I 4 dell'oca selvaggia

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

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.

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

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. ****

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.