There are two items of note at the film's beginning. The first point is "An interview with Laurence Weyburn of ComTeg . . . September 31, 1975." September has 31 days? Really? Maybe in Caesar's day, but Emperor Augustus altered his calendar. The other item is "There is no company called Community Integrity NOR ComTeg and the thought that the CIA might employ such an organization for any purpose is, of course, preposterous." Thus states Director Sam Peckinpah. Of course he is tugging our chains.
In the opening scene of the film several men barely escape a building that they rigged to explode; we are never told why they did so. But we learn early on that ComTeg is a private intelligence agency hired by the CIA to protect certain individuals and to conduct nebulous operations. ComTeg, which earns 11% its gross from the CIA, is run by Laurence Weyburn (Gig Young). Belonging to ComTeg are agents Mike Locken (James Caan) and George Hansen (Robert Duvall). They bring a bearded fellow named Vorodny to a hideout for safekeeping. Within a few minutes Hansen pulls out his pistol and blows out Vorodny's brains; right after he shoots Locken in his left elbow and in his left knee. "You just retired, Mike. Enjoy it," utters Hansen. So ends the first part: the double-cross. The next piece, about a half-hour or so, focuses on Locken's emergency hospital operations and recuperation, and also during that recovery his budding attachment with a nurse. Locken has vowed to get well enough to return to his old job; his bosses have doubts. During his convalescence he discovers the martial arts. While this state of affairs is going there is an intercut. We see a separate, failed ninja attempt to assassinate an Asian dissident at San Francisco International Airport.
Along the way we are introduced to Cap Collis (Arthur Hill), a perfidious figure who is the field boss of top honcho Weyburn. Collis approaches the reasonably recovered Locken to get him back to ComTeg business. Locken eagerly agrees. Plus he is itching to track down and get even with his former buddy, Hansen. Weyburn tells Collis that Locken has permission to assemble his own team as a subcontractor to ComTeg. Meanwhile the CIA wants to protect Chinese dissident Yuen Chung (Mako) while he is in the USA. Once Chung leaves America, then he is on his own. Weyburn then gets the contract for ComTeg from the CIA, and gives the assignment to Locken. Locken gathers two former compatriots, Mac (Burt Young) and Miller (Bo Hopkins); the former is described as retired, the latter, as crazy.
Now the story takes a serpentine turn, to say the least. In a strip joint, Cap Collis meets with both the leading Asian ninja, Tao Yi (Woo) and with Hansen to take out Chung. Yes, you read that correctly. Not only does Hansen still work for ComTeg, but ComTeg has been contracted to assassinate Chung. And to protect him at the same time! Whew!!! The director seems to recognize this dichotomy, for he has Hansen utter to Collis, "That's your style, Cap, setting people against each other." Maybe Collis has sold out to the same high bidder that lured Hansen. But how can Hansen still work for ComTeg? And why does ComTeg obviously spend big money for both assignments? Convoluted? You bet! Anyway, there is a Chinatown shootout where Locken, Mac, Miller, and Chung in Mac's hopped-up fake taxi escape from assassins, including Hansen and a false cop. After that there is a bomb removal scene from underneath the taxi that is nothing less than pretentious. Does anyone believe that a cop will readily accept a greasy, ticking time bomb in his hand from a stranger? This segment may be atypical Peckinpah, but it is ludicrous. In the last part the adversaries are martial arts fighting on the decks of the large US Navy Mothball Fleet that lies in Suisun Bay. But it is not Locken's bullet that finds its way to Hansen.
San Francisco locations are used to good advantage, like the Golden Gate Bridge, Embarcadero Waterfront, Chinatown, and Bethlehem Steel Pier. James Caan and Robert Duvall are reunited from their "Godfather" days. Then, Caan as Sonny Corleone and Duvall as Tom Hagen were on the same side. Overall the acting is generally passable, while the violence is a bit toned down for Peckinpah. But the movie is good only in parts, and is way too long. Frankly the feature is just too complicated for many, and the betrayals are overdone. And yet the movie is watchable.
In the opening scene of the film several men barely escape a building that they rigged to explode; we are never told why they did so. But we learn early on that ComTeg is a private intelligence agency hired by the CIA to protect certain individuals and to conduct nebulous operations. ComTeg, which earns 11% its gross from the CIA, is run by Laurence Weyburn (Gig Young). Belonging to ComTeg are agents Mike Locken (James Caan) and George Hansen (Robert Duvall). They bring a bearded fellow named Vorodny to a hideout for safekeeping. Within a few minutes Hansen pulls out his pistol and blows out Vorodny's brains; right after he shoots Locken in his left elbow and in his left knee. "You just retired, Mike. Enjoy it," utters Hansen. So ends the first part: the double-cross. The next piece, about a half-hour or so, focuses on Locken's emergency hospital operations and recuperation, and also during that recovery his budding attachment with a nurse. Locken has vowed to get well enough to return to his old job; his bosses have doubts. During his convalescence he discovers the martial arts. While this state of affairs is going there is an intercut. We see a separate, failed ninja attempt to assassinate an Asian dissident at San Francisco International Airport.
Along the way we are introduced to Cap Collis (Arthur Hill), a perfidious figure who is the field boss of top honcho Weyburn. Collis approaches the reasonably recovered Locken to get him back to ComTeg business. Locken eagerly agrees. Plus he is itching to track down and get even with his former buddy, Hansen. Weyburn tells Collis that Locken has permission to assemble his own team as a subcontractor to ComTeg. Meanwhile the CIA wants to protect Chinese dissident Yuen Chung (Mako) while he is in the USA. Once Chung leaves America, then he is on his own. Weyburn then gets the contract for ComTeg from the CIA, and gives the assignment to Locken. Locken gathers two former compatriots, Mac (Burt Young) and Miller (Bo Hopkins); the former is described as retired, the latter, as crazy.
Now the story takes a serpentine turn, to say the least. In a strip joint, Cap Collis meets with both the leading Asian ninja, Tao Yi (Woo) and with Hansen to take out Chung. Yes, you read that correctly. Not only does Hansen still work for ComTeg, but ComTeg has been contracted to assassinate Chung. And to protect him at the same time! Whew!!! The director seems to recognize this dichotomy, for he has Hansen utter to Collis, "That's your style, Cap, setting people against each other." Maybe Collis has sold out to the same high bidder that lured Hansen. But how can Hansen still work for ComTeg? And why does ComTeg obviously spend big money for both assignments? Convoluted? You bet! Anyway, there is a Chinatown shootout where Locken, Mac, Miller, and Chung in Mac's hopped-up fake taxi escape from assassins, including Hansen and a false cop. After that there is a bomb removal scene from underneath the taxi that is nothing less than pretentious. Does anyone believe that a cop will readily accept a greasy, ticking time bomb in his hand from a stranger? This segment may be atypical Peckinpah, but it is ludicrous. In the last part the adversaries are martial arts fighting on the decks of the large US Navy Mothball Fleet that lies in Suisun Bay. But it is not Locken's bullet that finds its way to Hansen.
San Francisco locations are used to good advantage, like the Golden Gate Bridge, Embarcadero Waterfront, Chinatown, and Bethlehem Steel Pier. James Caan and Robert Duvall are reunited from their "Godfather" days. Then, Caan as Sonny Corleone and Duvall as Tom Hagen were on the same side. Overall the acting is generally passable, while the violence is a bit toned down for Peckinpah. But the movie is good only in parts, and is way too long. Frankly the feature is just too complicated for many, and the betrayals are overdone. And yet the movie is watchable.