The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission (1985)
Considering the success of director Robert Aldrich’s 1967 war-action film The Dirty Dozen, it’s not surprising that MGM/United Artists – the studio which owned the film rights to E.M. Nathanson’s 1965 novel – decided to produce a sequel which would depict the further missions of Maj. Reisman (Lee Marvin), Sgt. Bowren (Richard Jaeckel) and their wily superior officer, Maj. Gen. Worden (Ernest Borgnine).
As anyone who is remotely familiar with how the film industry works, studios are usually owned and operated by very conservative (in the fiscal sense of the word) men and women who tend to focus on how to make movies economically while making huge profits from them. This point of view also means that studio heads and producers tend to prefer “safe bets” rather than take huge cinematic gambles which may hurt the profit line and even sink their studios.
Because sequels and franchises tend to be “safer bets” than truly innovative movies, Hollywood tends to take a property – such as The Dirty Dozen – an milk it for whatever its worth. Thus, it’s not a huge shock to realize that MGM greenlit The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission and handed it to director Andrew V. McLaglen (The Devil’s Brigade, The Wild Geese) to follow in the huge footsteps of Robert Aldrich.
Unfortunately, MGM’s decision to make a sequel to The Dirty Dozen with three of the original cast members on board as a made-for-TV movie nearly 20 years later seems to be one of those “too little, too late” projects that may look interesting on paper but result in movies that are barely watchable.
For more commentary and information on The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission, please visit my Epinions review.
As anyone who is remotely familiar with how the film industry works, studios are usually owned and operated by very conservative (in the fiscal sense of the word) men and women who tend to focus on how to make movies economically while making huge profits from them. This point of view also means that studio heads and producers tend to prefer “safe bets” rather than take huge cinematic gambles which may hurt the profit line and even sink their studios.
Because sequels and franchises tend to be “safer bets” than truly innovative movies, Hollywood tends to take a property – such as The Dirty Dozen – an milk it for whatever its worth. Thus, it’s not a huge shock to realize that MGM greenlit The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission and handed it to director Andrew V. McLaglen (The Devil’s Brigade, The Wild Geese) to follow in the huge footsteps of Robert Aldrich.
Unfortunately, MGM’s decision to make a sequel to The Dirty Dozen with three of the original cast members on board as a made-for-TV movie nearly 20 years later seems to be one of those “too little, too late” projects that may look interesting on paper but result in movies that are barely watchable.
For more commentary and information on The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission, please visit my Epinions review.
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