Cleveronix A different way of telling a story

Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Qiang Xu I watched this file when I was in my middle school around 30 years ago, in a movie theater invited by an elder neighbor boy. Though impressed by its action part, I couldn't understand fully the dialog in the movie. Nevertheless, the movie was so good and left a deep trace in my memory.Yesterday night, I watched it again on my home DVD player. It was so sweet, like being reunited with an old friend. All the memories 30 years ago came back. Because I am over 40 now, I can understand most of the dialog, though my English comprehension is still not that good.Don't want to waste time on analyzing the characters of Richard Burton, Richard Harris, and Roger Moore. They are simply the fantastic trio. That aside, the movie paid great attention to the minor details. I am not a military expert, but I can see the action part is much more realistic than most war movies from Hollywood.Couldn't understand why its rating is so low (only 6.8) at IMDb. It is the best ever mercenary movie, IMHO.

kapelusznik18 ****SPOILERS*** Professional mercenary British Col. Allen Faulkner, Richard Burton, is given the task by international banker Sir Edward Matherson, Stewart Granger,to rustle up a band of mercenaries to rescue an imprisoned South African leader Julius Limbani, Winston Ntshona,from his captors headed by his former army General Ndofa, who plans to have him executed. Now with all this out of the way we, the audience, and Col. Faulkner can now concentrate on the plan that he hatches to get the job done that soon turns out to be anything but brilliant.It's not that Col. Faulkner screws things up but against his better judgment allows himself to slip in trusting Sir Matherson who's only into rescuing Limbani to enrich himself not bring back democracy to the people of his country. Just when Col. Faulkner and his men in risking their lives are about to be air lift Limbani from out of danger their double-crossed by Sir Matherson by him ordering the rescue plane to leave them high and dry and in danger of being slaughtered by Gen Ndofa's army. Sir Matherson feels that he's getting a better deal to the country's copper and diamond reserves by Gen. Nodfa as well seeing that by getting Col. Faulkner and his men killed,and not paying them for their services, that he smelled big bucks in his switching sides in the middle of the conflict.The rest of the movie has Col. Faulkner and his men try to make it to the nearest airfield and hijack a cargo plane to fly them to safety. During that time their attacked from all directions by Gen, Ndofa's men fighting for their lives to reach the airfield and hijack the plane that their not quit sure is even serviceable. Incredible action scenes better then most if not any seen before of after in war movies has Col. Faulkner's men finally make it to safety with about a dozen of the originally 100 or so mercenaries surviving the fighting. Ther's also white South African mercenary Let.Pieter Coeteez, Hardy Kruger, who has no use for Pres. Limbani or any other black who ends up losing his life in trying to save him from his own, black Africans, people.***SPOILERS***One of those who didn't survive was President Limbani who died in transit from heart failure as well as Col. Faulkner's good friend and drinking buddy Capt. Rafer Janders, Richard Harris, whom he tearfully shot and killed as his was about to be captured and tortured to death by Gen. Ndofa's men. That as the plane piloted by fellow mercenary Lieut. Shawn Flynn, Roger Moore, who was wounded in the fighting was about to off. As for Sir Matherson he finally get his and got it good when Col. Faulkner back from the wars broke in unnoticed into his heavily protected London mansion. And after giving him a piece of his mind, in what a low down and back stabbing rat he was, Col Faulkner then blasted a shocked and startled Sir Matherson while he was quietly playing a game of chess with himself!

Adam Peters (68%) Before the days of the Expendables movies came this all-star action adventure featuring a cast on the more ripe end of the life line. This really is a red blooded slice of beef of a film meaning there's tons of action that doesn't shy away from the blood and guts of combat and there's a great feel of one of those old war comic books about it. Despite the really strong cast this is a film you watch more the action than the performances and the fact that it tells its simple plot so effectively. Without doubt this is one of the better men on a mission movies and well worth tracking down for all true action film fans.

Dark Jedi 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 their behinds under cover. In a later scene Richard Harris is seen shooting at the bad guys together with a bunch of his fellow mercenaries but his gun is pointing in a 30 degree angle upwards. He might have hit some real geese but sure as hell not any of the bad guys.As so many films from the 70's it also tries to make a political statement but that particular part is just boringly old today. A South African running around and calling the guy they are supposed to rescue for "kaffer" all the time because he is black is at best a historical curiosity, and a fairly boring one at that, today. Naturally a 5 minute, equally boring, speech from the black guy turns the South African guy. Boring and silly.That is not to say that the movie is a bad one. It is still worth watching. The first parts of the movie, when the main characters are introduced, is quite enjoyable. I especially liked the bad attitude of Col. Faulkner. I have always liked Richard Burton as an actor and he doesn't disappoint in this movie. Roger Moore is of course always Roger Moore. Whether or not you like him is another story. Also, even though it is not up to today's standards there are plenty of watchable action in the later parts of the movie.So I did enjoy my oldie movie evening but the movie was not as good as I remembered. But then it is maybe not surprising when you re-watch a move that you first saw as a kid.