I recently decided to revisit an older film, one I’d seen years ago during my childhood. I recall having it on my list of favorites back then, so spotting it available on Blu-ray prompted me to pick it up. While still watchable, it didn't quite live up to how fondly I remembered it. The plot is a familiar and often repeated one. A group of mercenaries accepts a job from someone or some organization with questionable ethics. This person or entity then betrays them, typically leaving the mercenaries stranded and facing imminent death. One or more of these mercenaries manages to thwart those plans, often at the expense of individuals on the side that did the double-crossing. There's nothing inherently wrong with a well-executed story like this. The action sequences were probably considered impressive when the film was released in 1978, but they feel rather ordinary now. The mercenaries, who are supposed to be professionals, act more like amateurs. A particular scene involving an attack on a bridge is especially frustrating because the characters simply sit there, exposed, while planes repeatedly fly overhead instead of seeking cover. Later, Richard Harris is shown shooting at the antagonists alongside his fellow mercenaries, but his weapon is angled upwards by about 30 degrees. He might have hit some birds, but definitely not any of the bad guys. Like many films from the seventies, this one attempts to make a political statement, which now comes across as dull. A South African character repeatedly using a derogatory term for a black man he’s supposed to rescue is at best an interesting historical detail—and a rather tedious one. Predictably, a five-minute speech by that same black man changes the South African's perspective; it’s both boring and silly. That doesn't mean the film is bad overall. It’s still worth watching. The initial scenes, where the main characters are introduced, were quite enjoyable. I particularly appreciated Col. Faulkner’s attitude. Richard Burton delivers a solid performance as always. Roger Moore is simply Roger Moore; whether you like him or not is another matter entirely. Even if it doesn't measure up to modern standards, there’s still plenty of watchable action later on. I did enjoy my evening watching an older movie, but the film wasn’t as good as I recalled. That probably isn't surprising when you re-watch something you first saw as a child, though.

Source on TMDB