Product Details

• Actors: Catherine Bell, Ignacio Carreño, Anthony John Denison, Thomas Gibson, Trevor Goddard
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• VHS Release Date: October 10, 2000
• Run Time: 103 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303855482
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #307,303 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Men of War stars tall, craggy Dolph Lundgren as a down-and-out commando who agrees to do another job because there's nothing else he knows how to do. He assembles a crack team and travels to an isolated Pacific island with orders to secure it for a mysterious business venture. But once there, he discovers an idyllic paradise with peaceful natives who welcome the mercenaries into their village. When Dolph learns what the venture is really about, he decides he's on the wrong side and, with part of his team, fights to defend the island from destruction. The first third of Men of War is drenched in sweaty machismo--the camera constantly lingers over rippling muscles and bruised skin during an endless bar fight. But once on the island, the mercenaries frolic sweetly with native children and the scenery is astoundingly beautiful (and beautifully filmed). A native who speaks English delivers some heavy-handed pacifist speeches. Then, as another team of more ruthless mercenaries arrive, the movie again turns into an ecstasy of gunshots and explosions--only, because of the genuinely charming middle third, there are actually some emotional stakes to the violence. Furthermore, the natives turn out to be not quite as peaceful as they presented themselves, adding some surprising layers to the movie's moral tone (likely due to the hand of co-screenwriter John Sayles, the man responsible for Brother from Another Planet and Lone Star). All in all, better looking and better written than any movie starring Dolph Lundgren has any right to be. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catherine Bell of pre-"JAG" fame - Enough said!!!, April 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Men of War (DVD)

There is only one reason for me to buy this DVD & it is because Catherine Bell (who portrays LtCol. Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie) of "JAG" fame graces this movie with her presence.She portrays Grace, a (Wo)Men of War", one of Dolph's mercenaries.Catherine Bell is great in this movie, I just loved how BUTCH she was with short hair & muscles, kicking ... & swinging the big guns around.So if you are a Cat Bell fan, this is definately a "must-have" for your collection.Also, for all you "JAG" fans, Trevor Goddard who portrayed Australian Navy lawyer Mic Brumby (who Sarah MacKenzie was supposed to marry, thank God that didn't happen!) plays Keefer in this movie.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Men of War Exceeds All Expectations, October 15, 2000

By 

K. Ip (The World) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Men of War (DVD)

At first glance, Men of War doesn't seem like much: It looks like yet another low-profile action film from the King of B-Movies, Dolph Lundgren. Good for a few laughs perhaps, but certainly nothing worth repeat viewing. But this notion is quickly dispelled upon closer examination. The first clue to the film's surprising quality is a screenwriting credit attributed to indie filmmaker, John Sayles (Passion Fish, Ghost Dog). Known for his intelligent and character-driven dramas, Sayles' writing imparts Men of War with far more subtlety, wit and meaning than one would expect from a direct-to-video action film. Things just get better from there. There's the diverse and talented cast that includes BD Wong, Catherine Bell (TV's JAG), Thomas Gibson (TV's Dharma & Greg), and Tiny Lister (The Fifth Element). The actors have clearly been chosen for their ability and suitability for the roles rather than because they're the next "hot young thing". This high quality is maintained by the director and cinematographer. I've never heard of director Perry Lang, but based on his tight, visually-interesting work here, he certainly deserves to be given another film to helm. The whole production has an extremely polished and high-quality feel to it. Indeed, the major failing of previous home video editions of Men of War was that they were in pan & scan, thus cropping off the film's beautiful widescreen cinematography. The DVD edition finally corrects this oversight and allows the wild action scenes and gorgeous South Seas locations to be seen in their original 2.35:1 widescreen glory. While the DVD is a bit light on features, one needs to consider that this is literally the only widescreen DVD of the film in the entire WORLD. Combined with an effective surround sound audio track, this DVD is worth it just for presenting a great overlooked film in the way it was meant to be seen. Part hardcore mercenary action movie and part deft character study, Men of War should be sought out by anyone looking for a quality film that can stimulate both the mind and the eyes. Highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Probably Dolph Lundgren's best movie........, October 15, 2004

By 

Ollie (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Men of War (DVD)

Don't have anything bad to say, Dolph Lundgren did himself proud with this one. Great location shots, good directing, good script, good acting and top notch action sequences. Probably the highest production standards a Dolph Lundgren production will ever see again.