La sporca insegna del coraggio

Overly sentimental action-drama stars the big Swede Bo Svenson as a Vietnam vet struggling to overcome his service memories until he's forced to confront them again in a daring mission to rescue a long-abandoned comrade.

Peter Hooten (formerly the small screen's 'Dr Strange') plays one of Svenson's reliable wartime buddies, both the actresses playing Svenson and Hooten's long-suffering wives are uncredited (!), Pochath is a reluctant drag-queen recruited by Svenson to rescue their fallen brother, and then veteran Martin Balsam like all the other actors is badly overdubbed as a military brass who suspects Svenson knows too much and doesn't want any 'unauthorised heroes lying around' quote, unquote (whatever that means). Spaghetti-western fans might also recognise an uncredited appearance by Riccardo Pizzuti as a prominent prison camp henchman.

It's a tedious bore made worse by the incongruous dubbing, comically absurd slapstick-style humour, and melodramatic pacing, weaving 'The Deer Hunter' and 'The Wild Geese' with little success. Things finally heat up in the final acts featuring the ubiquitous bullet spraying, muzzle blasts and controlled explosions perfectly suited for video, snacks and low expectations. And be sure to stick around for the voice-over epilogue which is truly hilarious.

I am a big mark on Italian films, but this film is just plain boring. Bo Svenson and Peter Hootens together again (last seen in INGLORIOUS BASTARDS in 1978) joins the Late Werner Porchat (a part-time drag queen commando) in another Italian commando film. The reason why I hate this film so much is that Martin Balsam and Bo Svenson have a very familar voice, and they are dubbed in this film by someone else! The film also is very slow moving and the soundtrack has no energy. I can't comment on the acting for the three U.S. stars are dubbed. Not recommended.