Men of War film

Men of War is a 1994 action film directed by Perry Lang, based on an original screenplay by John Sayles titled *A Safe Place*. The story follows Nick Gunar, a former Special Ops soldier played by Dolph Lundgren, who leads a group of mercenaries to a tropical island in the South China Sea. The mission involves convincing peaceful natives to leave so that the island can be strip-mined for guano. However, tensions arise when some mercenaries want to use violence against the natives, while Nick and others aim to protect them. This conflict splits the group, with half leaving the island and the other half staying to defend the natives.

The film was rewritten by Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris to add more action and humor, transforming it into an ensemble movie due to concerns that Lundgren might not carry the original script's heavy dialogue. Filming took place in Thailand from September to December 1993, with production ending in January 1994. Despite positive test screenings, Miramax released the film directly to video in the U.S. in December 1995, though it was released earlier in other countries like France.

Reception was mixed, with some critics calling it a "straight-to-video clunker" while others praised it as a "better-than-average action thriller." The film has since been released on DVD in various regions and remains noted for its blend of action and intrigue.