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IMDbPro

The Dogs of War

  • 19801980
  • RR
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
8.8K
YOUR RATING
The Dogs of War (1980)
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:46
1 Video
75 Photos
ActionAdventureDrama
Mercenary James Shannon, on a reconnaissance job to the African nation of Zangaro, is tortured and deported. He returns to lead a coup.Mercenary James Shannon, on a reconnaissance job to the African nation of Zangaro, is tortured and deported. He returns to lead a coup.Mercenary James Shannon, on a reconnaissance job to the African nation of Zangaro, is tortured and deported. He returns to lead a coup.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
8.8K
YOUR RATING
    • John Irvin
    • Gary DeVore(screenplay)
    • George Malko(screenplay)
    • Frederick Forsyth(novel)
  • Stars
    • Christopher Walken
    • Tom Berenger
    • Colin Blakely
    • John Irvin
    • Gary DeVore(screenplay)
    • George Malko(screenplay)
    • Frederick Forsyth(novel)
  • Stars
    • Christopher Walken
    • Tom Berenger
    • Colin Blakely
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 75User reviews
    • 55Critic reviews
    • 56Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Dogs of War
    Trailer 1:46
    Watch The Dogs of War

    Photos75

    The Dogs of War (1980)
    This is the advance poster, 1 sheet 27 x 41
    1 Sheet, 27 X 41
    quad
    The Dogs of War (1980)
    The Dogs of War (1980)
    The Dogs of War (1980)
    JoBeth Williams in The Dogs of War (1980)
    Christopher Walken in The Dogs of War (1980)
    Christopher Walken in The Dogs of War (1980)
    Christopher Walken and Robert Urquhart in The Dogs of War (1980)
    Christopher Walken in The Dogs of War (1980)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Christopher Walken
    Christopher Walken
    • Jamie Shannon
    Tom Berenger
    Tom Berenger
    • Drew
    Colin Blakely
    Colin Blakely
    • North
    Hugh Millais
    • Endean
    Paul Freeman
    Paul Freeman
    • Derek
    Jean-François Stévenin
    • Michel
    • (as Jean François Stevenin)
    JoBeth Williams
    JoBeth Williams
    • Jessie
    Robert Urquhart
    Robert Urquhart
    • Capt. Lockhart
    Winston Ntshona
    Winston Ntshona
    • Dr. Okoye
    Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
    Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
    • The Captain
    • (as Pedro Armendariz Jr.)
    Harlan Cary Poe
    • Richard
    Ed O'Neill
    Ed O'Neill
    • Terry
    Isabel Grandin
    • Evelyn
    Ernest Graves
    • Warner
    Kelvin Thomas
    • The Black Boy
    Shane Rimmer
    Shane Rimmer
    • Dr. Oaks
    Joseph Konrad
    • Priest
    • (as Father Joseph Konrad)
    Bruce McLane
    Bruce McLane
    • Shop Manager
      • John Irvin
      • Gary DeVore(screenplay)
      • George Malko(screenplay)
      • Frederick Forsyth(novel)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      While researching the novel in the early 1970s, author Frederick Forsyth pretended he was actually financing a coup d'etat in Equatorial Guinea. The pretense allowed Forsyth access to a number of underworld figures, including mercenaries and arms dealers. Forsyth has since commented that the arms dealers were the most frightening people he has ever met.
    • Goofs
      Although they are supposed to be receiving training in the use of the Uzi sub-machine gun, several of the mercenaries who run across the deck to fire at the floating target are armed with Ingram MAC-10's.
    • Quotes

      Michel: [raising his glass in a toast] Vive la mort ! Vive la guerre ! Vive le sacré mercenaire !

    • Alternate versions
      Although the cinema version was uncut the 1986 UK video was cut by 5 secs by the BBFC to remove shots of broken glass being forced into the mouth of Endean's man before being beaten up by Shannon. The 2001 MGM DVD restored the film to its original 119 minute UK length, which had additional character development, including an early scene of Shannon attending the baptism of a fellow mercenary's child, a bed scene between Shannon and Jessie, a scene of the raiding party being delayed by a closed drawbridge, Shannon pressuring Hackett to deliver the Valencia shipment, and extensive footage between Shannon and Lockhart where the latter persuades Spanish officials to allow the cargo on to the boat.
    • Connections
      Edited into Stealth Fighter (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries
      Sung by Gillian McPherson

      Music by Geoffrey Burgon

      Poem by A.E. Housman

    User reviews75

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Gritty and violent motion picture in the debut theatrical feature for director John Irvin.
    The "dogs of war" (this phrase takes its literary origins from William Shakespeare) is an exciting as well as interesting action/war film . It concerns a military coup in an African country and stars Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger , though he has said in interviews that around half of his role was omitted from the final release print . It deals with mercenary James Shannon (Christopher Walken) , on a reconnaissance job to the African nation of Zangaro, is tortured and deported . He returns to lead a coup and tangles with an Idi Amin-alike dictator. As various soldiers of fortune (Tom Berenger , Paul Freeman , among others) , used to be the best of friends give a toast : ¨Long live death, long live war, long live the cursed mercenary" (this is an adaptation of the original Foreign legion toast) and all of them battle side by side in hellhole Africa .

    This war film packs adventures , large-scale blow-up , thrilling plot , and lots of action for the most part , but also contains too much dialogue . It's a good mix of action-packed , adventure , thriller and warfare genre . Overly somber rendition based on Frederick Forsyth's novel , in fact , while researching the novel in the early 1970s, author pretended he was actually financing a coup d'etat in Equatorial Guinea , the pretense allowed Forsyth access to a number of underworld figures, including mercenaries and arms dealers ; Forsyth has since commented that the arms dealers were the most frightening people he has ever met . Frederick is a famous author best-sellers whose novels have been successfully adapted to cinema and TV such as ¨The day of Jackal¨, ¨Odessa¨ and ¨The fourth protocol¨ . Fine support cast who realize professionally competent interpretations , some of them with no more than a line or two to say such as Colin Blakely , Paul Freeman , and brief interventions from JoBeth Williams , Robert Urquhart , Ed O'Neill , Jim Broadbent , Jean Pierre Kalfon , Victoria Tennant , Pedro Armendariz Jr and first cinema film of David Schofield.

    Good cinematography by Jack Cardiff , who also shot a movie about mercenaries in Africa titled ¨The mercenaries¨, it was filmed on location , as African and Central America sequences were filmed in Belize City, Belize in Central America . The motion picture was well directed by John Irvin , though it was originally going to be directed by Norman Jewison. John had previously filmed amidst real life battles when he worked in a television news crew in Vietnam during the 1960s. Irvin once said: "Unlike most young film directors, I've been in battle. Throughout the sixties I went to various war zones and I met numerous mercenaries in Algeria and South East Asia, so I had my own personal strings to draw on. I would say our depiction of mercenaries is pretty accurate. We talked to a lot of mercenaries and were able to get a lot of information from them about how they would have handled the operation". As the movie's major battle sequence was directed by director John Irvin and not the Second Unit Director . Rating : Nice picture , better than average . Worthwhile watching .
    helpful•22
    0
    • ma-cortes
    • Aug 26, 2013

    FAQ4

    • What military units do the mercenaries belong to?
    • What weapons do the mercenaries use?
    • Is any of this based on real events?

    Details

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    • Release date
      • February 13, 1981 (United States)
      • United Kingdom
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Belize City, Belize
    • Production company
      • Juniper Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 42 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Stereo

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