There's something delightfully appealing about the square-jawed confidence of ‘The Wild Geese', the 1978 classic British action movie. In the midst of his James Bond tenure, between ‘The Spy Who Loved Me' and ‘Moonraker', Roger Moore teamed up with top British talent to make the perfect Sunday afternoon viewing.
As well as Moore, the cast also boasts Richard Burton, the Welsh thespian whose epic cinema credits (‘Cleopatra'), hell-raising and on-and-off screen romance with Elizabeth Taylor gave him legend status, and Irish actor, recording artist and hell-raiser Richard Harris (‘This Sporting Life', ‘Gladiator', the original Dumbledore in ‘Harry Potter'). Handsome German actor Hardy Kruger, known for roles in British films such as ‘A Bridge Too Far' and ‘The One That Got Away' completes the line-up of leading actors.
Not only is ‘The Wild Geese' a male film, but it is an alpha male film and unashamedly masculine in its pleasures. Within this mercenary epic there are only two female parts – both fleeting. Rosalind Lloyd (daughter of producer Euan Lloyd) plays a glamorous young damsel in distress, while Jane Hylton (the producer's ex-wife – keeping it very much in the family) plays a fierce battle-axe who doesn't want to see Richard Burton persuade her retired husband, Jack Watson (‘Edge of Darkness') off to fight as a mercenary. Women are side-lined and stereotyped in this red-blooded male-dominated adventure.
‘The Wild Geese' sees a group of ageing but highly skilled mercenaries led by Colonel Allen Faulkner (Burton), hired by a shady British businessman (Stewart Granger) to rescue an imprisoned African leader President Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona) from a newly established military dictatorship in the fictional African country of Zembala. Their mission is beset with double-crossing and political betrayal, leaving the crack squad of mercenaries, having completed some of their objectives, abandoned and hunted. Will the whole adventure turn out to be an enormous wild goose chase?
With some genuine jaw-dropping moments, ‘The Wild Geese' doesn't pull any punches in delivering plenty of action and adventure. Plenty of best-loved characters don't make it out alive, and there are several moments that pull on the heartstrings as their fates are sealed in the dense and unforgiving jungle.
The film succeeds on the strength of the charisma exuding from all four leading men. Seldom has British film succeeded in bringing together such a wealth of legendary talent. Burton, Moore, Harris and Kruger are simply outstanding in ‘The Wild Geese'. They all understand the assignment and deliver performances that work in perfect harmony. Leading man Burton is electric. He plays Faulkner not as heroic but as a world-weary professional who still believes in honour, even though the establishment he fights for has long since betrayed him. It’s one of his most engaging late-career performances. Their sub-plots are satisfying, too, with Kruger having his own mini buddy-movie with Winston Ntshona, determined to never stop carrying the legitimate president. While Richard Harris has promised his son Emile (Paul Spurrier), who has already lost his mother, that he will return from the mission… The banter, mutual respect and unspoken history between these men give the film much of its warmth and emotional pull.
There are memorable turns by several well-known British character actors. Frank Finlay (‘Bouquet of Barbed Wire') is terrific and funny as an Irish fire-and-brimstone priest, Father Geoghagen. Kenneth Griffith (‘The Prisoner') is hilarious as the outrageously camp but magnificently brave Arthur Witty. More light relief is provided by Ronald Fraser (‘The Flight of the Phoenix'), who plays to type as Scottish recruit Jock McTaggart. Look out also for Barry Foster (‘Van Der Valk') and Glyn Baker (‘The Box of Delights').
Although inspired by real post-colonial African conflicts of the 1960s and 70s, ‘The Wild Geese' avoids wading in on specific world affairs, instead choosing to make broader points about corruption both home and abroad. Ultimately, The Wild Geese is classic comfort cinema: handsomely made, superbly acted and packed with character. It is skilfully directed by Andrew V. McLaglen (‘North Sea Hijack' – also starring Roger Moore), who keeps the pace high and the action tight. There's never a dull moment in this movie.
The film looks and sounds immaculate in 4K UHD. Fans that like to go behind the scenes can enjoy audio commentaries with action film experts, Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, as well as a new track with assembly editor John Grover and Film Academic and South African Historian Calum Waddell. There's an archival commentary with producer Euan Lloyd, star Roger Moore and second unit director John Glen, who went on to direct the later Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton James Bond movies. Glen, himself now something of a living legend, is on good form in a featurette interview, talking to camera about his involvement with the making of ‘The Wild Geese'.
With a satisfying balance of thrills and sentiment, action sequences and character development, there's more depth and nuance to ‘The Wild Geese' than a cursory viewing may lead you to expect. Exciting and tense throughout, it remains a go-to choice for derring-do adventure story-telling. These geese have lost none of their bite.
Cast: Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, Hardy Krüger, Stewart Granger, John Kani, Jack Watson, Frank Finlay, Kenneth Griffith, Ronald Fraser, Rosalind Lloyd Director: Andrew V. McLaglen Writer: Reginald Rose (screenplay), based on the novel by Daniel Carney Running time: 134 mins Released by: Severin Release date: 15th December 2025 Buy ‘The Wild Geese'
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