The Dogs of War | | Cast : | Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger | | Director : | John Irvin | | Studio : | Mgm/Ua Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | February 13, 1981 | | DVD Released Date : | November 20, 2001 | | Language : | French (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 03, 2005 | | Summary | First class Movie | Content
 | A great movie of it's time.A good story,( Frederick Forsyth)good director,(John Irvin) good actors,Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger, Colin Blakely et al.This movie is a classic and keeps your attention from start to finish. The dvd is well worth the price. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 10, 2005 | | Summary | Violent, Cynical And Well Done | Content
| "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war," wrote one of those old, white male Eurocentric writers a long time ago, and this movie shows how it can be done. I think it's a solid, fast-paced adventure story with a nice, jaundiced outlook and a first-rate performance by Christopher Walken.
Jamie Shannon (Walken) is a pay-for-play mercenary who has reached the point where he's just seen too much. His private life has disintegrated. His wife has divorced him, although he, in his own way, still loves her. He lives in a worn out New York apartment where he keeps a revolver in the refrigerator and the black and white TV on all the time. He's hired by a big, multinational company to check out Zangora, an African country rich in resources and ruled by a brutal but wily and slightly insane dictator. The question Jamie is asked to answer: Are the conditions ripe enough for a coup to succeed? Jamie goes there, but is caught and beaten within an inch of his life, then deported. On his return, his answer to the company is simple: A coup isn't possible; the army is corrupt and second rate, but they still are loyal to President Kimba. The company then asks Jamie: How about the chances of success for a well-financed, well supplied overthrow led by a first-class group of mercenaries, led by Jamie Shannon? After some angst involving an unsuccessful attempt to reconnect with his ex-wife, Jamie says it could work and he'll do it.
The middle of the movie shows us how to recruit our own group of mercenaries, get arms and money out of one country and into another, and then plan and carry out a meticulous and violent attack against a poorly led and larger army. And it does it with economy and a surprising amount of tension and interest. During recruitment and planning, Jamie finds himself beginning to question the motives of his employer and rediscovering some values of his own. Jamie Shannon is a ruthless and efficient hired gun, but he begins to see that what he has spent his life becoming may not be want he wants, after all. The movie ends with a nice, violent twist. Although satisfying, we're still left uncertain if Jamie will be able to break out of his way of life.
I thought this movie kept things moving very well, even during the obligatory development of Shannon's back story and the time spent establishing his relationship with his ex-wife. Christopher Walken, looking very young, carries off the role with style and feeling. He has already perfected that slightly off-kilter stare, plus he's a fine actor. Tom Berenger plays his buddy, Drew, whom Shannon recruits to be his second in command. Nice jobs are turned in by Hugh Millais, who plays the multi-national corporation's amoral, can-do representative, and by Winston Ntshona as Dr. Okoye, a prisoner Shannon encounters in the Zangora prison after he's caught during his first visit. It's a small part, but the role is a major pivot point for the movie.
On balance, I think this is a very good adventure movie with a cynical edge and a fine Walken performance. The DVD picture looks just fine. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 19, 2005 | | Summary | BAD! | Content
| This movie is CRAP! Walken does a great job but, this ia a terrible adaptaion of the book. |
| Rating | | | Date | October 16, 2004 | | Summary | Well Crafted Mercenary Tale | Content
| This is a well crafted story about the otherthrowing of a brutal West African dictatorship through a mercenary run coup d'tat. The film meticulously follows the plot from the reconesance operation to the planning stages through the actual coup. Christopher Walken plays Shannon, the leader of the mercenaries. Walken does solid, but not remarkable work here but he cannot be faulted for that. The film is more concerned with the nuts and bolts of the story and not so with characterization. Shannon's personal life is dealt with perfunctorily, such as his failed marriage, but is quickly dropped. A major character dies in battle but the audience can't really feel for him because we never really got to know him. Covert ops and military hardware take precedence. Gotta love them Uzis and Gats. If you are looking for good storytelling with little or no emotional attachment to the characters this is the film for you. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 28, 2004 | | Summary | my favorite book in film | Content
| this could have been the superhit with a better script and higher budget. its still a good movie, but not even remotely close to the quality of the book.
if u liked this movie read forsyth's books the r extremely well written and researched. |
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