The Dogs of War (1980)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

John Irvin

Writers:

Frederick Forsyth (novel)
Gary DeVore (writer) ...

Release Date:

13 February 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | War | Action

Tagline:

Cry 'Havoc!' And Let Slip The Dogs Of War

Plot:

Jamie Shannon is a soldier of fortune, a mercenary who will stage a coup or a revolution for the right price...

Plot Keywords:

Mercenary | Revolution | Soldier | Africa | Beret

Cast

Christopher Walken	...	Jamie Shannon
Tom Berenger	...	Drew
Colin Blakely	...	North
Hugh Millais	...	Endean
Paul Freeman	...	Derek
Jean-François Stévenin	...	Michel
JoBeth Williams	...	Jessie
Robert Urquhart	...	Capt. Lockhart
Winston Ntshona	...	Dr. Okoye
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	The Captain
Harlan Cary Poe	...	Richard
Ed O'Neill	...	Terry
Ernest Graves	...	Warner
Kelvin Thomas	...	The Black Boy
Shane Rimmer	...	Dr. Oaks

Runtime:

UK:118 min | USA:102 min | USA:104 min (TCM print) | Finland:114 min (cut) (1988) (video release) | Finland:105 min (cut) (1981) (cinema release)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1981) | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1988) | Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1980) | Brazil:16 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:18 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Norway:16 (1981) | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Belize City, Belize

Company:

Juniper Films

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:

Factual errors: The original Manville Gun was designed in 1935 by Charles Manville as a 12gauge multi-barrel shotgun (24 shot capacity). However, the XM-18 in DOW is based on an updated 1936 design as a 25mm grenade launcher with an 18 shot capacity (hence the "18" in XM-18). The movie version was still considerably more powerful than WWII era 25mm grenades were capable of. Unable to interest the military in his design, Manville's company stopped making the weapon. Ironically, in the early 1980's, the movie Dogs of War served to generate some interest from the military. Utilizing updated manufacturing processes and materials, the XM-18 type grenade launcher has actually seen some military service as a 25mm (18 shot) or 40mm (12 shot) grenade launcher. It is used by US Special Forces as well as some South American and African countries. With a range of between 150-350 meters, and with modern explosive technology, the 25mm grenade is fully capable of causing as much or more damage as was portrayed in the film. The 40mm grenade version uses the same projectile as is used in the Mk 19 grenade launcher which is widely used in the US Army. The current manufacturer is the Hawk Engineering Company who makes it under the designation MM-1.

Quotes:

Endean: Shannon, get him out of here! This whole country's bought and paid for!
Shannon: You're gonna have to buy it all over again.
[shoots Col. Bobi]

Movie Connections:

Edited into Stealth Fighter (1999)

A gritty and hard-boiled adventure.

Sent to checkout the political situation in the Africian nation of Zangaro, Shannon (Christopher Walken in a solid performance), a tireless and money-hungry American mercenary, get caught spying by the president's secret police and nearly beaten to death before sent back to the States. Determined to strike back, Walken urges a few of his friends (Tom Berenger and Ed O'Neill being a few of them) to join in the mission and get the necessary weapons. Director John Irvin ("Hamburger Hill", "When Trumpets Fade") plays his cards right in saving the best stuff, which is the raid and how the scenery is displayed by veteran cinematographer Jack Cardiff is also great. The film was based on a novel by Frederick Forstyh ("The Day of the Jackal").