The Dogs of War ** (1980, Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger, Colin Blakely, Winston Ntshona, Hugh Millais, Paul Freeman, JoBeth Williams) – Classic Movie Review 8439

Director John Irvin’s 1980 war movie The Dogs of War is a competent but superficial and conventional all-action version of Frederick Forsyth’s bestseller, with a young-looking Christopher Walken miscast but still intriguing and watchable as a war-scarred mercenary in a fictional West African republic, Zangaro.

Walken’s character of soldier of fortune Jamie Shannon has to organise a coup to replace a corrupt president with democratic leader Dr Okoye (Winston Ntshona). Colin Blakely manages to make something of the clichéd role of alcoholic British journalist (basically the Denholm Elliott part) called North, while Tom Berenger plays Drew, Hugh Millais plays Endean and Paul Freeman plays Derek.

Irvin, graduating from television where he had just made the classic seven episode TV Mini-Series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (with Alec Guinness), directs with slick efficiency.

Also in the cast are JoBeth Williams, Jean-François Stévenin, Robert Urquhart, Winston Ntshona, Pedro Armendáriz Jr, Ed O’Neill, Harlan Cary Poe, Isabel Grandin, Ernest Graves and Kelvin Thomas

There are several versions of the movie, varying in length from the UK 118 minute version to the US version of 102 minutes. The TV print edits for strong language and strong violence.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8439

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