Strike Commando 2

Michael Ransom is back! This time around, he's played by Brent Huff, and he really has his hands full for this particular adventure. His old Major in Vietnam, Vic Jenkins (Harris) has been kidnapped, and his captors want ten million dollars in diamonds in return for his release. The baddie doing all the dirty work representing the terrorists who not only kidnap people, but have a large heroin-making facility, is named Kramet (Davidson). He wears a white suit in the dead of summer and has an army of ninjas backing him up wherever he goes. Soon, Ransom ends up teaming up with local tavern owner Rosanna Boom (Stavin) and CIA guy Kelly Sellers (Vanni) (who is coming up with these names?) - to ultimately shut down the drugs operation, run by the nefarious Huan To (Diaz, because this movie was shot in the Philippines) and save Jenkins, but some twists and turns might say otherwise. Will Ransom pay the ransom for Jenkins? Find out today! While Strike Commando 2 has some good moments, overall we prefer the first entry in this two-part series. It must have been tough for Huff to fill the shoes of Reb Brown, and he even tries his hand at a Reb-style scream, or, Reb-el yell as we call it, towards the end of the movie. While it would have been a perfectly serviceable scream in its own right, compared to the master Reb, it falls short. But the main problem is that there are too many "wacky" musical stings, which highlight some attempted comedy. Usually this comes in the form of the typical bickering between Brent Huff and Stavin, who plays the stereotype "nagging woman" role. That is, until they can learn to get along. Adding some loopy clarinets and silent movie-style sped-up fights detract from the intensity the movie should have. But there are plenty of positives to be found as well: many high-quality explosions are on show, and of course the main victims of these blow-ups are huts. There is some funny dubbing and some unintentional "laffs" as well. Naturally, there is the prerequisite torture scene, and in this jungle, many guard towers fall, or, poor unfortunate watchmen fall out of them. And lest we forget Richard Harris, of Richard Harris fame, whose presence here is inexplicable - but extremely welcome. Maybe the Academy Award voters held this against him and that's why he was a nominee but never a winner? Regardless, this is Harris as fans want to see him, and, like a true professional, he doesn't treat the material as inferior. He gives a strong, classy performance. Michael Ransom has some UNFINISHED BUSINESS - with his automatic rifle and his missile launcher. Despite some missteps, if you can see SC2, do go forth and watch. Don't leave in a Huff, check it out if you get the chance.

Rough'n'tumble Vietnam veteran Michael Ransom (a likeable performance by hunky Brent Huff) goes after the terrorist group who kidnapped his former 'Nam superior officer Major Vic Jenkins (nicely played with surprising conviction by a slumming Richard Harris!). Once again notorious Italian schlockmeister Bruno Mattei delivers the right-on ridiculous Grade B exploitation goods: We've got lots of stuff blowing up real good, loads of expendable flunkies who include some of the most hilariously feeble and useless ninjas to ever disgrace the screen, frequent use of strenuous slow motion, plentiful ineptly staged action, a high body count, a pleasing sense of lighthearted humor, and a shamelessly derivative ragbag script that rips off "Rambo: First Blood Part II," "Romancing the Stone," "Lethal Weapon," and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Lovely blonde Mary Stavin contributes a lively turn as feisty bar owner Rosanna Bloom while Mel Davidson as suavely slimy sadist Jenkins and Vic Diaz as wicked and depraved drug kingpin Huan To make for fun villains. A goofy blast.

Only the genius - or madness - of Bruno Mattei, Claudio Fragasso and Rossella Drudi could take a Rambo ripoff made in the Philippines and decide to add ninjas, the KGB and no small amount of inspiration from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sgt. Michael Ransom's (Brent Huff!) owes a debt of honor to his Vietnam squad leader Vic Jenkins (Richard Harris!), who has been captured by heroin-selling terrorists who want ten million dollars worth of diamonds. Now, everyone is going to pay. How else can I sell this movie to you? Oh yeah, Vic Diaz is in it! Plus, the Strike Commando works with a girl he meets in a bar who is in the midst of a drinking contest named Rosanna Boom. Yes, that's her name, but I'd forgive you if you called her Marion Ravenwood. She swears more than me, which is saying something, and is played by 1977 Miss World Mary Stavin, who was also in Mattei's Born to Fight, A View to a Kill, House and Adam Ant's video for "Strip." Italian stalwarts Ottaviano Dell'Acqua and Massimo Vanni are also in this movie, which was shot at the same time as Zombie 4: After Death. And speaking of recycling, a lot of the jungle action here also shows up in Mattei's Cop Game, which is also beloved in my world. The movie has a great twist which I didn't see coming. Then I realized that the movie had been missing one of the essential Rambo ingredients. We had not yet seen our hero get tortured. Yes, like a southern tag team babyface, he must sell and sell to build for his comeback on the man who has turned heel on him, then emerge from the mud and the blood and the filth and unleash unholy hell on people who only care about diamonds when the Strike Commando's one true love is the unending thrill of bullets, brawls and blowing things up real good.

