The Wild Geese 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Wild Geese 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 10, 2026

Andrew V. McLaglen's "The Wild Geese" (1978) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by assembly editor John Grover and critic Calum Waddell; new program with actor John Kani; new program with second unit director and editor John Glen; new program with sound editor Colin Miller; archival documentary; vintage trailer; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Mercenaries

Anyone with a basic knowledge of older action films knows that Andrew V. McLaglen’s The Wild Geese is the original blueprint for The Expendables films. This statement does not imply that The Expendables films do not have a style and identity of their own. They absolutely do. However, The Wild Geese offers an original concept and delivers the right material for it, which another similar genre film can work with to impress. The Expendables films work with this concept and produce variations of this material, made suitable for a contemporary audience.

The brilliance of the concept comes from its simplicity. The Wild Geese unites multiple aging stars -- some who made magnificent films in the 1960s, and some who made magnificent films in the 1970s -- in an exotic action adventure, scripted to appeal to a mature audience. Light humor is allowed to flourish throughout the adventure, but not at the expense of authenticity. At the same time, the goal is not to prioritize authenticity while restricting the glamour of macho action, which is the main magnet in a film like The Wild Geese.

The other crucial element of this concept concerns the management of the characterizations. Big stars often bring big egos, which can become very problematic, especially in a genre film with plenty of fireworks. In The Wild Geese, this potential issue is avoided by freeing the stars and trusting them to maintain control of their characters. Before McLaglen’s camera, they do, and next to the macho action, this is the biggest reason The Wild Geese works.

Richard Burton, Richard Harris, and Roger Moore are the most authoritative stars. The three lead a group of mercenaries to an area in sub-Saharan Africa, where a powerful dictator will soon execute the democratically elected pro-Western leader of Zembalia, Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona), held in a massive, secluded military camp. The mercenaries must free Limbani and transport him to a friendly neighboring state, where international players are supposed to help him regain control of Zembalia. One of these international players is British industrialist Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger), who has financed the rescue operation, hoping to take over Zembalia and its resources via a most grateful Limbani. As planned, the mercenaries free Limbani and head to a pre-arranged spot where a plane is supposed to take them to the friendly neighboring state, but a major setback forces them to begin improvising.

Before moving to sub-Saharan Africa, The Wild Geese spends some time in London, where Burton meets Granger and reunites with Harris, Moore, and several other important future mercenaries. While short, this material is very good, and perhaps the one in which Burton, Harris, and Moore share the best chemistry. Later, after the fireworks begin, Burton frequently dominates.

The action is big and impressive, or at least for a 1970s film. It has that raw, macho quality that so many other similar films from the same era are remembered for. The Wild Geese is in a category of its own because even the secondary characters are played by terrific big-time actors.

The cast also includes Patrick Allen, Hardy Kruger, Jack Watson, Barry Foster, Kenneth Griffith, Frank Finlay, John Kani, and Valerie Leon.

McLaglen was paired with director of photography Jack Hildyard, who won an Oscar statuette for his contribution to The Bridge on the River Kwai.

The Wild Geese 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Severin Films' release of The Wild Geese is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray and the Blu-ray are both Region-Free.

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-28 are taken from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #33-39 are taken from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of The Wild Geese, sourced from the original camera negative. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR. I also viewed the 1080p presentation of it, in its entirety, on the Blu-ray.

The new 4K restoration is a more stable, healthier presentation of The Wild Geese. I performed numerous comparisons with the previous presentation of The Wild Geese on this Blu-ray release, produced in 2012, and on a large screen, the improvements in delineation, clarity, and depth are frequently very easy to recognize. However, these improvements are not consistent, either because the previous presentation already handles some footage very well or because there are native fluctuations in the density levels. I did not encounter any traces of problematic digital corrections. I would describe color reproduction and balance as mostly satisfying. However, the second half of the film, where the action moves to sub-Saharan Africa should have been graded significantly better. The daylight outdoor footage looks a bit too cool now. The older presentation of The Wild Geese has balance issues as well -- yellow and blue are mismanaged and often appear exaggerated -- but the warm sunlight is reproduced better. On the 4K restoration, virtually all of the sub-Saharan African footage significantly tones down the warm sunlight, creating the impression that the mercenaries are in a pleasantly cool place, either during late Autumn or early Winter. See examples of the cooling here and here. The HDR grade helps some areas look more vibrant and warmer, as they should, but an overall warmer color temperature should have been set for the entire sub-Saharan African footage. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies. However, I prefer how the majority of The Wild Geese looks in native 4K because in many places the increased resolution is also supported by superior encoding. My score is 3.75/5.00.

The Wild Geese 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The previous Blu-ray release of The Wild Geese has only a lossy 2.0 track, so I did quite a few comparisons to see how the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track performs during action-heavy material. The difference in quality between the two tracks is pretty significant. For example, during the first major clash between the mercenaries and the African militia, where a plane targets several trucks on a bridge, the lossless track boasts a completely different dynamic range. Also, during the violent finale where the survivors board the rescue plane, the gunfire sounds a lot more intense. The dialogue is clear and easy to follow, and numerous areas that used to reveal unevenness and thinning, now sound quite a bit better. Unlike the previous Blu-ray release of The Wild Geese, this combo pack release offers optional English SDH subtitles as well.

