Expendables Of Their Day


The Wild Geese (1978) Fly At Senior Rate

The sort of "high adventure" aging lead men did by carloads during the 70's that were run-off from hits beginning with The Guns Of Navarone. Impossible missions were made possible with a right combination of international names and funding gathered global, The Wild Geese and kin customized for a worldwide market. I'd see these and wonder how much more Richard Burton and Richard Harris could withstand, their constitutions beat down by years at tippling. How cruel was it to issue uniforms and prop guns to hard-lived players at an end of tethers? But, of course, it's Burton, Harris, and company that make Wild Geese fly. To preserve them better, we'd as soon limit Burton-Harris input to dialogue they did so well, and leave action to faceless and falling mobs under direction of Andrew V. McLaglen, who'd done as much stateside for John Wayne and was efficient, if not inspired. "Guest stars," as in folk who complete work in a couple days, would look in on international co-ops like The Wild Geese, thus Stewart Granger as remind of what he-men of the 40-50's were lately up to. Being it addresses Africa tensions, there is political airing here/there in The Wild Geese, which I sped mostly past, Hardy Kruger my cue to fast-forward. There's a Blu-Ray out that's said to be fine, but I saw The Wild Geese on Epix, looking just OK, but not exceptional, being first fifteen-minutes that turned into an entire-length sit.

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