Dave Tomkins was a flamboyant safe blower from Basingstoke, England. His underworld connections led him to the battlefields of Angola, where he became a mercenary fighting communist backed guerrillas. Wounded by a landmine, Dave returned home and entered the murky world of espionage, setting up mercenary operations, assassinations and huge arms deals. His exploits became legendary as he accumulated great wealth and lived a lavish jet-setting lifestyle, until a highly dangerous mission in America led to his dramatic downfall.
This thrilling feature documentary, with full access to Dave Tomkins, his associates and the men who finally caught him, will tell the incredible true story of his epic rise and fall, set against the backdrop of a deadly trade in death and destruction.
**** [Four Stars]
THE GUARDIAN
**** [Four Stars]
THE DAILY MAIL
**** [Four Stars]
IRISH DAILY MAIL
“This is a remarkable, fascinating film."
THE GUARDIAN
"Pick of the Day".
THE TIMES
"Pick of the Week".
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
"An extraordinary story."
RADIO TIMES
"Both absurd and horrifying."
THE GUARDIAN
"Pick of the Day."
INEWS
"A compelling film."
THE TELEGRAPH
"This gobsmacking look at a mercenary (‘legal and illegal’) is must-see TV."
THE GUARDIAN
"This is such an extraordinary tale that even the brief montages that flash up the countries in which Tomkins operated – Kuwait in 1981, Nigeria in 1982, Lebanon in 1983, Iraq, Iran, Syria and beyond – are thrilling, a time capsule of geopolitical manoeuvring. The film asks questions about justice and repentance, the mercenary industry in general and Tomkins’ moral compass."
THE GUARDIAN