Commando Zebra

Makeup has a great deal to do with this story, so much so that it could have been given Oscar consideration. You won't even know how much until the very end of the film

Having said that The Zebra Force is one incredibly dumb action adventure film where a group of Vietnam veterans who were an elite unit have taken to ripping off the Mafia, known here as 'The Outfit'. They've done this in such a way that the blame is being placed on a local group of black gangsters whom The Outfit considers are getting too uppity. A nice little gang war erupts before the truth is known and most of the cast is killed.

The Zebra Force seems very much to be influenced by Sam Peckinpah and his work. A few slow motion violence ballets are in this film, but believe this ain't Peckinpah.

Makeup great, the rest of it you can have.

A few of the user comments submitted here are, in fact, written for the belated 1987 sequel. You can't blame anyone for the confusion, because the sequel's official title "Code Name Zebra" is also an alternate title for the original and both films are incredibly obscure. Haven't seen the 80s sequel yet myself, but if it's as unpretentiously entertaining and action-packed as this one, I will most certainly track it down! "The Zebra Force" is a crazed exploitation flick made by, and targeted at, macho males. The only women here are ravishing looking extras, like guests at a casino or girls by the pool, and they are not opening their mouths to speak, only to shriek. Writer/director Joe Tornatore may not care too much for women, he certainly does know how to make a remarkable entrance! The film opens with an exhilarating heist on an illegal mafia casino, where several gangsters and guests are killed by a well-trained and organized 8-headed group of black guys in blue overalls. The mob's senior leadership immediately sends for professional "caretaker" Carmine Longo to find the assailants, but it's not so easy. For you see, the black guys are really disguised white guys! They are buddies who served together in Vietnam and still loyally follow their lieutenant who worked out a plan for all of them to get filthy rich via three big hits against the mafia. Let the mob look for black gangsters and declare gang wars; - they'll never find the black-and-white "Zebras". The Lieutenant is, by the way, one of the most remarkable characters in 70s exploitation history! Following a landmine accident in 'Nam, he only has one arm, a horridly disfigured face and he talks via a throat-cancer device. "The Zebra Force" guarantees a raw and gritty 70s atmosphere, complete with wild car chases and brutal executions. The final showdown between mobsters and veterans is already grotesquely violent, and then still Joe Tornatore foresees a totally out-of-the-blue but fantastic end-twist! If you like 70s smut, you must watch "The Zebra Force", period!

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.

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.