The Wild Geese
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Uncommon Valor
mrmojo32 — 15 years ago(May 18, 2010 03:05 PM)
Ok We all know this is a lot like Rambo II and Missing in Action but if anyone has seen "The Wild Geese (1978), you will see many of the scenes are the same.
Has anyone else noticed this? I lost count after a while of the similar scenes. -
Dennis_Cooper — 15 years ago(July 10, 2010 04:20 AM)
'Uncommon Valor' was made before Rambo II or Missing in Action.
I have seen 'The Wild Geese' many times and it is a great action film. Other than the general fact that both films involved an assault on a prison camp I din't think they are all that similar. To which scenes do you refer? -
Aylmer — 13 years ago(May 23, 2012 11:51 AM)
well you have to admit they both follow exactly the same "assemble the squad" formula. Both start with former soldiers haunted by past conflicts and struggling to "rotate back into the world". We then see how the prospect of combat rejuvenates them a wealthy investor (Stack / Granger) becomes involved and that sets things into high gear with most of act 2 going into training and training (and realistically).
We see the training in great depth with the assault of a reconstructed painstakingly accurate lookalike camp, etc.
We also get the simultaneous attack on a helicopter pad / airport as on a prison (happens in both films).
Both films have the team cope with the "rug being pulled out" under their mission (not being picked up by the plane in WILD GEESE / losing their weapons in UNCOMMON).
Both films involve a prejudiced man (or men) overcoming bigoted views and becoming more open-minded.
Members of the team are killed trying to save the life of a hostage.
Both films end with the survivors barely flying away with their lives after making costly sacrifices.
They then give us a little of the aftermath of what becomes of the men once their mission is over.
Essentially they're the same film - just one is a lot more politically motivated with racial overtones.