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the actual operation is tense and funny at the same time - Kenneth Griffith as the camp Witty is good, if a rather outdated portrayal of a homosexual.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.
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the actual operation is tense and funny at the same time - Kenneth Griffith as the camp Witty is good, if a rather outdated portrayal of a homosexual.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.