Men of War (1994)

A former Special Ops soldier leads a group of mercenaries to an island in the South China Sea: their mission is obtain the rights to the unusual treasure that the island beholds.

Director:

Perry Lang

Writers:

Stan Rogow (story), John Sayles (screenplay)

Stars:

Dolph Lundgren, Charlotte Lewis, BD Wong

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dolph Lundgren	...	Nick Gunar
Charlotte Lewis	...	Loki
BD Wong	...	Po
Tony Denison	...	Jimmy G. (as Anthony John Denison)
Tim Guinee	...	Ocker
Don Harvey	...	Nolan
Tommy 'Tiny' Lister	...	Blades (as Tiny 'Zeus' Lister)
Tom Wright	...	Jamaal
Catherine Bell	...	Grace Lashield
Trevor Goddard	...	Keefer
Kevin Tighe	...	Colonel Merrick
Thomas Gibson	...	Warren
Perry Lang	...	Lyle
Aldo Sambrell	...	Goldmouth (as Aldo Sanbrell)
Juan Pedro Tudela	...	Waldo

Storyline

Nick Gunar (Dolph Lundgren) is a burnt-out, jaded and hard-up former mercenary who is having a difficult time adjusting to civilian life. At the end of his rope, he is hired by the Nitro Mine Corporation to strong-arm the natives of a South China Sea island into giving up their rights to its valuable mineral resources. Nick loathes the thought of another mission, but this seemingly easy job will earn him enough money to get back with his estranged family. He recruits some of his former mercenary buddies to help him with the job. The island people refuse to give up their land and Nick decides to help them fight the greedy corporation that hired him. The island and its people bring Nick back to life. He finally finds something worth fighting for and a place to call home. As greed and treachery begin to unravel, Nick's band of mercenaries choose sides. Some are with him and others, still working for the corporation, will stop at nothing to destroy him.

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Plot Keywords:

island native | island | mercenary | fight | cockney accent | 

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Taglines:

Killers for hire are paid for what they can do, not for what they believe... until today.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for non-stop violence, strong language and some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 May 1995 (Spain)

Also Known As:

A Safe Place

Filming Locations:

Thailand

Box Office

Budget:

$8,600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

MDP Worldwide, Pomarance Corporation, Grandview Avenue Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 76 min (heavily cut) (TV)

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39:1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot in Thailand between September and December of 1993; production officially ended in January 1994. Following excellent test screenings, Miramax bought it from another company with a promise of theatrical release, but then dumped it on video because it thought that Dolph Lundgren couldn't bring the audience if he was main hero in the film. It was shelved until December of 1995 when it was released on video in the US, although it was released earlier in some other countries (e.g., France (in July 1995) where it wasn't a great financial success but got great reviews from critics. John Sayles, who wrote the original script (before it was partially re-written to add more action and humor), also said some years later how it was a very good action movie and some of Lundgren's best work.

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Quotes

Colonel Merrick: [to Nick] One can be a mercenary and still a gentleman.

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Alternate Versions

The R-rated Region 1 DVD is cut during a few violent moments (about 13 seconds), but on one hand is presented in a beautiful, remastered widescreen presentation. The German release in presented in a Pan and Scan presentation, but is fully uncut. The UK DVD (not VHS) release is uncut and widescreen.

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Connections

Referenced in C'est pas le 20 heures: Episode dated 10 July 1995 (1995)

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Soundtracks

I MIGHT BE LEAVING YOU
Written by Nathaniel Pierre Jones and La Vette Goodman
Published by Nathaniel Pierre Jones and La Vette Goodman
Performed by D.J. Pierre and featuring La Vette Goodman

User Reviews

Most definitely Lundgren's best movie, with lots of action, gorgeous scenery, and an excellent supporting cast.

Rating: *** out of ****

I don't generally make it a point to review Dolph Lundgren films, since they're usually steeped deep into mediocrity, but I gave this one a chance based on some fairly high recommendations. And I have to admit, I'm pleasantly surprised; though not a great movie, Men of War delivers thrilling action amidst a plot that's actually not half-bad by "generic action flick" standards.

Lundgren stars as Nick Gunar, an ex-special forces operative who's given a lucrative job by a corporation looking for someone to do their dirty work. Apparently, the company wants mining rights on a small island inhabited by a village of natives and they think Gunar's the man to convince the villagers to sign the rights over; if the natives don't agree, then Gunar and his men will have to eliminate them. With some reluctance, Gunar agrees to the deal and rounds out the rest of his team with hard-boiled mercenaries (totaling eight in all, including Catherine Bell) looking for a good payday.

But upon their first few days on the island, Gunar and a few of his teammates find themselves quite taken with the natives and their way of life, and are unable to bring themselves to complete the mission. This splits the team in half, with Gunar and his group choosing to defend the island and the rest leaving to join another much larger mercenary group (led by Kevin Tighe and Aussie Trevor Goddard) that's got its eyes set on completing the mission. No points for guessing this is going to lead to all-out war.

The film's premise, though often used time and again in the annals of action cinema, is effective in immediately engaging the viewer. Plot has often been a tricky complication in Lundgren's movies, as they tend to get in the way of the action or there's simply not enough of a hook in the story to hold one's attention. Not so in this case, and while the script isn't particularly complex or convoluted, I found myself quite interested in the natives' plight and the way Gunar and his soldiers respond to the situation.

It's also to no small degree that I even cared about the characters, and in this regard, even the natives aren't short-sighted, as ample screen time is given to both B.D. Wong and Charlotte Lewis. Wong, in particular, is excellent as the translator who helps bridge the cultural gap. As the lead, Lundgren is likable and appealing, displaying a fair amount of the same charisma that made Schwarzenegger a huge star. He's clearly not a good actor, but he has an undeniably strong presence.

The supporting cast immeasurably aids the film, most especially hottie Catherine Bell as one of the ass-kicking mercenaries with a heart of gold. I'm only a little disappointed that she didn't strip down or show any skin, so it seems that gratuitous task was left up to Charlotte Lewis. Also making strong impressions are Tom Wright and Tim Guinee as mercs on Gunar's side and Trevor Goddard as the over-the-top villain.

The action scenes are spectacular and thrilling, even if most of it is held off until the climax. But what a climax! The last half-hour is non-stop mayhem, with shootouts, explosions, knifings, and fisticuffs taking place all over the island. For my money, this is the best B-movie battle since Arnold took on all those Latino soldiers in Commando. Lundgren doesn't really get to show off his martial arts moves until his mano-a-mano battle with Goddard, but it's a damn good showdown that wraps the action up on an exciting note.

Add to that the gorgeous scenery and surprisingly high production values (this certainly has the look and feel of a theatrical release), and I'd have to say Men of War is a winner. It's not innovative or original cinema, but it is a highly entertaining action flick and that's all I ask from a movie starring Dolph Lundgren.