The Zebra Force

I really love bad movies,when they are so bad they're fun but really zebra force(aka;code name zebra)is really bad,the acting is really below par and i think its really a racist premise,OK these ex military white guys disguise themselves as black men and hit the mafia,take their money and kill them.this would never work on the sopranos.the mafia in this movie is portrayed as dolts.and no its no comedy.the leader of the zebra force is a disfigured and one armed army commander. and then there's a surprise twist at the end.look for frank Sinatra Jr in a small part,hey he needed the bread.and character actor of bad movies; George buck flower,OK this is about 85 minutes of my life I'm not getting back.zebra force really should've been on the video 50 worst movies of all time,at least plan 9 from outer space is bad but fun,as for 70's schlock zebra force is the bottom of the barrel.hokey,bad acted and just plain bad.

A group of Vietnam veterans, fiercely loyal to their lieutenant (horribly disfigured as a result of a land mine explosion) agree to perform a series of audacious hits on mob-controlled gambling operations to ostensibly rid the town of their influence and protect society's youth from the spectre of drugs. But their raids also net hundreds of thousands of dollars in tainted cash, leading Mafia Don (Caruso) to enlist the aid of his Mr Fix-it Carmine Longo (Lane) to rectify the problem.

You've probably read that the vets disguise themselves and while it's certainly a novelty, the "transformations" are unintentionally comedic (watch for the interrogation scene near the end of the movie). Puerile dialogue and atrocious cinematography (or perhaps the editing) don't do any favours, but I enjoyed the characterisations, and the cast has some talent. Lanky Mike Lane from "The Harder They Fall" is imposing, Stafford Morgan as the crooked cop, and Rockne Tarkington as the tough-talking downtown pusher, all make an impression in spite of the script they deliver.

A jazzy soul soundtrack, slow-motion stunts, car chases and a twist ending keep things entertaining and overall, while it's routinely panned by the armchair critics, you could do a lot worse than this gangster flick dressed in a blaxploitation wardrobe. Often confused with its sequel "Codename Zebra" starring James Mitchum made in 1987, while the latter is more technically proficient, the sheer quirkiness and 70's infused texture of "Zebra Force" is superior in entertainment value.

Even though this late-night action flick has aged, it still has what many of today's multi-budget movies are lacking in: ORIGINALITY! Don't expect good guy heroes in "The Zebra Force" because this definitely is not your typical action film. Instead, this is a first-person anti-hero show that knows no limits. Watching the soldiers in black masks terrorize the innocent is rather deteriorating, but that's part of the fun. Overall, the real show stealers are the gang's leader with a deformed face who communicates via mini walkie-talkies, plus an unexpected finale. If you can live with obscure '70s trashies like this one, then I can't blame you for that!

This is nothing more that an excuse for a bunch of scenes of slaughter. It has virtually no plot or motivation. The characters are stereotypical and really questionable actors. Their reason for doing what they do wouldn't stand up under any scrutiny. It's the Zebra force against the Mafia. I don't know why because it's never clear. If they are both basically evil, why don't the just stay away from each other. There's virtually no conversation and when it happens it is senseless and pointless. The old running back, Timmy Brown, is in it. So is the Sinatra kid. It's a monumental waste of time. There isn't even the "bad movie" syndrome at work here.

Yes, it's another typical shoot em'up '70s action opus, but it actually is pretty entertaining given the production values of this film. Essentially, it's about a diverse group of Vietnam veterans who go up against the mafia and a group of crooked cops. Plenty of violence, average acting, and some amazing stunt work. The only minor quibble I have with the film is how the marketing people behind this movie had the nerve to compare the film's climatic car chase to The French Connection. It doesn't even come close. Oh, well. It was the '70s, after all.