Jamie Shannon (Christopher Walken) is a veteran sickened by his role as a mercenary, but when the amorous reunion with his ex-wife Jesse (JoBeth Williams) falls flat, he changes his mind and opts for the $100,000 offered for the coup d’etat of an African autocracy rich in platinum deposits.
He is first assigned to perform reconnaissance of the state of Zangaro posing as a bird photographer, but when he arrives he is almost immediately suspected of sabotage and beaten and tortured. With no actual evidence, the military police reluctantly allow him to leave the country.
Back home, Shannon rounds up his best men and begins planning an all-out assault on the state to replace the despot Kimba (Ilario Bisi-Pedro) with a puppet ruler – enabling corporate powers to take over the platinum bounty.
He signs up an American ally of the past called Drew (Tom Berenger), a Frenchman called Michel (Jean-François Stévenin), an ex-SAS Englishman called Derek (Paul Freeman) and a small hand-picked army of native fighters prepared to die for their cause.
But, as any red-blooded mercenary will tell you, a small band of men against a garrison of trained soldiers is certain suicide – unless you are blessed with an ace up your sleeve to give you the advantage.
Enter the XM-18 projectile launcher – capable of launching a combination of 18 gas, smoke and explosive rounds over a distance of 200 yards – which promises victory for the mercenaries hiding on the borders of Kimba’s Zangaro.
The Dogs of War is an excellent, realistic retelling of Frederick Forsyth’s mammoth best-seller.
Jamie Shannon
Christopher Walken Drew
Tom Berenger North
Colin Blakely Endean
Hugh Millais Derek
Paul Freeman Michel
Jean-François Stévenin Jessie
JoBeth Williams Captain Lockhart
Robert Urquhart Dr Okoye
Winston Ntshona The Captain
Pedro Armendáriz Jr. Richard
Harlan Cary Poe Terry
Ed O’Neill Evelyn
Isabel Grandin Warner
Ernest Graves The Black Boy
Kelvin Thomas Dr Oaks
Shane Rimmer Colonel Bobi
George Harris Hackett
Terence Rigby Benny Lambert
Jean-Pierre Kalfon Baker
Christopher Malcolm Boucher
Jack Lenoir Gabrielle
Maggie Scott Geoffrey
Christopher Asante Dexter
Thomas Baptiste Jinja
Eddie Tagoe Kimba
Ilario Bisi-Pedro
Director
John Irvin
Video
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