Its plot is as predictable as the coming of Christmas and doesn't contain half as many surprises. However, it is also crammed with incident, noise, movement and action.

Richard Burton, Roger Moore and Richard Harris play the leaders of a group of hand-picked mercenaries flown to Africa to rescue an African politician from the clutches of his enemies.

Burton, as the hard-drinking mercenary-in-chief, gives one of his better performances. You'll have fun (but not much difficulty) keeping one jump ahead of the scriptwriter and in identifying a whole parade of stalwart supporting players.