Vietnam squad leader, Major Vic Jenkins : Richard Harris is kidnapped by captors terrorists demanding ten million dollars worth of precious diamonds in return for his freedom . Michael Ransom : Brent Huff is dispatched by the CIA assigning him the risked mission to release him . Along the way , he is helped by the tough but sympathetic Rosanna Boon : Mary Stavin , who owns a jungle tavern, but not all is as appears and then things go wrong , including a final twist . Adventure movie with ironical and hilarious moments , including noisy action , thrills , plot twists, shootouts , fights against Ninjas and lots of explosion . This is a rip-off to known movies , that's why it takes parts here and there of "Rambo" by George Pan Cosmatos , "Raiders of the Lost Ark" by Steven Siielberg , "Romancing in the Stone" by Robert Zemeckis and , of course , "Strike Commando I" , also made by Bruno Mattei/Claudio Fragasso and starred by Reb Brown as Michael Ransom , Christopher Connelly , Allan Collins . In fact , the latter was an exploitative ripoff of the expensive mega-action thriller Rambo .This 1988 sequel Trappola Diabolica or Strike Commando 2 has an overwrought script from Claudio Fragasso and director Bruno Mattei himself , sleepwalking actors and below average plot . The yarn is decently played by Brent Huff as Michael Ransom who relunctantly takes the dangerous mission , the likeable Mary Stevin who bears remarkable resemblance to Farrah Fawcett and incredible interpretation by Richard Harris in a low-budget film , giving an acceptable acting as the kidnapped Maj. Jenkins . They are accompanied by some regular secondary actors of the B or Z Italian series as Massimo Vanni, Ottaviano Dell'Aqua, the Philippino Vic Díaz and Luciano Pigozzi or Allan Collins but whose scenes were ultimately deleted. It contains a lively and moving musical score by Stefano Mainetti who lifts some John Williams' sounds. As well as atmospheric cinematography shot on location in Philippines Islands . The motion pucture was regular but professionally directed by Bruno Mattei who often used pseudonym Vincent Dawn , being assisted by his regular collaborator Claudio Fragasso who wrote the script , though uncredited . Bruno Mattei was an Italian craftsman who made a lot of films in all kinds of genres : Terror , Peplum , Spaghetti Western, Erotic , Nunexploitation, Women in Prison or WIP , such as : " Rats" , "Cage Women" , "Seven Magnificent Gladiators" , "Hell of the Living Dead" , "Robowar" , "Scalps" , "Apache Kid" , "Cop Game" , "Terminator 2" , "Emmanuel in Prison" and several others . Rating : Average 5/10. The film will appeal to Italian adventure/action aficionados.

Take one part Missing In Action and one part Romancing the Stone and mix it with total incompetence in front of and behind the camera and you get this junk. Painfully awful with some of the worst choice in score you'll ever see. They seriously use silent comedy music for action and dramatic scenes. It's almost funny how bad this is, but it never gets so bad it's good. Save 90 minutes of your life and avoid this.

