Der Commander (1988)

Director:

Antonio Margheriti

Writers:

Tito Carpi, Arne Elsholtz (screenplay),

Stars:

Lewis Collins, Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lewis Collins	...	Major Colby
Lee Van Cleef	...	Col. Mazzarini
Donald Pleasence	...	Henry Carlson
Manfred Lehmann	...	Mason / Hiccock
Brett Halsey	...	McPherson
Chat Silayan	...	Ling
Hans Leutenegger	...	Gutierrez
Christian Brückner	...	Frank Williams
Frank Glaubrecht	...	Lennox
Thomas Danneberg	...	Gustafson
Anita Lochner	...	Mrs. Mason
Wolfgang Kühne	...	Krüger
Paul Muller	...	Carbalo
Bobby Rhodes	...	Kongo Klaus
Romano Puppo	...	Angelo

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

exploding helicopter | narcotics | mercenary | 1980s | drugs

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Genres:

Action | War

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Details

Country:

West Germany Italy

Language:

German

Release Date:

28 April 1988 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

The Commander

Filming Locations:

Amalfi, Salerno, Campania, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ascot Film, Prestige Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 84 min (video)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some model shots of silos from Code Name: Wild Geese are reused with new sequences shot on the same location for this film - this location and the use of a flamethrower are a reference to the earlier film which had many of the same personnel.

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Goofs

When one of the commandos is met by the Thai lady commando at the airport, the MG car's left indicator is flashing when she gets out, but it is off when they get in the car in the shot from the back of the vehicle.

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Connections

Follows Code Name: Wild Geese (1984)

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Soundtracks

Music: Walter Baumgartner

User Reviews

THE COMMANDER (Antonio Margheriti, 1988) *1/2

Around Christmas I had watched COMMANDO LEOPARD (1985), a passable low-brow German-Italian war flick; that film was the middle part of a trilogy and, back then, I had expressed a wish to check out the remaining two entries – CODENAME: WILDGEESE (1984) and THE COMMANDER (1988). I now happened upon the latter, but the result was even less rewarding! Lewis Collins is once again the hero and, as ever, producer Erwin C. Dietrich manages to assemble a fair line-up of actors in support: Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Manfred Lehmann and John Steiner (both from COMMANDO LEOPARD), Paul Muller (as Van Cleef’s smart butler!) and Brett Halsey.

The convoluted plot involves an Asian dictator, a consignment of drugs and an all-important incriminating “floppy disk” (but which looks more like a CD!). The band of gung-ho mercenaries this time around also includes a native girl but, with much of the action being relegated to the second half, it’s mostly by-the-numbers stuff – until the explosive climax (which only Collins and Lehmann survive…though one member had expired early on from the bite of a cobra!). However, there’s a nice twist at the end regarding the characters of Van Cleef (fitted with a silly pirate-like earring throughout!) and Pleasence (alternating between hysteria and sarcasm and, finally, campily turning up as a tourist-photographer) – as they prove exact opposites to what they’d been played up to be!