Others have noted the poor production qualities of this film. And that it has a very weak script, with directing to match. It is set in South Africa but has inferior cinematography that gives it a feel of Third World production quality – or that of a B-level film in Hollywood. So, how can it rate as high as a 6? Mostly due to the two main characters and the interaction between them. Sailor Slade and President Lunda, played by Anthony Quinn and Simon Sabela, respectively, add some human depth without which the movie would be flat and dull as a paper plate.
While the plot has some obvious holes, it has just enough intrigue to hold our attention, albeit loosely. Some – I suspect younger reviewers, are taken by John Phillip Law and his performance as Shannon. But his role, as the assassin, seems to be a subplot that at best helps keep a certain level of the intrigue. The real drama, both serious and light- hearted at times, plays out between the two protagonists. Both are older, wiser men, who play off each other nicely.
Those roles are not very strong either, but the plot is interesting enough, and Quinn and Sabela lend a little stature to the film by their performances. This could have been a very good movie with a polished script and a reasonable sum of money spent for quality direction, cinematography and editing.
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