Vietnam veteran Michael Ransom, now played by Brent Huff ('The Rookie'), is currently still living in Asia, where he is recruited for a mission to rescue his former commanding officer / savior Vic Jenkins (Richard Harris ("Orca"), in a classic case of "What the Hell is HE doing here?"). To help achieve his goal, Ransom hooks up with a feisty female bar owner, played by the gorgeous Mary Stavin ("House"). Exploitation master "Vincent Dawn" (a.k.a. Bruno Mattei) strikes once again with another amalgam of ideas and scenes "borrowed" from earlier classics like "Romancing the Stone", "Apocalypse Now", "Rambo: First Blood Part II", "Predator", and "Raiders of the Lost Ark". The whole thing is quite agreeably cheesy, with a ridiculous plot (involving diamonds and drug smuggling, among other things) and oh-so-tacky dialogue and performances. Given how tacky the movie can be at times, however, I'm inclined to give the filmmakers the benefit of the doubt, and say that this is *meant* to be portrayed as tongue-in-cheek. The action is decent, there are explosions aplenty, and the sex appeal of 1977 Miss World Stavin is undeniable. The supporting cast includes such familiar faces as Ottaviano Dell'Acqua ("Rats: Night of Terror"), Massimo Vanni ("Robowar"), and the ubiquitous and always welcome Vic Diaz ("The Big Bird Cage"), a guaranteed presence in many a Filipino exploitation picture. Frequently funny and never boring, "Strike Commando 2" is silly as Hell but impossible to dislike. Seven out of 10.

Vietnam squad leader, Major Vic Jenkins : Richard Harris is kidnapped by captors terrorists demanding ten million dollars worth of precious diamonds in return for his freedom . Michael Ransom : Brent Huff is dispatched by the CIA assigning him the risked mission to release him . Along the way , he is helped by the tough but sympathetic Rosanna Boon : Mary Stavin , who owns a jungle tavern, but not all is as appears and then things go wrong , including a final twist . Adventure movie with ironical and hilarious moments , including noisy action , thrills , plot twists, shootouts , fights against Ninjas and lots of explosion . This is a rip-off to known movies , that's why it takes parts here and there of "Rambo" by George Pan Cosmatos , "Raiders of the Lost Ark" by Steven Siielberg , "Romancing in the Stone" by Robert Zemeckis and , of course , "Strike Commando I" , also made by Bruno Mattei/Claudio Fragasso and starred by Reb Brown as Michael Ransom , Christopher Connelly , Allan Collins . In fact , the latter was an exploitative ripoff of the expensive mega-action thriller Rambo .This 1988 sequel Trappola Diabolica or Strike Commando 2 has an overwrought script from Claudio Fragasso and director Bruno Mattei himself , sleepwalking actors and below average plot . The yarn is decently played by Brent Huff as Michael Ransom who relunctantly takes the dangerous mission , the likeable Mary Stevin who bears remarkable resemblance to Farrah Fawcett and incredible interpretation by Richard Harris in a low-budget film , giving an acceptable acting as the kidnapped Maj. Jenkins . They are accompanied by some regular secondary actors of the B or Z Italian series as Massimo Vanni, Ottaviano Dell'Aqua, the Philippino Vic Díaz and Luciano Pigozzi or Allan Collins but whose scenes were ultimately deleted. It contains a lively and moving musical score by Stefano Mainetti who lifts some John Williams' sounds. As well as atmospheric cinematography shot on location in Philippines Islands . The motion pucture was regular but professionally directed by Bruno Mattei who often used pseudonym Vincent Dawn , being assisted by his regular collaborator Claudio Fragasso who wrote the script , though uncredited . Bruno Mattei was an Italian craftsman who made a lot of films in all kinds of genres : Terror , Peplum , Spaghetti Western, Erotic , Nunexploitation, Women in Prison or WIP , such as : " Rats" , "Cage Women" , "Seven Magnificent Gladiators" , "Hell of the Living Dead" , "Robowar" , "Scalps" , "Apache Kid" , "Cop Game" , "Terminator 2" , "Emmanuel in Prison" and several others . Rating : Average 5/10. The film will appeal to Italian adventure/action aficionados.

