-fisted mercenary and Lieutenant Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore),an expert on planes . The trio selects their old friends and contacts other mercenaries (Ronald Fraser , Percy Herbert , Ken Gampu) to form the rescue team. They plan the whole operation and succeed in their mission .The commando is led by Colonel Faulkner , a sergeant named Sandy (Jack Watson) along with Lieutenent Pieter (Hardy Kruger).The adventure starts when the veteran band of mercenaries land deep inside the African country to rescue Limbani and destroy installations .

This fast-paced film packs adventures, large-scale blow-up , plot-twists routine plot , and lots of action for the most part . It's a comfortable mix of action-packed , adventure, thriller and wartime genre . From the beginning to the end the suspense , non-stop action and intrigue is continued . Interesting screenplay by prestigious Reginald Rose who writes thought-provoking dialogs especially between Limbani and Pieter well performed by Hardy Kruger . Other chief excitements about the movie, will be in the intervention of famous British secondaries who realize professionally competent interpretations , some of them with no more than a line or two to say . Cinematography Jack Hildyard is quite nicely , capturing the atmosphere of everywhere . Special mention the impressive and breathtaking musical score by Roy Budd ; it's filled with lively and martial sounds fitting splendidly to action . Furthermore , enjoyable song on the opening under magnificent credit titles by Maurice Binder . The motion picture is well directed by Andrew V MacLagen son of the great actor Victor McLagen. He's a warlike expert , such as proved in several films (Return to Kwai,Wild Geese, Dirtdozen: the next mission,Sea wolves,Breakthrough). However , director McLagen proved had lost the touch that made ¨Devil's brigade¨, ¨Sea wolves¨ and specially ¨Wild Geese¨ such memorable films , as in his final career he filmed average movies . ¨Wild Geese¨ can be called great and received , deservedly, much acclaim when released. Certainly a good work done by one of Hollywood's more skill director, a real craftsman.

It's followed by Wild Geese II (Peter Hunt with Scott Glenn, Edward Fox, Barbara Carrera ), an inferior sequel deals about a new group of the much-wanted mercenaries assigned by a rich television network (Robert Webber) to free famous arch-Nazi war criminal Rudolph Hess (Laurence Olivier); this following depended in their all star cast . And a trilogy exploitation directed by Anthony M Dawson( Margheriti) formed by ¨Code name : Wild Geese¨ ¨Commando Leopard(1985)¨ and ¨Der Commander(1988)¨ repeating similar actors, Lewis Collins, Lee Van Cleef , Klaus Kinski, and Manfred Lemann.

When I was in my early teens you could judge how good a film was because my classmates would discuss it after seeing it on telly , ah yes those were the days when there was only three TV channels and hardly anyone owned what was known as a VCR . When THE WILD GEESE was first broadcast on television my peers and I were discussing it scene by scene for days afterwards. If 15 year old schoolboys liked this film no other praise is needed.

Looking back however TWG is flawed. As several other reviewers have noted most of the actors look like they`d be better cast in DADS ARMY , they`re far too old to be playing tough adventurers . Roger Moore I`m sure is a very nice human being but I`ve seen tropical rain forests that are less wooden , watch his introductory scene and monologue and beware of splinters . And there`s a redemption sub plot featuring a racist Rhodesian and a black politician which doesn`t ring true . But having said that TWG is still a very good action film especially for people who are fed up with Hollywood blockbusters where Arnie , Sly and Bruce blow away a myriad of bad guys without suffering a scratch.

Burton and Harris in the same film ! I wonder how much of the budget went on the drinks bill ?

A group of rather elderly mercenaries set out to free the elected leader of an African country, as he's been taken prisoner after a coup. I say rather elderly because their leader, Richard Burton, looks about 70 (he was much younger but the drinking prematurely aged him). Richard Harris is in his late 40s but looks older...for the same reason. The youngest looking one is Roger Moore, who looks awfully good for 50. Regardless, these three men command a group of about fifty men.

The trip to Africa and rescuing him from the prison camp is pretty easy. But things get complicated when their employer leaves them to rot after canceling their transport plane. Now, they have to find some way out of this mess and back to their old lives.

This film has some controversy surrounding it because it was filmed in South Africa during the Apartheid era...after an embargo was supposed to be in place by western nations. As a result, some of the actors they tried to recruit for the movie refused to be in the film. It's odd then, that the movie has a message that is decidely anti-Apartheid when the rescued leader talks about his vision for Africa.

So is it any good? Well, with Burton, Harris, Moore, Hardy Kruger and Stewart Granger in the film, it has a very nice (though old) cast. The only problem with this is that several of these guys were HUGE drinkers...and I admire the director and assistants who kept them all sober enough to make the movie!

Apart from the good acting, the film has a decent and enjoyable escapist plot. While not a great film, it's a very good one and the African locale looked nice on film. Worth seeing.

Richard Burton did not make enough films! His performance is wonderful, as always. The supporting cast is excellent and a job well done. However, the film is dragged down poor direction and inappropriate music. Perhaps it's a sign of the time as it was made in 1978.

