Directed By: John Irvin
Starring: Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger, Colin Blakely
Tag line: "Cry 'Havoc!' And Let Slip The Dogs Of War"
Trivia: Michael Cimino did an uncredited rewrite on the script
After barely escaping with his life while on a mission in Central America, mercenary Jamie Shannon (Christopher Walken) is approached by UK businessman Roy Endean (Hugh Millais), who wants him to travel incognito to Zangaro, a West African nation ruled by a tyrannical dictator named General Kimba, and photograph as much of that country’s military infrastructure as he possible can.
Using the pseudonym Keith Brown, Shannon arrives in Zangaro posing as an Ornithologist, come to take some pictures of the area’s more exotic birds. Unfortunately, the authorities don’t believe his cover story, and after a few days Shannon is arrested, tortured, and tossed out of the country.
Back in the U.S., a battered and beaten Shannon is again approached by Endean, who this time is offering to pay top dollar for a mercenary squad willing to eliminate Kimba once and for all. Rounding up his usual team: Drew (Tom Berenger), Derek (Paul Freeman), and Michel (Jean-Francois Stevenin), Shannon heads to London to arrange the particulars of the mission. Endean’s plan is to replace the uncooperative Kimba with Col. Bobi (George Harris), a former compatriot of Kimba’s who is more open to doing business with the west. The moment the fighting is over, Shannon will give the all-clear and Bobi will take his place as the country’s new leader.
With the promise of a big payday should they succeed, Shannon and his mercenaries are especially motivated to complete this difficult task, but the questions remains: will any of them live long enough to collect the money?
Directed by John Irvin, 1980’s The Dogs of War kicks things off in exciting fashion, with Shannon and his men embroiled in a Central American conflict (which, by the looks of it, is not going well). The film then slows down a bit, joining Shannon at home in New York, and, later, heading to Zangaro with him on his recon mission (while it does have a few intense scenes, this portion of the movie is mostly action-free). But even in its quieter moments, The Dogs of War remains a very engaging film thanks in large part to Walken himself.
Fresh off his Oscar win for The Deer Hunter (Best Supporting Actor, 1979), Walken brings an inner strength to the enigmatic Shannon. We do eventually learn a little about his personal life (at one point, he attempts to reconcile with his ex-wife Jessie, played by JoBeth Williams), but for the most part Shannon keeps his true feelings in check (up until the final scene, that is). Even those sequences where he and his team are negotiating with some shady individuals (purchasing firearms, arranging transportation, etc) are fascinating, and Walken’s performance is a big reason why.
Then, with about a half hour left in the film, the fight for Zangaro kicks into high gear, and, man, is it a doozy! Using bad-ass weapons and with the help of a well-trained squad of Zangarons (loyal to Bobi), Shannon and his men bring holy hell down upon Kimba’s troops, and as a result these final scenes are positively electric.
Balancing the film’s two main battle sequences with plenty of intrigue, The Dogs of War is an action / thriller well worth checking out.