It isn't often that a sequel to a film turns out better than the first. But that's exactly what happened with STRIKE COMMANDO 2. Given a bigger budget this time director Bruno Mattei and screenwriters Claudio Fargasso and Rossella Drudi came up with a much better picture. Not only that, this time they brought along a major star in actor Richard Harris. The group also did the smart thing of not bringing Reb Brown back to reprise the role of Mike Ransom. Instead this time he is played by Brent Huff who went on to numerous other films and can currently be seen on TV's THE ROOKIE. He turns in a much better performance than Brown and adds a touch of humor to the character not seen in the first film. This time around Ransom is called in by an old friend to help with a situation. An old Army colleague named Vic Jenkins (Harris) has been kidnapped and is being held by the KGB. In flashbacks we see that Jenkins save Ransom's life in battle and there is a bond, a debt between the two of them. He agrees to take on the job and attempts to save Jenkins only to discover he was duped. The CIA were holding onto Jenkins to protect him. Now Ransom has put down his help and the real bad guys move in and capture Jenkins. Ransom is taken in by the CIA and told what's going on and agrees to go in and clean up the mess he has made. He still owes Jenkins and looks at him as a father figure. Ransom is given the $10 million in diamonds the kidnappers are demanding and hits the road. Making his way through the jungle he comes across a seedy bar where he meets the owner, Rossana Boom (Mary Stavin) while looking for information. A fight ensues, the bar is burnt to the ground and Boom invites herself along as a partner with Ransom. Along the way Ransom learns that the person behind the kidnapping is Kramet (Mel Davidson), a Vietnamese drug lord in charge of a major heroin ring. The diamonds he is demanding will expand his business globally and increase his power. As with all movies in the Rambo-esque world these films become there are crosses and double crosses galore. But the film does toss in some comic relief at times that makes it bearable. In addition to that the stunt work here is among some of the best seen from the stuntmen in the Philippines. It has been said that Mattei and his writers wanted to combine the concepts RAMBO and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and from the way it turns out there seems a touch of ROMANCING THE STONE going on here too. Strangely enough it almost works. The film does entertain, far more so than the first film. Apparently it wasn't successful enough to see a third film. Severin has released this one in an amazing transfer as well with another 2k scan of the original film negative. The extras are also pretty good for a film this old including both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film, "Guerilla Zone" an interview with co-director Claudio Fragasso, "Michael Ransom Strikes Back" and interview with actor Brent Huff and the trailer for the film.

Only the genius - or madness - of Bruno Mattei, Claudio Fragasso and Rossella Drudi could take a Rambo ripoff made in the Philippines and decide to add ninjas, the KGB and no small amount of inspiration from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sgt. Michael Ransom's (Brent Huff!) owes a debt of honor to his Vietnam squad leader Vic Jenkins (Richard Harris!), who has been captured by heroin-selling terrorists who want ten million dollars worth of diamonds. Now, everyone is going to pay. How else can I sell this movie to you? Oh yeah, Vic Diaz is in it! Plus, the Strike Commando works with a girl he meets in a bar who is in the midst of a drinking contest named Rosanna Boom. Yes, that's her name, but I'd forgive you if you called her Marion Ravenwood. She swears more than me, which is saying something, and is played by 1977 Miss World Mary Stavin, who was also in Mattei's Born to Fight, A View to a Kill, House and Adam Ant's video for "Strip." Italian stalwarts Ottaviano Dell'Acqua and Massimo Vanni are also in this movie, which was shot at the same time as Zombie 4: After Death. And speaking of recycling, a lot of the jungle action here also shows up in Mattei's Cop Game, which is also beloved in my world. The movie has a great twist which I didn't see coming. Then I realized that the movie had been missing one of the essential Rambo ingredients. We had not yet seen our hero get tortured. Yes, like a southern tag team babyface, he must sell and sell to build for his comeback on the man who has turned heel on him, then emerge from the mud and the blood and the filth and unleash unholy hell on people who only care about diamonds when the Strike Commando's one true love is the unending thrill of bullets, brawls and blowing things up real good.

Rough'n'tumble Vietnam veteran Michael Ransom (a likeable performance by hunky Brent Huff) goes after the terrorist group who kidnapped his former 'Nam superior officer Major Vic Jenkins (nicely played with surprising conviction by a slumming Richard Harris!). Once again notorious Italian schlockmeister Bruno Mattei delivers the right-on ridiculous Grade B exploitation goods: We've got lots of stuff blowing up real good, loads of expendable flunkies who include some of the most hilariously feeble and useless ninjas to ever disgrace the screen, frequent use of strenuous slow motion, plentiful ineptly staged action, a high body count, a pleasing sense of lighthearted humor, and a shamelessly derivative ragbag script that rips off "Rambo: First Blood Part II," "Romancing the Stone," "Lethal Weapon," and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Lovely blonde Mary Stavin contributes a lively turn as feisty bar owner Rosanna Bloom while Mel Davidson as suavely slimy sadist Jenkins and Vic Diaz as wicked and depraved drug kingpin Huan To make for fun villains. A goofy blast.