The story covers all aspects of mercenary life. For example, the contract, the planning, the training, the family conflict when the husband leaves to fight, the loss of loved ones when they die, racial tolerance, and the immorality of big business. There is the consolation of payback for the double-cross, but its not enough.

I've seen this film twice. Once when it was first released and once in 2000, on video. I enjoyed it both times.

Quite lame. Contrived, implausible, predictable, overly gung ho. Plot is amateurish.

Great cast - Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris - is undermined by the plot and join-the-dots direction. All these greats come off as rather wooden.

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 an assortment of fine British character actors in support, plenty of action and a laundry list of politically incorrect overtones. This certainly puts Wildgeese well up their as a relic of the past, I tell you it doesn't get any better than this! It's just another day at the office when they massacre a garrison of 250 Zimbas with cyanide gas and then finish the rest off with what could best be described as a "mass case of lead poisoning" while making good their escape. In addition there is the racist South African who has no problem calling blacks "Kaffers" and the medical orderly Witty who hilariously epitomizes the image of how gays were portrayed back in 1970's "ooh ducky"! Also, 'the white mans burden' attitude, Africans can't run their own show even after decolonisation i.e tribal rivalry, and when any of the Zimbas were shot they shook violently for a second while accompanied by a high pitch scream; you see --- white guys die quietly! Also, local native superstition about Limbani coming back from the dead! It's still a great action flick but today many people would have a fit if this type of movie was released today even if it was meant to be from a 1960's perspective. I noted that the infamous and well known mercenary "Mad Mike" Hore was technical adviser to the film which would consequently make this type of film even more loathed today.

Some have commented on the fact that the cast were all too long in the tooth to be taken seriously as mercenaries, but ironically the film does not hide the fact that this was a last hurrah for some of the aging former soldiers. In addition back in the 1960's and 70's many mercenaries were recruited from the ranks of the unemployed or were former soldiers who after being de-mobbed found life in civy-street difficult. Many were former cooks and mechanics who often lacked the training the equipment as well as finding that their pay was often slow in coming.

***Spoilers*** Wildgeese starts off with the romantic notion of being a Soldier of fortune as they complete their mission easily. However things start to unravel when they are double crossed by that scoundrel Matheson , then they really had to work hard for their $7000, subsequently very few of them make it back. The film keeps faith with the good guys always win in the end as "Sir Edward" learns the hard way that he double crossed the wrong man because the ever resourceful Faulkner eventually turns the tables on him; Matheson comes off second best in the confrontation in the study

"The Wild Geese" presents a terrific concept, a cast of well-known players who work well together, and crisp cinematography by Jack Hildyard that takes full advantage of the sun-bleached African veldt. So it's a disappointment the filmmakers couldn't make something worth watching.

Based on a novel by Daniel Carney, "The Wild Geese" presents Col. Faulkner (Richard Burton), a hard-drinking soldier of fortune still shaking off the pain from losing good-guy African leader Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona) to a cruel dictator years ago. But Limbani remains alive, and a British tycoon offers Faulkner big money to get Limbani out of prison and to safety.

Burton looks about ready to keel over, but he's still Burton, convincing in his command, and he's backed up by Richard Harris, Roger Moore, and Hardy Kruger as his officers. Alas, the film never gels. Director Andrew V. McLaglen, good in the 1960s at marrying action-adventure and comedy, seems lost playing to a grittier '70s sensibility, and with a script that presents the mercenaries with one bloody setback after another. A message of racial brotherhood is advanced by Ntshona and Kruger with some jaw-droppingly bad dialogue, as Kruger's South African character, Coetze, drops his deep-rooted racism after a few minutes of carrying Limbani on his back.

"We need each other, white man, and that's the way it should be," Limbani says.

"You're beginning to sound good to me," Coetze replies. "Maybe we need you. Maybe you're just the man."

Coetze's transformation is way too pat. Also pat is the way a fort full of soldiers is eradicated in broad daylight by spraying cyanide into a barrack full of sleeping soldiers. In broad daylight?

Things don't exactly purr along for the mercenaries after that, but even the complications feel forced and unnatural. So do Moore's trademark groan-inducing witticisms and a homosexual medic played by Kenneth Griffith who flounces about the mercenaries' training camp and writes out a will leaving everything to his proctologist.

Pluses include a key plot twist in the middle of the film and a sequence when Moore drops his smarm long enough to make a mobster eat a bag of heroin at gunpoint. Harris and Burton have such good chemistry its surprising they only worked together this one time. And the film makes decent use of a deep supporting cast of top-flight Brits, including Barry Forster, Jack Watson, and Stewart Granger as Faulkner's steely employer.

But you know you are in trouble in the first minute of the film, when rocker Joan Armatrading tries to channel Joan Baez with an utterly tuneless ballad while a 007-ish title sequence flashes up images of suffering Africans. Never mind most of the suffering Africans we see thereafter are the guys being shot to death by Burton & crew - it looks like McLaglen had the same eight guys get shot over and over to save money and hoped no one would notice. "The Wild Geese" promises two-fisted entertainment, but what you get instead too soft-headed to work on even the shallowest of levels.