Mission suicide

Vietnam vet Michael Ransom (Brent Huff) is sent by the US Government into Burma to save his old commander (Richard Harris). He is ordered to pay a ransom (ha!) of $10 million dollars in diamonds. Naturally, he encounters trouble along the way. At first glance this Bruno Mattei flick might merely appear to be a RAMBO clone. But Mattei is no fool as he shamelessly rips off RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and ROMANCING THE STONE in this one. No joke, Mattei lifts the drinking scene and truck chase nearly frame-by-frame from RAIDERS.

Of course, if you enjoy this type of stuff like I do than you are in for a treat. Brent Huff is no match for Reb Brown in the role of Michael Ransom but he does well enough. And your eyes are not betraying you when you see noted thespian Richard Harris in this as the commander. I guess he wanted to star in something that made ORCA look credible on his resume. Female lead Mary Stavin is quite attractive, especially when she sneaks into the camp in a black wig. For some odd reason, Mattei decided to give this film a soundtrack like THE STING, which only enhances the comedy (the unintentional stuff, not the stuff they want you to laugh at).

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.

Strike Commando 2 (1988)

* (out of 4)

Here's another ultra-cheap action picture from Bruno Mattei. This time out, Michael Ransom (Brent Huff) must go into the jungles of Vietnam as his old squad leader is being held ransom. Once there the kidnappers are demanding some priceless diamonds for his return but Ransom has his own way of dealing with things.

Once again we are treated to another awful film from the one and only Bruno Mattei who has pretty much become a legend to bad movie fans because of his willingness to do whatever it takes to make something unoriginal. The first STRIKE COMMANDO was a really bad film but it did offer up a lot of bad action scenes and explosions. That stuff happens, to a lesser degree, here as well but this film also plays the Mattei game of ripping off other movies. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC, LETHAL WEAPON and RAMBO II are just some of the films that get ripped off here.

I must admit that I was a little shocked to see a lot more dialogue and story here compared to the first film but I'm going to guess that the budget got slashed before the production started. I say that because the first film was mostly action but that's not the case here as the action doesn't really start until the finale. With that said, I must admit that I enjoyed this one here slightly more than the first because the dubbing was so bad that you couldn't help but laugh at some of the dialogue and the way it was delivered.

Huff flexes his muscles throughout but the real shock to the cast is Richard Harris. I was shocked to see him in a film from Mattei and what's stranger is that he isn't just in a walk-on part but instead he appears throughout the movie in a rather large part. Perhaps the action scenes budget was cut to give more money to Harris? Who knows but STRIKE COMMANDO 2 is pretty much what you'd expect it to be.

The first one was a black comedy starring Reb Brown and Christopher Connelly, and it had numerous scenes that was lifted from RAMBO 2. But now, the sequel is more serious and headlines action star Brent Huff as a commando who is in search of his old old Vietnam buddy Richard Harris (!). Harris, a very masterful actor looks puzzled why he is even in this film (he said once in a interview he retired until they offered him THE FIELD, so this movie must have motivated his retirement!). Harris looks very ill in the film, and suprisingly he is most of the film unlike Mary Starvin who is second bills (Harris is 3rd billed) who seems to have little to do. Not bad action scenes, and even has Harris killing a giant fake bug. Huff is good as usual, but this film steals the ending of RAMBO 2 just like first STRIKE COMMANDO film. The film does looks depressing, and it's kind of sad to see Harris in a Philipeno shot cheap film, and on a role that Bo Svenson to Henry Silva usual does.

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.