The story of Wild Geese II
Wild Geese II opens with a premise that's equal parts audacious and morally murky. A major news network—desperate for a scoop that'll reshape the political landscape—hires a seasoned group of mercenaries to abduct the only surviving Nazi leader still living in captivity. This isn't some dusty Cold War relic; it's a man with secrets that could topple careers in the highest corridors of power. The film doesn't shy away from the contradiction at its heart: a news organization that's supposed to report on truth instead becomes a criminal enterprise chasing it. That tension should've been dynamite. What unfolds across 125 minutes is a globe-trotting operation that moves from Berlin's Spandau Prison outward, with mercenaries, double-crosses, and the kind of high-stakes espionage that defined 1980s action cinema. The plot hinges on whether this ragtag team can pull off the impossible—and whether anyone involved can be trusted.
Behind the making of Wild Geese II
Wild Geese II exists in the shadow of its 1978 predecessor, which starred Richard Burton as the iconic Colonel Allen Faulkner. Burton was set to reprise that role for the sequel, but he died just days before filming began—a loss that fundamentally altered the project's DNA. Director Peter R. Hunt, known for his work on James Bond films, stepped in to helm this follow-up, adapting Daniel Carney's 1982 novel The Square Circle (Carney had also written the original Wild Geese novel). The film was produced by Euan Lloyd, who'd shepherded the first film to commercial success, bringing back that production's pedigree even as it charted new narrative ground.
The cast that Hunt assembled was genuinely impressive. Scott Glenn, fresh off The Right Stuff, took a lead mercenary role. Barbara Carrera brought glamour and grit to the ensemble. Edward Fox—a veteran of Gandhi and The Day of the Jackal—lent gravitas. But the real get was Laurence Olivier, the British acting institution himself, who appeared in what would be one of his final film roles. Robert Webber, Kenneth Haigh, and Robert Freitag rounded out a lineup that felt star-studded for a mid-1980s action flick. Despite this pedigree, the film arrived to a muted reception. It grossed modestly at the box office and holds a 4.8/10 rating on IMDb—a score that suggests audiences and critics alike found the execution uneven, even if the raw ingredients seemed promising.
What makes Wild Geese II stand out
Here's the thing about Wild Geese II: it's not without merit, even if it doesn't quite land. The film operates in that sweet spot where 1980s action thrillers still believed in practical stunts, intricate heist choreography, and ensemble casts where every player had a moment to shine. Scott Glenn carries the weight of the mercenary-for-hire role with the kind of weary professionalism the part demands—he's not a hero, he's a professional doing a job, and Glenn never lets you forget the moral cost of that transaction. Barbara Carrera brings a complicated energy to her scenes; she's not just window dressing, which was hardly a given in action films of that era.
What's striking is how the film grapples with complicity. The news network hiring mercenaries to commit a crime in the name of truth isn't just a plot device—it's a genuine ethical knot that the screenplay worries at without ever fully untangling. That ambiguity could've been the film's strength, a meditation on the ends justifying the means in an information-hungry age. Instead, the film gets caught between wanting to be a straight-ahead heist thriller and wanting to be something more thoughtful, and it doesn't quite commit to either vision. The pacing drags in places where it should crackle. Some of the action sequences feel perfunctory rather than propulsive. And yet—there's craft here. Hunt's direction shows the fingerprints of a director who understood how to build suspense and stage complex sequences, even if the overall package doesn't cohere into something unforgettable.
When you're tracking down where to watch older action films like this one, Movie OTT makes it simple to find current availability across streaming platforms. The site aggregates real-time data so you're not hunting through five different apps to figure out where a title actually lives.
How to stream Wild Geese II online
Wild Geese II is currently available on Prime Video, making it accessible to anyone with an Amazon subscription. The film's 125-minute runtime is a solid commitment—not a quick watch, but not a sprawling epic either—so it's worth planning for when you've got the time to sit with it. The Where to Watch widget at the top of this page will show you any platform changes or additional services that pick up the title in your region. Streaming availability shifts constantly, so checking Movie OTT's aggregated listings before you start watching saves the frustration of getting halfway through only to hit a paywall. It's one of those mid-tier 1980s action films that bounces between platforms depending on licensing deals, so knowing where to find it matters.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is Wild Geese II a sequel to the original Wild Geese?
Yes, Wild Geese II is a direct sequel to the 1978 film, though it doesn't feature any of the original characters. The first film starred Richard Burton, who was planning to return but passed away before filming began. This film introduces Colonel Faulkner's brother Alex as one of the mercenaries instead.
Q: Who directed Wild Geese II?
Peter R. Hunt directed the film. Hunt was known for his work on James Bond movies and brought that action-thriller sensibility to this 1985 heist film.
Q: Is Wild Geese II based on a true story?
No, but it's based on Daniel Carney's 1982 novel The Square Circle, which imagines a fictional scenario around a real historical figure. The premise—extracting a Nazi leader from Spandau Prison—is speculative fiction, not documentary.
Q: What's the runtime of Wild Geese II?
The film runs 125 minutes, making it a substantial action-thriller that doesn't rush through its heist setup or execution.
Q: Where can I watch Wild Geese II?
Wild Geese II is currently streaming on Prime Video. Check the Where to Watch widget on this page for the most up-to-date availability in your region.
Final thoughts on Wild Geese II
Wild Geese II is a curious artifact—ambitious in scope, impressive in cast, but ultimately frustrating in execution. It's the kind of film that rewards patient viewers who don't mind a slower burn and can appreciate the craft of 1980s action cinema even when the overall package doesn't quite justify its runtime. If you're a fan of Scott Glenn, Laurence Olivier, or that particular era of heist thrillers, it's worth a watch. Just don't expect it to match the original's legacy. Sometimes sequels struggle not because they lack talent or resources, but because they can't quite figure out what they want to be—and Wild Geese II is a textbook example of that tension.
