The 5-Man Army - Warner Archive (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1969
Director: Don Taylor
Writers: Marc Richards, Dario Argento
Cast: Peter Graves, James Daly, Bud Spencer, Nino Castelnuovo, Tetsurō Tanba, Claudio Gora, Daniela Giordano, Annabella Andreoli, Carlo Alighiero, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Marino Masé

Release Date: May 26th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 110 minutes 23 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $24.98

"The 5-Man Army is an action-packed spaghetti western about mercenaries with a mission to rob a trainload of gold. Make that a suicide mission, because this train is heavily armed with troops and machine guns, and traveling a route guarded by more soldiers. Peter Graves stars in the role of the Dutchman, leader of a handpicked commando squad consisting of a strongman, an explosives expert, and a Samurai swordsman." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New 4K restoration from the original camera negative."

The 5-Man Army comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.2 GB

Feature: 29.5 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic appearance.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The track sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles). 

Summary:

Don Taylor directed The 5-Man Army. He’s known for The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977), Damien: Omen II, and The Final Countdown.

A mercenary collaborating with Mexican revolutionaries puts together a team of five men to rob a train carrying $500,000 in gold.

While the spaghetti westerns were predominantly directed by Italian filmmakers, The 5-Man Army was one of a handful of films that were directed by U.S. and UK filmmakers. Other notable spaghetti westerns directed by U.S. and UK filmmakers are Red Sun, A Man Called Sledge, The Man Called Noon, and Chino. Dario Argento, a filmmaker who gained prominence through his work in the giallo genre, co-wrote The 5-Man Army.

Set during the Mexican Revolution, The 5-Man Army follows familiar spaghetti western tropes, notably men driven by their own personal gain and who are willing to take on insurmountable odds to obtain it. The 5 men who make up the ragtag group of mercenaries have served time for various crimes; they are all victims of circumstances and not your typical criminals. That said, when their moments of truth come, it offers them a chance at redemption for their past crimes.

While spaghetti westerns are known for their casts that are made up of actors and actresses from a multitude of countries, The 5-Man Army has one of the most diverse casts, Italy, US, and Japan. Peter Graves (Mission Impossible) is cast in the role of the Dutchman, the ringleader of the group of mercenaries who rob the military train carrying gold. The most notable performance is Bud Spencer (They Call Me Trinity), who portrays Mesito, a mercenary with a furious appetite. It should be noted that The 5 Man Army is a rare example where Bud Spencer provides his voice for the English-language track. Other notable cast members are Tetsurō Tanba (You Only Live Twice), Daniela Giordano (Four Times That Night), Nino Castelnuovo (Camille 2000), and Giacomo Rossi Stuart (Kill, Baby, Kill).

The opening setup does an excellent job setting the tone. From there, the narrative is very effective at building momentum with a series of tense moments that culminate with one final surprise. The action sequences are all well-executed, especially the main set piece, the train robbery. Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) delivers another superlative score that greatly enhances the mood. Ultimately, The 5-Man Army is a solid spaghetti western that fans of this genre are sure to enjoy.

Warner Archive gives The 5-Man Army a solid audio/video presentation. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer