The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (1985) Review

Nearly two decades after The Dirty Dozen redefined the “men on a mission” formula, The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission attempts to revisit that battlefield — this time as a made-for-television production. On paper, the ingredients are familiar: Lee Marvin returns as Major John Reisman, once again tasked with recruiting hardened military convicts for a near-suicidal assignment behind enemy lines. The mission? Eliminate high-ranking Nazi officers plotting internal chaos during the war’s final stretch.

It sounds promising. In execution, it never quite ignites.

The most immediate hurdle is scale. The 1967 original thrived on grit, explosive set pieces, and a rogue’s gallery of sharply defined personalities. Here, the television budget is impossible to ignore. Action sequences feel restrained, rarely escalating into the kind of chaos that defined the franchise’s identity. Gunfights lack punch. Set pieces feel contained rather than cinematic. The sense of danger never fully materializes.

Lee Marvin’s return is undeniably the film’s strongest asset. Even years removed from the original, he carries the same steel-eyed authority. Marvin doesn’t phone it in — he gives Reisman presence, a weathered pragmatism that reminds you why the character worked in the first place. His scenes offer glimpses of what the film might have been with a stronger framework around him.

But the ensemble, which should be the engine of the story, never gels. The new recruits lack the sharply drawn edges that made the first group so memorable. In the original, each member of the Dozen felt distinct — volatile, dangerous, unpredictable. Here, the personalities blur together. Without clear character stakes, the tension suffers. The mission unfolds, but the emotional investment never locks in.

Andrew V. McLaglen directs with workmanlike efficiency. The pacing moves steadily, and the structure is clean, but there’s little stylistic spark. The film feels functional rather than inspired — as though checking boxes rather than forging new ground.

The script also leans heavily on repetition. Familiar beats are recycled without meaningful evolution. There’s an attempt to recreate the dynamic of criminals earning redemption through sacrifice, but it lacks the grit and moral complexity that gave the original weight. Instead of expanding the mythology, the sequel circles it.

That’s not to say the film is devoid of watchable moments. Marvin’s interactions with Ernest Borgnine offer flashes of camaraderie. There are glimpses of tension when the mission narrows toward its objective. But the impact is muted. What once felt dangerous now feels routine.

Ultimately, The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission illustrates how much the original depended on cinematic scale, ensemble chemistry, and sharp writing. Without those elements firing together, the formula feels thinner.

For longtime fans, there may be mild nostalgia in seeing Marvin reprise the role. But as a standalone war thriller, the film struggles to justify its existence beyond the legacy it borrows from.

Some missions should only be run once.