The Wild Geese 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. The commentary follows the same conversational format that Leeder and Venema have been utilizing for quite some time now, and covers a range of different subjects, from the time period in which The Wild Geese emerged to the characterizations it produces to the quality of its action and the appeal of its stars. If you have enjoyed Leeder and Venema's previous work, it is practically guaranteed that you will like this new commentary as well.

• Commentary Two - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by assembly editor John Grover, who recalls as best as he can the work he did with Andrew V. McLaglen and various encounters he had with cast members, and comments on the military consultations that were done before production of The Wild Geese was initiated. Grover also has some interesting comments about the style and attitude of The Wild Geese as well as its premiere and reception. The commentary is moderated by Calum Waddell.

• Commentary Three - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Roger Moore, producer Euan Lloyd, second unit director John Glen, and filmmaker Jonathan Sothcott. This commentary was included on Severin Films' original Blu-ray release of The Wild Geese.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Wild Geese. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. The commentary follows the same conversational format that Leeder and Venema have been utilizing for quite some time now, and covers a range of different subjects, from the time period in which The Wild Geese emerged to the characterizations it produces to the quality of its action and the appeal of its stars. If you have enjoyed Leeder and Venema's previous work, it is practically guaranteed that you will like this new commentary as well.

• Commentary Two - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by assembly editor John Grover, who recalls as best as he can the work he did with Andrew V. McLaglen and various encounters he had with cast members, and comments on the military consultations that were done before production of The Wild Geese was initiated. Grover also has some interesting comments about the style and attitude of The Wild Geese as well as its premiere and reception. The commentary is moderated by Calum Waddell.

• Commentary Three - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Roger Moore, producer Euan Lloyd, second unit director John Glen, and filmmaker Jonathan Sothcott. This commentary was included on Severin Films' original Blu-ray release of The Wild Geese.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Wild Geese. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Jesse, Take Point! - in this new program, actor John Kani recalls how surprised he was when he realized that the producers of The Wild Geese had in fact managed to unite all of the big stars they wanted to appear in the film, and comments on the production process and shooting conditions in South Africa. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Wild Child - in this new program, actor Paul Spurrier, who played Richard Harris' son, explains how he landed his part in The Wild Geese and recalls what it was like to be around big stars like Harris and Richard Burton, who had a reputation for driking hard and cursing at will. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• Wild Goose Chase - in this new program, second unit director and editor John Glen reveals how he was hired to work on The Wild Geese and recalls various situations inovlving Richard Burton (aleady quite sick), Richard Harris, Roger Moore, and other stars. Glen also shares interesting information about the shooting of crucial action sequences. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Flight of Fancy - in this new program, sound editor Colin Miller discusses his work on his first James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, on which he was not credited, and explains how he was hired to work on The Wild Geese. Miller also discusses his interactions with Andrew V. McLaglen and shares a few hillarious stories (including one about Richard Burton and his kung-fu kicks). In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• The Wild Geese Director - in this archival program, Andrew V. McLaglen recalls his initial impressions of the screenplay for The Wild Geese and discusses the work of several consultants who helped him get all the military/action footage right. McLaglen also describes memorable experiences he had with some of the big stars and confirms that two of them did not consume any alcohol during the production process. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• The Mercenary - in this archival program, Mike Hoare, military advisor on The Wild Geese, recalls his work with Andrew V. McLaglen and his trip to America to promote the film with its producer. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• The Last of the Gentleman Producers - this archival documentary takes a closer look at the life and legacy of producer Euan Lloyd. Included in it are clips from interview with Euan, Roger Moore, Ingrid Pitt, Kenneth Griffith, John Glen, and Joan Armtrading, among others. Narrated by Linda Hayden, the documentary was produced by Simon Sprackling in 2004. In English, not subtitled. (38 min).

• Stars' War: The Flight of the Wild Geese - this archival featurette examines the conception and production of The Wild Geese. Inlcuded in it are clips from interview with producer Euan Lloyd, Roger Moore, and Richard Harris, among others, as well as plenty of raw footage from the shooting of the film in South Africa. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Newsreel - presented here is archival footage from the Royal Charity premiere of The Wild Geese, held in London on July 6, 1978. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Wild Geese. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

The Wild Geese 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is relatively easy to list several other films that unite a few big stars and dispatch them on a memorable adventure, producing a ton of fireworks. However, they will be surrounded by numerous smaller actors, carefully helping them shine in the best way possible. In The Wild Geese, the big stars are surrounded by more stars, all engaging in macho action without competing for the spotlight, creating fireworks that look authentic, too. For this reason, The Wild Geese stands out and still entertains very well. Severin Films presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of it on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray, which is definitely an upgrade. However, some additional work should have been done to ensure that The Wild Geese has a more convincing period appearance. RECOMMENDED.